Lagers - How to keep cold

[gfmonk]

I have a Brew Bucket Brewmaster Edition Fermenter and I would like to brew a lager. Currently I have a small refrigerator that barely fits a 5 gal carboy without an airlock. Are there any refrigerators out there that will accommodate my fermenter? Are there any that are made with the homebrewer in mind?

What are other people using to keep their lagers at a specific temperature?

Thanks,
Gary

 

[tjosborne]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=574737

 

[Morrey]

Gary, I have a bucket fermenter like yours and it fits down nicely into a chest freezer. I saw a 5cf freezer at Sams for $129 and a 7.1cf freezer for $179. The 5 will fit one bucket and the 7 will probably fit two buckets. Then you'll need a temp controller that will allow you to set temps. I use Inkbird 308's and they run $33 each at Amazon. So for less than you paid for your bucket, you can have a temp controlled chamber to brew with.

 

[gfmonk]

Thanks everyone!!

The freezer idea looks good. Sams has a 9.2cf one for $199. Only $20 more than the 7.1cf and it can fit 3 fermenters. Not that I think I'll do 3 but for only $20 it seems worth it.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

I'm considering one of these for both 6.5 gallon glass carboy fermentation and lagering: https://www.samsclub.com/sams/126-can-dsv-in-club-886159/prod18910248.ip?xid=plp:product:1:1

It can get down to 34 degrees F., and to my knowledge it has a completely flat base level.

 

[Morrey]

Thanks everyone!!

The freezer idea looks good. Sams has a 9.2cf one for $199. Only $20 more than the 7.1cf and it can fit 3 fermenters. Not that I think I'll do 3 but for only $20 it seems worth it.

The freezer with a temp controller is very versatile. You are wise to think ahead and buy (size) for the future, not for today. You can run the temps for fermentation then set it in the low 30's to chill the kegs for lager conditioning. This should prove to be a very versatile choice. And heaven forbid you take a break from brewing, you have a nice freezer for household goods.

 

[gfmonk]

The only reason I like the freezer is that I can fit more than one for almost the same price. Even the 5.0cf is 30" so you can get 2 in there. The Tramontina is 21" wide and the fermenter is 13".

So it really comes down to how many you may want to do at a time.

 

[applescrap]

You could always brew a lager warm! Okay I'm ducking before the rotten tomatoes hit me.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

You could always brew a lager warm! Okay I'm ducking before the rotten tomatoes hit me.

No rotten tomatoes here. It has been done with Fermentis W-34/70 lager yeast, and the results are surprising. See the link below for a test between two identical lagers brewed side by side, with one fermented at 50 degrees, and the other at 70 degrees.

http://brulosophy.com/2016/02/08/fe...ager-yeast-saflager-3470-exbeeriment-results/