Questions on fermenting lagers

[brelic]

Hey all,

I just brewed my first lager over the weekend. There's one caveat, of course. It's a California common. Why is that a caveat? Well, because it ferments at roughly ale temperatures.

My cold room in the basement hovers around 16 C, which is appropriate for this yeast strain.

For those of you who brew lagers, how do you keep the temperature at the appropriate level? I don't have anywhere in my house where it is 6-14 C or so, and that is the range of most lager yeasts.

Is another fridge my only option?

 

[david_42]

I only brew lagers in the winter. The brewery is right for fermentation and the garage is good for lagering from December to March. I have a fermentation fridge, but only use that in the summer when it hits 35C or more.

 

[Yooper]

I only brew lagers in the winter. The brewery is right for fermentation and the garage is good for lagering from December to March. I have a fermentation fridge, but only use that in the summer when it hits 35C or more.

Yep, me too. I can use a fridge, but usually just brew lagers in the winter. My basement right now is a balmy 46 degrees, perfect for primary. For lagering, I put the carboy in my "Yooper Lagerator", a cooler with wheels and a foam lid, with a water bath and frozen water bottles and keep it at 34 degrees for 8 weeks.

I only make about 4 lagers per year now, so it's a wintertime thing mostly. (Except for my Marzen).

Temperature control is crucial for ales, too, but my house is mid 60s year round, with my basement getting no higher than 65 degrees even in August.

 

[brelic]

Thanks for the answers.

Unfortunately where I live, the winter is too darned cold to even consider the garage... it drops to anywhere between 0 C to -10 C from January to March. Way too cold!

Damn you Canada!