Trying to figure out a way to ferment and store multiple batches

Homebrew Talk

Help Support Homebrew Talk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

redrocker652002

Supporting Member
HBT Supporter
Joined
Jun 15, 2022
Messages
2,143
Reaction score
1,994
Location
South San Francisco CA
OK, so with my new Grainfather, fermentation fridge (can hold two or three corny kegs) and a bit of motivation I am trying to figure something out. I have three recipes in the bullpen that I want to try and brew and store. One uses either S05 or Bry97, one uses 34/70 and one uses WLP860. What I am hoping to do it brew each, ferment in my bucket fermenter and then transfer to a keg for storage. Problem I am trying to wrap my head around is that each of these ferments at a different temp so having a keg for storage while fermenting the next batch might be a challenge. If you were trying to do what I am trying to do, what order would you brew and how would you suggest I ferment and store at the same time with only one fridge to do both? Or, should I just figure to only store one at a time and just leave it at that? I am sure that is all very confusing, but any input would be most appreciated.
 
The 3470 and the 860 will both ferment around 53f. The us05 will ferment pretty quick. I'd do the us05 batch and let it go for about 10 days, then drop temp in the fridge to about 53 and ferment 1 lager for about 7 days, then keg it. Leave it at that temp and do the other lager. Ferment it, then raise the temp for a d-rest for both lagers. After 3 days or so cold-crash the lagers while chilling the us05 batch to drink. It's a bit of a drawn out process, but if you have 1 fermenter and looking to have the 3 going as consecutively as possible, this should work.
 
You can't really ferment and "lager" or dispense (with proper carbonation) at the same temps. Each has an optimal range and there's not much overlap if any.
But you can Lager or cold crash a fermented beer in your kegerator/fridge while dispensing others.

I would brew, then ferment each in their optimum temp range. Since they're both lager yeasts, you can probably ferment your 34/70 and WLP860 beers at the same temp (50-55F). So that's 2 in the time of one.

I use a large Igloo beverage cooler box placed in my lower level (in a spare bathroom, below grade) for fermentations when my ferm fridge is used for other purposes. It fits 2 carboys or brew buckets side by side.
It's then filled with cool or cold water and a few frozen water bottles, until the fermenters just want to start to float. The whole system is covered in a thick blanket to help keep the temps more constant.
When higher temps are needed, such as ramping up toward the end of fermentation, an aquarium heater is used in the water bath.
 
Last edited:
Thanks all. I think I omitted one part of the info. I have a separate serving kegerator that houses one keg, and it has to be a torpedo as the height is good to fit under the freezer tray. So, what I am thinking is doing the S05 beer first, start to finish. Then, maybe doing one of the lagers up to kegging it for storage. I can then slide the other lager in and ferment while I store the kegged lager. Ferment the second one at the correct temp. Once they are both kegged, I can bring them up to temp for a Drest together and then cold crash both and store. I might just do one at a time. It takes me about a month and a half to finish a keg, so that will be plenty of time to get the next one ready to go, but this sounds like more fun. LOL.
 
The 3470 and the 860 will both ferment around 53f. The us05 will ferment pretty quick. I'd do the us05 batch and let it go for about 10 days, then drop temp in the fridge to about 53 and ferment 1 lager for about 7 days, then keg it. Leave it at that temp and do the other lager. Ferment it, then raise the temp for a d-rest for both lagers. After 3 days or so cold-crash the lagers while chilling the us05 batch to drink. It's a bit of a drawn out process, but if you have 1 fermenter and looking to have the 3 going as consecutively as possible, this should work.
I think that is exactly what I am going to try. Then I have two lagers at the ready, one a Helles and the other a standard lager I think.
 
Back
Top