Yeast Temp Question

[MattyIceGfunk]

As I stated in my last two threads I am a brand new brewer. I know by now that one of the big differences between Ale and Lager yeasts is the temperature they are fermented. The only space I really have to ferment is my basement which right now(winter) is about 65 degrees and probably 70 in summer. Knowing that this is the only temperature I really have to brew, is there no hope in making a batch of some nice lagers?

 

[Cybershadow]

Not without a fermentation chamber. The yeast really needs to ferment in the 50's and lagering should be in the 30's or 40's (debatable, i know). I use my chest freezer with a temp control unit on it to ferment and lager my beers. Do a search on here and you will find all kinds of ideas people have come up with how to lager. Some people use ice and a bathtub to do it.

 

[Xaphoeous]

I think you're going to be forced to buy a small chest freezer and temp controller for those lagers. Oh darn!

 

[Pivovar_Koucky]

Also, lagers are just more difficult to brew. There are plenty of tasty ale styles you can make and you can make mock lagers by fermenting fairly cold with a clean yeast. After you are confident of your brew process, if you want to make lagers buy 3 things:

1)A refrigerator you can dedicate to lagers
2)A temperature controller
3)"New Brewing Lager Beer" by Greg Noonan
- Don't even bother trying to make lager without this book. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it's just a fantastic resource for brewing beer in general and lagers in particular. None of my lagers turned out as well as I wanted until I got this book. Spend the $15 bucks to get it on amazon and I don't think you will regret it.