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Lagering
One more advantage of having a chest freezer...you can do an Eisbock. That you can't do in the refrigerator, ha.
DT
My lager fridge is able to get down to 34. I use a johnson analog controller to keep it there.Works fine for me.
To clear up the lager / ferment time cycle it is typically fernent 2-4 weeks at 50-55 deg. Bring up to 65 deg for 48 hours (d-rest), then crash down to 34-38 deg for lagering time 1-12 months.
I got a chest freezer from the 50s... damn thing is older than i am, but it was free!! It works awesome, can get to 0 degrees in no time. works great for lagering.
BrewTown_Bill wrote:
I got a chest freezer from the 50s... damn thing is older than i am, but it was free!! It works awesome, can get to 0 degrees in no time. works great for lagering.
So have you ever sat and watched your electric meter spin like a 45?
I actually can't complain, in my new house I have the main fridge and the kegerator and lagering fridge in the garage, all 3 running and my electric bill was $78 last month.
W/ the furnace running in the garage though can't imagine what my gas bill will be!
ha, I was worried about that but to be honest, I didn't even notice a change. Most likely it's because it doesn't run that long...
It honestly keeps temp better than a modern one, most likely because the lining is enamal painted steel and it stays cold all by its self for a long time. Once it gets doen to temp it doesn't have to turn on very all at all.
Gotta second the deep freezer from the 50's. These things are built like tanks!!! When I got mine we dropped it off the back of the truck. Plugged in and went to freezing in no time!
When anticipating to lager a beer, pick an appropriate beer for the style of beer you are brewing. The temperature that you ferment at will be determined by the specific strain. Then once the ferment is complete you can dial the control down as low as you like to stop fermenting and store as long as you like. Do a couple of batches at the same time and you will have a good rotating stock of lager. The process is going to take a long time. Thus invest your time wisely and make something good.
Check the yard sales for the freezers or craig's list. I bought mine for $50 and it will last a lifetime!
The new freezers will cost more, have less insulation and will break probally in 6 yrs of use.
Sounds like the chest freezer is the way to go. While I hunt for one, I happened to mention this to a friend who has offered to give me his older model upright freezer... free of charge. Sounds like a good sized one so as long as I can but a carboy in the bottom and maybe another one on a shelf I will be in business.
While I am at it here is another question on lagering... After I ferment , secondary and then bottle the batch at what temperature should I age the beer in the bottles ? After aging is it ok to move it to the fridge?
To bottle condition, I would say celler temp is good. Between 45 and 55 ...
ricka182 wrote:
To bottle condition, I would say celler temp is good. Between 45 and 55 ...
Buy "condition" do we mean carbonate?
Let those bottle sit at your normal carbonation temperature first (60-70F), then you can put them in the fridge.
For a lager you are going to ferment, then lager, then bottle and carbonate. What you do with the bottles after that isn't part of the "Lager Brewing" process. IMO