Brewing Master

Question:

I have a used fridge purchased from my local homebrew supplier. It has an external thermostat that allows temperatures ranging from 0 to about 90 (if you can get your house that warm). I use it for all of my recipes, lagers and ales, unless, of course, I have a batch of lager brewing already (45-50 degrees) and decide to make an ale (65-75 degrees). Given the fact that the temperature ranges for making ans storing are usually different, I have not use for the fridge as a beer "cellar". Also, don’t forget to bottle condition at room temps. If you do it in a 40 degree fridge it’ll take forever. Geep in Plano (North of Dallas) TX.

Response:

Keep in mind that fermentation raises the temperature of the beer.  If   you want to ferment at a certain temp (say 50F) and set your fridge to that temp, then actual temp of the beer will be higher during fermentation. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to find out how much higher or how to compensate for it.  I’d recommend putting a Fermometer on your carboy and watching the temperature it reads.                             – Bryan

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I’m considering buying a used refridgerator to ferment lagers at the right temperature (now that the garage isn’t cold anymore).  Does anyone have any experience with this?  Its secondary use would be to keep my bottled beer, and particularly ales, at "pub cellar" temperature

I believe it depends on how cold you want the fridge to be and how low the fridge is designed to go ie It may have to stay on all the time to maintain a temperature of 40 degrees.  I used a temperature control mechanism with a freezer that worked great.  VERY necessary when trying to brew anything in CTMO Bay Cuba .. John

Response:

   I’m considering buying a used refridgerator to ferment lagers at the    right temperature (now that the garage isn’t cold anymore).  Does anyone    have any experience with this?  Its secondary use would be to keep my    bottled beer, and particularly ales, at "pub cellar" temperature – not too    cold, not to warm. I’ve done this for 2 batches, and there’s a third that’s in the secondary right now.  My experience is that this makes a HUGE difference in the quality of the beer.  I made a honey lager (from Papaizan’s Rocky Racoon Honey Lager recipe) that was out of this world.  Unfortunately the honey slows down fermentation, and so does fermenting in the fridge, so it took about 5 weeks to do the primary fermentation… You need to use a liquid lager yeast and get it started 3-5 days before you brew.  If you have a fresh yeast you can get away with: activating the pack on day 1, starting in a pint of starter on day 2, and starting in a quart of starter on day 3.  Then on day 4 you should have a pretty good yeast population to pitch with. The ideal temp for fermenting a lager is usually around 46-50F but most fridges only go up to 42-43F (mine anyway).  I fermented my latest pilsner at 43F and it worked fine.  I have heard that you can get "butterscotch" off flavors if you ferment at too low a temperature but that has never happened to me.  The largest risk is that the yeast will get too cold and go dormant, but if you pitch a good amount and give it a few hours after pitching to get going you shouldn’t have a problem. Anyway I’ve done this very successfully 3 times, if you have any questions about the process, don’t hesitate to drop me a note — "Those that God wants to destroy he first makes mad."

Response:

The ideal temp for fermenting a lager is usually around 46-50F but most fridges only go up to 42-43F (mine anyway).  I fermented my latest pilsner at 43F and it worked fine.  I have heard that you can get "butterscotch" off flavors if you ferment at too low a temperature but that has never happened to me.  The largest risk is that the yeast will get too cold and go dormant, but if you pitch a good amount and give it a few hours after pitching to get going you shouldn’t have a problem.

Another advantage of the refridgerator is that it makes a difference in which strains of yeast you may use. WHen fermenting in a garage for the vegas winter, i used munich lager yeast, which is remarkably tolerant of temperature flux.  Pilsner/st. louis yeast, on the ohterhand, is highly intolerant. — R E HAWKINS

Response:

I’m considering buying a used refridgerator to ferment lagers at the right temperature (now that the garage isn’t cold anymore).  Does anyone have any experience with this?  Its secondary use would be to keep my bottled beer, and particularly ales, at "pub cellar" temperature – not too cold, not to warm.         Calvin Timmerman – Using Wife’s ID.

Response:

I’m considering buying a used refridgerator to ferment lagers at the right temperature (now that the garage isn’t cold anymore).  Does anyone have any experience with this?  Its secondary use would be to keep my bottled beer, and particularly ales, at "pub cellar" temperature – not too cold, not to warm.    Calvin Timmerman – Using Wife’s ID.

Yes,  my freind and i are lagering  in a chest freezer.  We are using a temp. controller that has a metal bulb that stays in the freezer and the dial part plugs into the wall.  The freezer is plugged into the controller and we set it where we want the temp.   We keep a thermometer in the freezer as well because the dial markings may not coincide with the actual temperature in the chest.   The freezer’s temperature controller is set at the coldest so that the controller will do the job.   I’m sure this type of setup will work the same way with a refrigerator since they both work the same.   We are also chilling some bottles of beer in it. I think we bought the controller at WW GRAINGER which has locations here in Milwaukee and all over. Lager on !! DLFA – here to help

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