No Temp Control - Ale Or Lager?

[Jakechan]

I'm going away for 2 weeks and would like to put down a kits n bits this arvo for when I come home.
As I wont be home to change the ice bombs in the esky that houses my fermenter I have 2 choices.

1. Do an Ale, and allow it to ferment at ambient temp which at the moment is never lower than high 20s, and usually 30+ during the day. (not ideal but it would be drinkable I'm sure)

2. Do a Lager, putting the fermenter in the keg fridge and setting the fridge onto its warmest setting (I have no fridgemate yet). I don't know how cold this would be but I would imagine it would be about 6-8?

Whaddyareckon would be the best bet? Is that too cold for a Lager?

Cheers,
Jake

Edit: Forgot the + sign. 30+

 

[Supra-Jim]

Can you get hold of a basic timer for your power point (i.e kmart)? and set it so the fridge switches on for 1 hour mid morning and 1 hour mid afternoon?

If so do the lager. I don't like the sound of the ale fermented between 25 & 30 degs.

Cheers

SJ

 

[brendo]

most lagers work between 9-12 ideally - don't know about 6-8, probably a tad low.

letting an ale go at ambient temperatures is going to produce a lot of fusel alcohols and funky esters - could be OK, but likely to be a hell of a hangover inducer.

Brendo

 

[seemax]

Ale at 30C, ouch !!!
I had a coopers kit yeast brew at 25C and it tasted like fruit salad cider.

I've done a lager as low as 8C, it's very slow but still fermented after 3 weeks. My fridge on warm is closer to 3C.

Given the ambient is fairly consistent, some kind of regular on/off switch would probably work, every few hrs.


Looks like hot ale is the only solution. or get yourself a temp controller pronto !!

 

[QIK86]

My brother recently started brewing and fermented a Coopers Lager with the kit yeast at somewhere around 28C-30C with a kilo of dextrose.

Surprisingly enough its drinkable if served ice cold. Just don't let it warm up.

Personally, if those are your only options, I'd just wait until I get home and can control the temp again.

 

[daemon]

Can you get hold of a basic timer for your power point (i.e kmart)? and set it so the fridge switches on for 1 hour mid morning and 1 hour mid afternoon?

This is what I did until I get a chance to grab a fridgemate. $6.50 for the timer from the local hardware store, to keep it at 18 I was just running it for a few hours during the day. Not perfect temp control but better than what mother nature was offering

With a timer you could do an ale or lager

 

[Jakechan]

Can you get hold of a basic timer for your power point (i.e kmart)? and set it so the fridge switches on for 1 hour mid morning and 1 hour mid afternoon?

If so do the lager. I don't like the sound of the ale fermented between 25 & 30 degs.

Cheers

SJ

I never thought of that, its a good idea, and I have a timer handy as well. I might give it a go.

Cheers,
Jake