Brewing Lagers...?

[jkirky]

Gday all...

I am looking to brew a lager -

I have a spare fridge which i can use to put the fermenter in, I was just wondering how everyone keeps the temps for ferment in the right place (12 degrees)?

I really dont want to set up a fangdangled temperature control system set up for the fridge if possible... Would rather keep the fridge standard as I use it for other purposes (dog meat, spare vegies etc etc)...

Ideas???

 

[chestynuts]

All I say is good luck if you want to section off part of you fridge for different temperatures.

IMO the best way would be to move the other stuff into your first fridge for the period of fermenting and using a tempmate. The tempmate is rigged up so that it is just like an extension lead. It controls the power to the fridge depending on the probe going into the fridge. You can revert back to a normal fridge after fermenting by removing the tempmate extension lead and plugging the fridge into the power outlet as normal.

I hope this helps.

 

[felten]

A fangdangled temperature controller can just be used during ferment, and then unplugged when you want to go back to using it as a fridge.

The temp controllers plug into the wall, and then the fridge plugs into the temp controller, nothing that would void your fridge for normal use.

But apparently you can use frozen PET bottles if you dont have a fridgemate.

 

[kocken42]

I ferment my lagers in the regular fridge which has the milk/veggies/more beer and the way I do it is to throw your fermenter in there, wait until it gets to 10~12 degrees and then remove it from the fridge and insulate the crap out of that thing and store it in a cool area of the house... I find it best if you cool it down at about 4 or 5pm (when you get home from work) for an hour or 3, and then keep it insulated (I use a singlet, a shirt and a jumper, you can wrap it in a blanket/doona/exercise mat/camping mat if you want). The cooler night temps and the insulation should keep the fermenter around your desired temp until 5pm the next day, when you can do it all over again.

 

[BoilerBoy]

jkirky,

Consider using a dead fridge and hold temp rotating frozen 1 or 2L PET bottles, many brewers have done this successfully including myself for years.

Got a lager in mine right now with 3 x 2L bottles keeping the temp at 9.5C and changing bottles every 2 days...easy as.

Cheers,
BB

 

[chadjaja]

Got mine in a round 30 can cooler with some frozen bottles at the moment. I cut a piece of foam that sits snug over the fermenter and I estimate I should be able to brew at 10c in the garage for a few more months at least. Keeps the brew about 10 degrees cooler than room temp.

 

[jkirky]

A fangdangled temperature controller can just be used during ferment, and then unplugged when you want to go back to using it as a fridge.

The temp controllers plug into the wall, and then the fridge plugs into the temp controller, nothing that would void your fridge for normal use.

But apparently you can use frozen PET bottles if you dont have a fridgemate

Where do you get these from... all the one I have seen require a sparky to wire it up- fair bit of mucking around with 240 volt... which is what I didnt want to do...

But if someone can point me to one that doesnt need wiring, I would be eternally gratefull...

 

[DUANNE]

^you can get the analouge ones from grain and grape. can be a knack to getting the temp just right and they are a bit picey but do still work well.

 

[jakub76]

Temperature controller really is the best brewing investment you could make...but if you're not ready to fork out just yet...turn your fridge to it's lowest/warmest setting and throw a thermometre in there. Check the temp after a day or two, should be around 9-10C. If it's around 10C then that's perfect for brewing lagers, use it. If it's lower than 10C that's ok too. Place your fermenter in there and get the wort down to 8C, pitch the yeast and keep the fermenter insulated somewhere cool. Let it free rise till the end of fermentation, as long as it's at or below 10C for the first 3-4 days it will be fine - the higher temps after that will keep the yeast active and help them clean up. I wouldn't be warming and cooling it repeatedly as mentioned earlier in the thread, cooling it towards the end can cause a stuck ferment, the yeast just shut down before finishing.

 

[kocken42]

Temperature controller really is the best brewing investment you could make...

BIG call!

 

[Josh]

I use a cheap electric timer. For my fridge I have found 1 hour on 1 hour off is about right for lager fermentation.

As above though, you could just about get away with using your fridge at its warmest setting. This would have you around 8-10C. Throw in an increase once fermentation starts and you'll be laughing.

 

[Shed101]

Not particularly cheap, but here's what I bought (the top one in the list) and I think it's worth it in the long run ... all the wiring's done for you

temp controller

 

[jakub76]

I've got a spare fridgemate that's been lying around collecting dust so I thought I might as well find it a better home. it's assembled and ready to use. there's some slight rust on the probe, but this did not effect the function of the controller while controlling my old keg freezer
$40, pick up from the parliament end of the city during business hours, or brunswick east
PM me if interested

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...mp;#entry678747

 

[Bribie G]

jkirky,

Consider using a dead fridge and hold temp rotating frozen 1 or 2L PET bottles, many brewers have done this successfully including myself for years.

Got a lager in mine right now with 3 x 2L bottles keeping the temp at 9.5C and changing bottles every 2 days...easy as.

Cheers,
BB

If you live in a cooler part of the country and have a reasonable sized freezer section, you can get 5L 'slab' shaped little jerry can water carriers from bunnings that freeze nicely overnight and just wrap up your cold fermenter with a 5L bottle, a beach towel and a doonah, and you can have a brew going at 14 degrees no problems, changing the bottle daily. I still do most of my ales this way, even though I have a tempmate fridge.
My lager fridge holds just one fermenter so often I do two fermenters on the garage floor, with a 5L jerry between them, the towel and the doonah, and hold 18 degrees just with the one bottle.

Some yeasts are more than happy to ferment at mid teens and still do a good lager, for example Mauri lager yeast (sold as Morgans) and Saflager S-189. I've even done W-34/70 at mid teens and no problems - Carlton and Tooheys ferment at those temps all the time B)

 

[newguy]

Some good suggestions here.

 

[michaelcocks]

Gday all...

I am looking to brew a lager -

I have a spare fridge which i can use to put the fermenter in, I was just wondering how everyone keeps the temps for ferment in the right place (12 degrees)?

I really dont want to set up a fangdangled temperature control system set up for the fridge if possible... Would rather keep the fridge standard as I use it for other purposes (dog meat, spare vegies etc etc)...

Ideas???

A six dollar timer from the green shed or other hardware store gets you to about 10-12 c if you pit it one for two hours in morning and two in evening

 

[jkirky]

A six dollar timer from the green shed or other hardware store gets you to about 10-12 c if you pit it one for two hours in morning and two in evening

The water timer sounds the goods for what I want...

I really am not into significant investment for a brewing fridge as I have a dead freezer which works a treat for ales- and ales are what I like to brew and drink... Just looking to spread my horizons with some lagers...

Cheers fo all the feedback!!!

 

[Bribie G]

The water timer sounds the goods for what I want...

I really am not into significant investment for a brewing fridge as I have a dead freezer which works a treat for ales- and ales are what I like to brew and drink... Just looking to spread my horizons with some lagers...

Cheers fo all the feedback!!!

I used a dead fridge for over a year and did successful lagers, just change the ice bottles twice as frequently - three minutes in the morning and three at night.