Lager Fermentation

[Green Iguana]

I really want to do a lager or two since it's getting hot up these parts....

Problem is i only have one beer fridge and it currently has my kegs and tap/plumbing in it....

I can't really ditch the kegs as waiting 3 weeks for a lager to ferment before racking will mean no beer on tap for a while....

So i was thinking.....keep an ale on tap in one of the kegs and take the other out...now i can't fit a regular round fermenter in with the keg however a square 27L jerry with an airlock will fit...

So keep the temp at 10 C...serve the ale at this temp and ferment the lager at the same time...now how does the shape of the fermenting vessel affect things? I have read before that the round shapre of fermenters allows max surface area for the yeast.....will a square jerry still work?????????????????????????


cheers

 

[Kai]

Unless there's a factor I'm overlooking, I don't think surface area is really an issue here. So long as the wort is well aerated I don't think it makes a difference.

 

[jgriffin]

I've done exactly the same thing before. Only problem was my fridge doesn't keep an even temperature, so it got stuck a few times, but in the end it was a bloody nice pils.

 

[Green Iguana]

thanks for the replies.....sounds like it will work

what range was your temp jgriffin?

 

[jgriffin]

Well i've since discovered that the thermostat is stuffed (on list to replace). It ranges between -5 and 10C.

 

[Gout]

even if the temp in the fridge moves up and down a bit, the large mass of the beer will average that out and should sit at a semi constant temp

 

[Trev]

GI,

I keep a 2 litre bottle of water in the fridge permanently and shove a thermometer in it so I can set the temp. It's not got the thermal inertia of a full fermenter but it helps you adjust the thermostat over a few days.

Trev