Larger without a fridge?

[shacked]

I've been brewing ales over the last couple of months and loving it.

I understand that the larger style yeasts require a temperature south of 15 degrees to ferment properly. Is there any way I can start brewing largers without getting a fridge and modifying the thermostat?

 

[mckenry]

You could move to The mountains or the southern highlands. You dont need to modify the fridge. Just get a tempmate.

*Its Lager, not Larger.

 

[shacked]

Oh.. that's a rookie mistake!

Alright, I'll convince the mrs that we need to get a second fridge...

 

[maaark]

You could try and brew "Steam" beer which is a lager recipe fermented at ale temperatures (18° C is optimal I've read).

 

[Eagleburger]

First brew items I bought were a fridge for $2.50 off eBay and a chest freezer for 40bux. You don't have to spend much.

 

[shacked]

I didn't realise that products like the tempmate work with chest freezers. I have a mate who is looking to get rid of his freezer!! (probably swap it for a few beers).

 

[Bribie G]

Quite acceptable lagers can be made on the dry yeasts S-189 and s-23 at ale temperatures ( from now on that's pretty much ambient temperature in Central coastal NSW), my ales are just fermenting on the garage floor at the moment and holding a nice 18-19 degrees.

 

[chemfish]

*Its Lager, not Larger.

Depends on if it's a really big brew or not

 

[Bribie G]

Of course you can always do a fake lager using something like Nottingham ale yeast that is super clean. I find it strips out a lot of flavour, but for the style of beer that is generally described as "lager" it does a good job.

Lager is just the German word for "Storing" as they used to store or lager the beer in cold caves for months. However it was generally dark beer until the advent of modern Pilsner styles. Nowadays you could put six "lager style" beers in front of joe public and three could be ales (blonde ale, cream ale, etc) and he'd be pushed to tell the difference.

AFAIK most of the "Lagers" in the UK that got it started over there in the 60s and 70s, for example Harp, were top fermented anyway and they just withheld the crystal malt etc.

 

[Sippa]

I've been brewing ales over the last couple of months and loving it.

I understand that the larger style yeasts require a temperature south of 15 degrees to ferment properly. Is there any way I can start brewing largers without getting a fridge and modifying the thermostat?

I did a successful one in the cooler months in Brisbane, have a 60lt esky which I sat fermenter in, added water and added frozen soft drink bottles of water everyday and night, kept it under 15 C the entire time. Just a bit fiddly this way.

 

[wavemaker]

I got a large side by side fridge/freezer from the tip and gutted it out lined it and lay it on its back. It holds 8 x 30l fermenters. Temp varies very slowly and I maintain it with bottles of frozen water. Also by using partitions I can have lagers @12/14 degrees at one end and other styles slightly higher, 16/18 degrees. Once I find a large enough freezer like an ice cream freezer you see at service stations, I will shift to that. I already have the temp regulator. Happy to post pics if you need some.

 

[shacked]

Hey mate, yes please; pics would be great!!

 

[wavemaker]

What I did was take off all the plastic mouldings that hold the shelves and same with the doors. I took out the divider between fridge and freezer. I then lined the inside with hardy board and sealed it all up with sikkaflex. With the doors I pushed them together and the pop riveted some ally angle to join and brace them. So now the doors are 1 door. I have it on wheels so I can shift it if need be but it makes it that bit higher to lean into and pull the fermenters out. I think I will lose the wheels and use my 4 wheel skated to shift it. As I said earlier I am on the look out for a low line freezer and will be using that eventually. The fridge in the picture cost around $30 all up. If you have any questions am am happy to help you through the process, just as others have helped me. Even during the hottest months here in SEQ I was able to maintain 12/14 degrees in this box.

 

[J'sGarage]

I'm about to keg a euro style lager that i switched the yeast for US-05 and a warmer ferment at 23degrees.. had a taste whilst checking the FG last night, and to be honest I don't think you could tell at all. (Brisbane)