[69franx]

Thanks to all, I know where I'm at now. I will also be taking the action of setting my freezer temp a couple degrees lower than what I was looking for. The issue now is that the basement is even colder, now at 54 degrees, so I guess its time for me to purchase a heating element to go with my dual stage temp controller and get back to brewing, maybe a lager due to climate conditions

[denny]

Don't overlook the thermal buffering of water.  I put my fermenters in large tubs of water rather than a fermentation chamber.  It may not be quite as hassle free, but it's very effective.  I was recently fermenting WY1007 at 52F in my garage in a tub of water.  Ambient temps ranged from 30 to 68F, but the beer stayed a constant 52F.

[erockrph]

Don't overlook the thermal buffering of water.  I put my fermenters in large tubs of water rather than a fermentation chamber.  It may not be quite as hassle free, but it's very effective.  I was recently fermenting WY1007 at 52F in my garage in a tub of water.  Ambient temps ranged from 30 to 68F, but the beer stayed a constant 52F.

+1 - I don't brew a lot of lagers, but this is similar to how I handle them, and I've never noticed any fermentation issues.