Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Is standard refrigerator temperature too cool to ferment a lager?  (Read 5201 times)

Offline duxx

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 37
  • Good Karma Brewing, Warrensburg, MO
I brewed a Dortmunder Export yesterday and finally got it cooled down below 50F this morning in the fridge.  I split the batch and pitched half with WY 2124 and half with WLP 840.  We had to leave early this morning before I could get the keggerator emptied of kegs to re-configure for my lager ferment at 50F.  So, I just left the carboys in the fridge figuring I would transfer them over when we got back home.  Well I just got back home 12 hours after pitching and found both carboys bubbling away in the fridge at 40F.  So, should I ramp them up to 50F or just leave them alone at 40F?  It sure would be nice not to have to empty the keggerator out to use it as a fermentation chamber.
"Tan and lean like a longneck bottle."  Zac Brown Band.

Offline a10t2

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4696
  • Ask me why I don't like Chico!
    • SeanTerrill.com
Re: Is standard refrigerator temperature too cool to ferment a lager?
« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2013, 09:13:05 pm »
Get them warmer, or you run the risk of the yeast settling out before they finish attenuation. 45·F is about the lower limit for a lager. Or, if they're most of the way through fermentation, you can bring them up to room temperature.
Sent from my Microsoft Bob

Beer is like porn. You can buy it, but it's more fun to make your own.
Refractometer Calculator | Batch Sparging Calculator | Two Mile Brewing Co.

Offline reverseapachemaster

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3777
    • Brain Sparging on Brewing
Re: Is standard refrigerator temperature too cool to ferment a lager?
« Reply #2 on: December 02, 2013, 08:30:03 am »
We keep our kitchen fridge at 46F and I ferment lagers in there (obviously small batches). It definitely takes a long time to ferment out but I get really clean fermentations.
Heck yeah I blog about homebrewing: Brain Sparging on Brewing

Offline cheshirecat

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 237
Re: Is standard refrigerator temperature too cool to ferment a lager?
« Reply #3 on: December 02, 2013, 10:49:07 am »
I use a standard fridge to ferment my lagers. I tape the probe of my temp controller to the side of the carboy and then insulate it by taping bubble over it. Works well for me.

Offline morticaixavier

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7781
  • Underhill VT
    • The Best Artist in the WORLD!!!!!
Re: Is standard refrigerator temperature too cool to ferment a lager?
« Reply #4 on: December 02, 2013, 11:03:16 am »
I use a standard fridge to ferment my lagers. I tape the probe of my temp controller to the side of the carboy and then insulate it by taping bubble over it. Works well for me.

I think the question is in regards to doing it without a temp controller.
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce

Offline cheshirecat

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 237
Re: Is standard refrigerator temperature too cool to ferment a lager?
« Reply #5 on: December 02, 2013, 07:00:15 pm »
I use a standard fridge to ferment my lagers. I tape the probe of my temp controller to the side of the carboy and then insulate it by taping bubble over it. Works well for me.

I think the question is in regards to doing it without a temp controller.

Ah... Well then I wasn't much help then. ;0)

Offline duxx

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 37
  • Good Karma Brewing, Warrensburg, MO
Re: Is standard refrigerator temperature too cool to ferment a lager?
« Reply #6 on: December 03, 2013, 04:17:24 pm »
So I decided to move the lagers to the keezer at 50F.  I tried to set the fridge to the warmest setting but it still stayed at 41F.  I thought it would be warmer.  Interestingly, for the 2+ days that the carboys were in the fridge the one with the WLP 840 was going gang busters with significant (3 inch) krausen but the Wyeast 2124 was barely active.  Thanks for the input.
"Tan and lean like a longneck bottle."  Zac Brown Band.

Offline natebriscoe

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 195
Re: Is standard refrigerator temperature too cool to ferment a lager?
« Reply #7 on: December 03, 2013, 04:26:39 pm »
So I decided to move the lagers to the keezer at 50F.  I tried to set the fridge to the warmest setting but it still stayed at 41F.  I thought it would be warmer.  Interestingly, for the 2+ days that the carboys were in the fridge the one with the WLP 840 was going gang busters with significant (3 inch) krausen but the Wyeast 2124 was barely active.  Thanks for the input.
the 840 probably was a second generation with a really good count of healthy yeast.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk