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Hello,

I invested in a secondhand fridge on the weekend to give my brewing more temp control. I am yet to buy a thermostat for the fridge so I tested what the 'warmest' temp it would go to.

It sits at about 10-12 degrees - so I assume I could use this for lagers now?

What is the best process for brewing lagers - pitch the yeast at the desired temp and then stick straight in the brew fridge at 10-12 degrees?

pmclaren11 wrote:Hello,
What is the best process for brewing lagers - pitch the yeast at the desired temp and then stick straight in the brew fridge at 10-12 degrees?

Depends a bit on what yeast you are using,
Lagers require about double the yeast cells compared to Ales, this means building up large starters or Pitching two pkts at once.
SafLager S-23 recomends pitching a single pkt @ 20 Deg then drop back to 10 or 12, so they will multiply rapidly & I have found this to be OK but probably not Ideal.

Cheers, Mick.

im getting a fridge soon, ill be setting up temp mate with the probe direct into the fermenter and using a heating pad.

This will adjust the temp of the air to bring the liquid temp to exactly what i set it as.

Remember the air temp is not the same as liquid temp when fermenting due to yeast generating heat whilst fermenting.

As for the yeast question,

I will be cube'ing so those cubes will go into the fridge the day before pitching and set at 12c. By the time i airate and pitch it will be a little above that.

The fermenter will go back into fridge and set for 8 or 12c dependant on yeast.

The yeast starter ive read needs to be 2.5ltrs, however i intend on making a starter that big cooling it and pouring off most of that liquid so i just pitch the slurry.


I think you will be fine with your fridge, try filling a fermentor full of water and cool it then take a temp from the fermenter. add 1 maybe 2 degrees to that and that will be what your beer may be whilst fermenting.