Effective lagering temperature range.

[triskelion]

Average temperature in my garage at the minute is about 7*C-8*C (45*f-46*f). Great for the batch of helles that I've got started but I wonder if It will do anything at all for the lagering stage, given time. I have a small batch of kolsch lagering at the minute, I can put some very cold salt water around it like I usually would do but I'm too busy to keep changing it. So assuming this will be my lagering temperature, is there any point or should I just bottle.

 

[skunkfunk]

You don't lager at that garage temperature. The cold salt water will definitely work.

 

[stpug]

Just to clarify, salt only lowers the freezing temperature of water - it doesn't make it colder. To test this, get a glass of cold water - as cold as your tap can get. Grab a thermo reading. Now, add salt, stir, and grab another reading.

You CAN lager in a bottle. Finish the ferment, DR, and chill to 40s; bottle; and refrigerate. Now you're lagering.

 

[triskelion]

I use salt water because it doesn't freeze inside the bottles indide my freezer and I can then pour it out into the container around my fermenter. So storing the beer for a few months at 45*f before bottling will do nothing to drop the yeast?

 

[stpug]

I use salt water because it doesn't freeze inside the bottles indide my freezer and I can then pour it out into the container around my fermenter.

I understand now and that makes sense.

So storing the beer for a few months at 45*f before bottling will do nothing to drop the yeast?

Yes, storing it at 45F for a few months will help drop out most (if not all) of the yeast. I don't think I would push more that 2 months on the primary yeastcake. If you're in a secondary then that's perfectly fine. You will eventually want to lager at cooler temperatures to really clarify the beer, but this can be done in your bottles.

 

[triskelion]

Not ideal I know. I guess I'll have to just change the coolant when I can