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You are here: Home --> Forum Home --> Brewing Forum --> Brewing Discussion --> bottling that fast lager tonight...

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homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


Sadly, it looks like my hand me down mini fridge is on its way down the road to the appliance showroom in the sky.  I could never get the STC-1000 to read colder than around 45 degrees F or so - even with me swapping out frozen 2 litter bottles to help.  I was thinking it might be a temp probe issue (I was getting good frost in the freezer section), but when I pulled my carboy out tonight, the stick on thermometer agreed with the STC temperature probe.

So, I never got anywhere near as close as I would have liked, and only "lagered" for five days or so.  I did add gelatin at the beginning of this, but the lack of great cold worries me as tot he effectiveness.

Sigh.  I guess that great lager clarity may not be happening with this batch.  Ah, well.  I'm going full speed ahead; we'll see what happens.

3




Posted 34 days ago.

Necropaw
Charter Member
Central WI
608 Posts


The thermostat in the fridge is turned down all the way, right?
2




Posted 34 days ago.

homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


Oh, yes.  It has been running nonstop since the end of my D-rest.
2




Posted 34 days ago.

Necropaw
Charter Member
Central WI
608 Posts


Hrm.  How much ice was on the elements?  I know my minifridge doesnt work for shit once it really builds up, but im talking like...an inch of ice.  I cant imagine you'd have that from a couple weeks of use.
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Posted 34 days ago.

homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


Nah, just a half inch or so.  And more frost than ice.


2




Posted 34 days ago.

rayfound
Charter Member
Riverside, CA
313 Posts


Bottle lagering time. 
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Posted 34 days ago.

homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


Yeah, I don't have space for two cases in a fridge.  I may bottle lager some, for grins.

I expect I'm gonna get what I'm gonna get.
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Posted 34 days ago.

Necropaw
Charter Member
Central WI
608 Posts


You need more refrigerators.

Im considering stealing some room in the one in the garage if i get on making the bock/pils soon.

Lager one batch in the fridge in the basement, the other in the one in the garage that i think is going to eventually be used for eggs.  My mom works at a bus company that used to have the fridge for farm fresh eggs, but it got bought by a different person and apparently they dont want it there.  Now i guess that fridge is here.  Right now it doesnt have eggs in, though ;)

Ima have to see if i can fit two BB's in the fridge in the basement, though.  I kinda doubt it....

Maaaaaaaaaaybe 5 gallon ones, but i dont really feel like racking to secondary.

Of course thats if i do two batches of bock, and im not sure about that.  The pils is only going to be a 3.5 gal batch (in a 5 gal carboy).
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Posted 34 days ago.

chino_brews
Charter Member
Eden Prairie, MN
301 Posts


"'If you have a solid technique for brewing..." Just saying.

That's OK. I've had plenty of hazy lagers at local tap rooms.
2




Posted 34 days ago.

homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


Yeah, it just cheeses me to not have a crystal clear beer.

Of course, I had a classic HomebrewDad moment - my eighteen month old didn't take a nap yesterday, stayed up late, was super cranky... I didn't get to bottle last night.
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Posted 34 days ago.

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