Lager newbie conditioning questions

[faeyd]

Hi folks,

I've been brewing ale kits for a while now and tried out a Mexican Cerveza kit. I've read that the lagers prefer a much colder settling period, so after I have bottled it and let it stay in the warm for 1 week I have 2 conditioning options:

1) Ambient 12 degree temerature in th eloft
2) Ambient 4 degree temperature in the front store.

Which one do I pick for my lager?

[randomdave]

ideally you want about 18 to 20 degrees C. It can stand to be cooler but takes a bit longer to ferment.

[Prozac]

RD, I read it that it was just to condition..... so presumably cooler would be fine.

[KevP]

I'd go for the lower temp for a lager.

ps, what sort of lagging is in your loft?? My house upstairs is 21c but the loft is 1.5C!

[randomdave]

ahh conditioning sorry, Learn to read Dave.
Im a bit naughty an dont do the whole keep em warm for a week then move em cos SWMBO would hit the roof if i left 40 bottles of freshly made lager in the kitchen (the only place in our house that I could store it warm)

I stick all mine in my storage cupboard which is pretty cold probably 4-6 degrees, still conditions nicely an gives me plenty of fizz in my lager.

[faeyd]

Thanks for the inputs guys... my loft is lagged to the tune of 10 inches but the house is old and probably has cunning ways of getting heat into the loft

I'll keep it warm for a week or two then whack it in the store (4 degrees).