However, it is interested that Gervin no 3 will function at these tempertures once started. I guess being a "stuck ferment" yeast it is more temperature tolerant. Plus being a champagne yeast, it will be more alcohol tolerant than an ale yeast as well.
I guess is one has made a lager using oridinary ale yeast, there is a potential to use a Gervin No3 starter to lager the beer in a cool shed afterwards??? :huh:
QUOTE this time of year is perfect for lagering outside as well
I would be concerned that diurnal cycling might impact the fermentation, although I concede that it's not getting warm enough to trip lager OTT. I guess it would just slow down during these near-freezing nights (our lowest temp during that cold snap was -6C).
Still, I love it when it gets cold and my shed reverts to beer cooler mode. I have actually brought my ales into the kitchen lately as I find they get too cold outside to make them pleasant to drink. We turn the house down to about 12C at night, so they can catch up after a day at room temperature. Seems to work.
I was thinking that in my shed with a small sump heater should allow for a relatively constant low temperature. I just bough a sump heater for my greenhouse and they cost £9.99 at homebase and use around £0.75 worth a parrafin per week...