garage temp question

[bizbeery]

Hi all. I'm relatively new to all this, so I have a stupid noob question for you. I'm fairly sure I know the answer to this but want it confirmed by you lot with more experience / knowledge than I.

If I put newly bottled beer in my garage to condition at this time of year (6-10 degrees) am I basically killing the beer dead, and cannot expect it to condition in the bottle? I am reluctant to bring it indoors. SWMBO kicked up a fuss that I brought a brew indoors to ferment in October, because it simply refused to start in the garage. Am a bit concerned because I have a couple of beers in there that really need some time in the bottle to improve.

Help?

 

[PD]

For conditioning that's perfectly ok.

 

[brizleciderarmy]

Ideally you would need to keep the bottles indoors for 1-2 weeks first to carbonate. After that the garage will be fine provided the frost don't get at your bottles. They wont carbonate in the garage as the yeast will lie dormant due to the cold.

 

[bobsbeer]

Your beer will not carbonate at that low temp. You won't have killed the yeast, just made it inactive. You need to try and get it somewhere warmer if you can. 20C for a week or two should do it. You could make a conditioning/fermentation cabinet in the garage with a heater? But I think a bit of plea bargaining is in order. An offer of shoes, handbag, hoovering etc may do it. :grin:

 

[bobsbeer]

Another thought is to make some wine for her. That works for me. :thumb: And you can also buy other kit on the back of it as it's needed for the wine. :grin:

 

[bizbeery]

Hi, Thanks, that explains a lot! If I do bring them in and hide them in a cupboard, will they come back to life? (sorry for being such a novice).

 

[fbsf]

Provided it's 18C or above, yup!

 

[lovelldr]

Hi, Thanks, that explains a lot! If I do bring them in and hide them in a cupboard, will they come back to life? (sorry for being such a novice).

Lol, that's what I did... Brought then in to the cupboard in spare room... Typically swmbo went in to spare room and opened cupboard! Got another moaning at... Lol

 

[fbsf]

I get away with it by promising "it's only for a week or so", and then they go into the shed.

What she hasn't noticed (or if she has, hasn't moaned about) is that the one week batch always seems to get replaced by the next batch....

 

[bizbeery]

I get away with it by promising "it's only for a week or so", and then they go into the shed.

What she hasn't noticed (or if she has, hasn't moaned about) is that the one week batch always seems to get replaced by the next batch....

Ha ha. yes. The second and third brews made it into the garage, without SWMBO noticing. Just once she said: hmm there seems to be a lot of new beer stuff in the garage.

 

[bizbeery]

Another thought is to make some wine for her. That works for me. :thumb: And you can also buy other kit on the back of it as it's needed for the wine. :grin:

I made her some cherry beer. Though she's a bit miffed that it won't be ready for such a long time.