Lager in the garage?

[RobWalker]

I'm making a Desperados Clone soon, wondering if I can simulate the lagering process to some degree by leaving it in the garage after fermentation? Or any tips for this? I know it's gotta be pretty controlled, but I can't do that just yet under my current kit...

On the plus side, ale-like flavours wouldn't bother me very much, so just looking for general advice on making a "lager" like ale, or how I can reduce off flavours...

 

[shocker]

Kolsch mate ! Or thats what I was told when I asked the same question .

Can you not blag an old fridge from freecycle or similar ? They are pretty easy to come by as not many places have the facilities to dispose of them . Get a max/min thermometer , couple of quid tops , and then mark the dial in the fridge to match the temp readings . For heating you could use a 60W light bulb (quid max) and a domestic thermostat (fiver-ish) . Again you would have to take reading off your thermometer and mark up the dial to the points that are relevant to you....