Can I pull of a lager?

I set a goal at the beginning of this year to make an Oktoberfest lager for the festival this September in Cincinnati. I have found a Märzen lager style recipe that can be prepared in 2.5 months. Ideally Märzens are started in March, hence the name, but due to the wonders of refrigeration, a batch can be started during the summer and still be lagered correctly. It requires a dedicated fridge that can be held at the proper temperature at the various stages. The yeast prefers 48-58 degrees for primary fermentation and bottle fermentation. The long 6-20 week secondary conditioning and the 2-4 week bottle maturing require near freezing temperatures. This recipe was made in March, because it was still cold enough in Germany to use the help of Mother Nature. If I start the recipe at the end of June, it will be ready for Oktoberfest in Cincinnati on September 22.

I have located a fridge in working condition and I have purchased a temperature control. The temperature control is able to hold a fridge or freezer anywhere in the 20-80 degree range. Like most older fridges, the one I have will not go under 40 degrees very easily, but it should be fine. For the bottle conditioning at near freezing temperatures, I might be able to place the bottles into the freezer portion, but the secondary fermenter will not fit in the freezer.

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