8 replies to this topic

[tala]

I have 30 gallons of Syrah aging in a recoopered 30 gallon FO barrel in my garage. I live in a very mild climate (south of SF) and generally it doesn't get very warm or cold. My garage is on the ground floor of a 2 story house and faces North-East. It is pretty well-insulated. On a hot day I can go down there and it will still be much cooler than outside.

I got a thermometer that also tells me humidity in the room and I've noticed that for the last week or so (since I put it in) it's been between 62F & 68F. Most of the time it's right around 63F or 64F but it remembers the daily high and low. Humidity is between 48% & 60%.

I am sure it gets a bit warmer in there on hot days, but my real question is... Should I worry about the 6 degree temperature swing and the average temperature? Ideally I would like to prevent oxidation and spoilage of my wine caused by the fluctuating and warmer temps.

I have looked into stand-alone AC units (my garage has no windows but does have an exhaust vent where the dryer would go) but am wondering if my situation would even require additional cooling or stabilization of temps. I would worry that the AC would draw out even more moisture from the already fairly dry air, creating a greater need to top up more often and loss of more wine through angel's share.

Thoughts?? Is there any need for me to worry or correct anything?

[MalibuVines]

While the air temp may fluctuate during the day, more than likely the wine inside the barrel does not fluctuate as much. You may want to put a humidifier in the room to keep the humidity levels up to keep down the wine loss from evaporation.

[gregorio]

Daily temp swings are a huge reason for oxydation in many cases. As the wine cools, it contracts and sucks air in. The O2 is absorbed and as the wine warms and expands, it forces out the remaining air. The next day, the process repeats.

With large containers, there is less temperature fluctuation but carboys are notorious. Solid bungs help but again, small containers can move so much that they push them right out. A barrel can flex a little and hold a solid bung pretty tightly so as long as you are using one, you should be somewhat safe.

[Crazy Run Ranch]

Hi Tala, its sounds like a very nice environment for wine. I wish I could limit my temp swing to this much. Like Malibu says, the wine probably changes even less. To help that more you could build a simple box out of rigid insulation and set over the barrel with a removable lid to access the barrel. I use the same setup with slow MLF's when the ambient temp drop. The box and a light bulb can easily provide up to 10 degree above ambient.

[tala]

Thanks for the feedback, folks! Sounds like I should leave it alone for now. If it gets hotter as the summer progresses, perhaps I will build an insulation box (something I already thought about, actually) and put ice packs in it? Certainly cheaper than an air conditioner and will probably help keep it humid.

What is the ideal humidity for a wine barrel? Currently I lose about 750 ml per 3-4 weeks.

[Birdman308]

What is the ideal humidity for a wine barrel? Currently I lose about 750 ml per 3-4 weeks.

Damn!! A bottle s month!! That's cutting into your yield!! LOL! (I have a smaller barrel and it doesn't go though anywhere near that much.)

[Michael A]

Thanks for the feedback, folks! Sounds like I should leave it alone for now. If it gets hotter as the summer progresses, perhaps I will build an insulation box (something I already thought about, actually) and put ice packs in it? Certainly cheaper than an air conditioner and will probably help keep it humid.

What is the ideal humidity for a wine barrel? Currently I lose about 750 ml per 3-4 weeks.

My Angel's share is close to yours - as is my ambient temp and humidity (no surprise given our respective locations) Solid bungs on barrells are the way to go.
If you are worried about the breating on the carboys (as Greg stated above) then switch to Corny kegs. They will still fluctuate in temprature, but will close airtight so they will not breath at all. Meaning they will also not off-gas - but if they are being run through your barrells anyways then co2 reduction is not a concern.

[Doyle]

The Rigid Foam that Steve mentions is a good way to go. The 4x8 sheets are available at Home Depot and are not expensive. You can easily tape together a box around the barrel to give it added insulation. Box open at night when temps are low and box closed during the day to keep the cool in. I think ideal humidity is probably up at 70% where the evaporation rate of alcohol and water are pretty close to equal. Below 70% water evaporates faster and above 70% Alcohol evaporates faster. New barrels tend to encourage the Angels to drink a bit more wine than an older barrel does. One key item is to not be opening that barrel too often. With my new air conditioned wine shed, I hold the temp between 62 and 64 degrees. Typically right around 63 which is as low as the AC unit will go without tricking it. Humidity here in Sunnyvale in the shed is typically between 60-80%. Today it is 80% and temp is 63.5.

[Tomer1]

Above 70-80% you risk mold growth on the wood.
Ive seen a study where a plastic lining was wraped around a barrel limiting evaportation considerably, mold was still an issue though.