# Wine storage in Florida?



## MissouriRhine (Feb 22, 2015)

Looks like there's the possibility I may be transferred to FL next year (Tampa area) and am already thinking about how it will affect my winemaking! 

Here in MO it routinely is in the mid/upper 90s with high humidity Jun-Sept, but I have a basement storage area that keeps even at the hottest times below upper 60s most of the year.

What to do in FL? No basements and I'm sure there will be many times when the house is mid 70s (we typically don't run our AC lower than 76 while we're at work for the day). 

Appreciate any suggestions!


----------



## vacuumpumpman (Feb 22, 2015)

MissouriRhine said:


> Looks like there's the possibility I may be transferred to FL next year (Tampa area) and am already thinking about how it will affect my winemaking!
> 
> Here in MO it routinely is in the mid/upper 90s with high humidity Jun-Sept, but I have a basement storage area that keeps even at the hottest times below upper 60s most of the year.
> 
> ...



On this forum - I have seen alot of people who live in hot climates and most of of them have made a dedicated room and or building that is temperature controlled.


----------



## mike_d (Feb 22, 2015)

Since beer benefits from lower, more controlled fermentation temperatures than wine, something you may not be aware of is a "fermentation chamber".

Basically, you build an insulated box, cabinet, etc, and cool it according to your needs with either a window air conditioner or small refrigerator, (dorm fridge). An external temperature controller is used to maintain your set temp, and can be either built or bought. Chest freezers or an extra refrigerator take the DIY out of it, and only require temperature controller, but are limited in space and/or geometry.


----------



## MissouriRhine (Feb 22, 2015)

mike_d said:


> Since beer benefits from lower, more controlled fermentation temperatures than wine, something you may not be aware of is a "fermentation chamber".
> 
> Basically, you build an insulated box, cabinet, etc, and cool it according to your needs with either a window air conditioner or small refrigerator, (dorm fridge). An external temperature controller is used to maintain your set temp, and can be either built or bought. Chest freezers or an extra refrigerator take the DIY out of it, and only require temperature controller, but are limited in space and/or geometry.




I actually have one of these, but use it as you described for my lagering and cold storage beer chest. Mine will hold a few carboys or 5 cornies. Maybe I have too many hobbies! 

My real concern is less the fermentation of the wine and more how I will store 150+ bottles in a warm climate with no basement. Would take one large chest freezer for that many bottles.

Maybe storage in the mid 70s isn't that big of a deal? I just don't want a bunch of oxidized wine after two yrs.


----------



## MissouriRhine (Feb 22, 2015)

*********************


----------



## ibglowin (Feb 22, 2015)

There is aways one of these…………..


----------



## MissouriRhine (Feb 22, 2015)

That's kind of the route I was thinking. Hate to pony up $2k for one, but might be the case.


----------



## olusteebus (Feb 22, 2015)

I don't know, for $2,000. I might consider one room for winemaking with a window unit and keep it at about 72. 

Someday I may move my winery to an outbuilding at my florida place. I would insulate it good and put a window unit in it. I would lose tool shed space but then I would really be getting rid of stuff I am saving for no real reason.


----------



## geek (Feb 22, 2015)

I've been also thinking about moving to around Tampa area as well and also been wondering the same exact thing...no basement :-(


----------



## ibglowin (Feb 22, 2015)

So many of the newer homes these days have 3 car garages. Perhaps you can convert one (or at least part of one) into a wine room with a small AC unit. That is what I have basically done and bang for the buck that is really the way to go IMHO unless you have the room for a separate building of sorts.


----------



## FTC Wines (Feb 23, 2015)

I live in N. Ft. Myers, I have a 10x12 wine room with its own AC unit. 700 bottles on racks, 13 carboys on floor, just added a laundry tub in the closet with Formica tops & back splash. Still a work in progress, but really coming together. I keep it 68* year round.roy


----------



## MissouriRhine (Feb 23, 2015)

FTC Wines said:


> I live in N. Ft. Myers, I have a 10x12 wine room with its own AC unit. 700 bottles on racks, 13 carboys on floor, just added a laundry tub in the closet with Formica tops & back splash. Still a work in progress, but really coming together. I keep it 68* year round.roy




Certainly an idea, just depends how many bedrooms our eventual house would have. I have two kids and then we'd want a guest bedroom, so extra rooms will be in short supply. Maybe I could find a place with a den.


----------



## geek (Feb 23, 2015)

FTC Wines said:


> I live in N. Ft. Myers, I have a 10x12 wine room with its own AC unit. 700 bottles on racks, 13 carboys on floor, just added a laundry tub in the closet with Formica tops & back splash. Still a work in progress, but really coming together. I keep it 68* year round.roy



Wondering how much in electricity cost is that adding, ballpark?


----------



## FTC Wines (Feb 23, 2015)

Geek, I really don't know, we weren't in the home long enought to compare bills. And we added 2 -42 bottle chillers about the same time. There isn't a lot of run time, it cycles on & off. Roy


----------



## geek (Feb 23, 2015)

Thanks Roy.


----------



## Robthorn (Jun 11, 2015)

I am in the refrigeration field and live near Tampa. We made a wine cooler under a staircase where a closet was. Installed a glass door and it was pretty cool. At my house I am about to get a wine fridge. I won't be keeping enough around to justify that $2k model but something smaller. 

Depending where you will be near Tampa I could possibly lend a hand with a diy project. I do all kinds of weird projects like heat pump chillers for large salt water aquariums.


----------



## JSquared (Jun 13, 2015)

We are building a house here in South Carolina and a dedicated wine room was in the house plans! Right now I have my wines stored in the house but I do worry about the warmer temps during the summer.


----------



## NorCal (Jun 14, 2015)

This is my solution. $10 controller keeps the wine between 65-69 degrees. Cost $600 to make, in the killer summer 95-105 degrees it consumes 2-3 KW per day ($.30-$.50). That is only a few months out of the year.


----------



## hounddawg (Jun 14, 2015)

well if ya'll don't mind can you store and ferment in the same space, or would it better to wall off 1/3 of the spare bed room put a window unit in the 1/3 space for storage and use the other 2/3 of the room for wine working area, you know like transferring, bottling an fermenting., as well as bottle and carboy clean up.... ummm any answers should use small words and typed out fairly slowly, once again after all I am just a good ole hillbilly, don't sweat it,, I read and I just like a more simple type answer for any received advice.
I don't gain much upper crust (wine experts) or as ya'll seem to proud of being a wine snob,
I like my country berry an fruit country wine,, just simple olr me seeking a little more knowledge, 
thank you for you timr


----------



## NorCal (Jun 14, 2015)

Yes, I store and ferment in the same place.


----------



## FTC Wines (Jun 14, 2015)

I also ferment in the same room. Sometimes fermenting at 68* is great. Other times I ferment in the closet in that room, it has bi fold doors, and runs 2* warmer with the doors closed. A brew belt or light bulb in the closet can raise the temp to whatever I want. Roy


----------



## NorCal (Jun 14, 2015)

FTC Wines said:


> Geek, I really don't know, we weren't in the home long enought to compare bills. And we added 2 -42 bottle chillers about the same time. There isn't a lot of run time, it cycles on & off. Roy



You can buy a meter called Kill-A-Watt for $25 that provides excellent information on how much energy is being consumed. Helped me to not worry so much every time I heard the AC cycle. I figured Im using less than $8 / mo on average throughout the year. Five months out of the year it is zero, 3 months a little, but it is working pretty hard in the heat of the day in the summer months. Overall though, it is an important tool for the hobby and at less than $100 per year is pretty economical.


----------



## FTC Wines (Jun 14, 2015)

Thanks, NorCal, I'll have to look into that. With the extra AC in the winery & 2 wine chillers in the family it would be interesting to see what they cost. Our monthly electric bill for 2200 sq ft & 2 people rarely goes over $160, pretty good for SW Fl. Roy


----------

