Keeping it cool while I'm away.

[skyfire322]

I'm going on a week long vacation in a few weeks. I do have the carboy in a carboy cooling bag and place some frozen two liter soda bottles to keep it cool. However, the house gets pretty warm (no AC unfortunately, but there are ceiling fans). Once the ice melts, the bag starts smelling if you keep the bottles in there for too long.

Any cheap tips on keeping the wine cool while I'm away?

 

[mainshipfred]

I'm going on a week long vacation in a few weeks. I do have the carboy in a carboy cooling bag and place some frozen two liter soda bottles to keep it cool. However, the house gets pretty warm (no AC unfortunately, but there are ceiling fans). Once the ice melts, the bag starts smelling if you keep the bottles in there for too long.

Any cheap tips on keeping the wine cool while I'm away?

If there are I can't wait to hear about them.

 

[skyfire322]

If there are I can't wait to hear about them.

Haha, I hear ya on that one! The temperature doesn't fluctuate too much (~5-10 degrees at most) but during the summer, the room typically gets up to 75. I'm going to check the temperature of one of the closets, but that gets pretty humid.

 

[NorCal]

I wouldn’t be concerned about 75 degrees for a week and wouldn’t bother with the ice packs that would quickly melt.

 

[CDrew]

I agree. This is "home" winemaking. Not having perfect temperature control is part of the game. But just being inside your house will damp the fluctuations, and keep it in the 70s, It should be no problem. Just with spring, my unheated wine room has gone from 58F average to 64 average. By August, likely 70F average. I'm not giving it a second thought because there is nothing I can do about it.

I visit a lot of local wineries. Most have minimal to no temperature control until it's bottled and still manage to make world class wines.

 

[NorCal]

...and think of all the wine stored at grocery / wine stores in ambient inside temperatures. I’m sure the bottles in the back stay there for months and months.

 

[skyfire322]

...and think of all the wine stored at grocery / wine stores in ambient inside temperatures. I’m sure the bottles in the back stay there for months and months.

Very good point!

Thanks for the reassurance, everyone! IIRC, isn't only if the room temperature fluctuates drastically it really affects the aging process?

 

[NorCal]

Very good point!

Thanks for the reassurance, everyone! IIRC, isn't only if the room temperature fluctuates drastically it really affects the aging process?

Peak, as well as rate of change. A well published instructor at UC Davis has stated that anything below 69 degrees is fine for long term aging, meaning decades. A high peak temp will result in a cooked flavor in the wine, a rapid rate of change risks moving the cork and introducing oxygen and potential oxidization.