Room temps for fermentation and storage

[vbdcb]

Hey all, newbie here - started two days ago - and already thinking I've gotten in over my head. But that is my nature - I'm either all in or not at all! I did a little reading and research, bought a couple hundred dollars worth of supplies ( including a Portugese floor corker) and my wife and I dove in with our first batch on Saturday. However, I think I might have issues with temps. Living in South Florida, it is hot most of the year. Temp in the house is generally in the mid to upper 70s with no basement. Humidity inside is well controlled during the summer and slightly less so in the winter.

Everything I have read says ferment between 65 - 75, which I think we will do ok with. But when it comes time to bottle and store, there is no way anywhere in my house will be below 75. When it gets that low anyway my wife is wearing sweats all around the house! I can't push it much lower. I have designs on building a wine closet and have a spare portable AC unit that I think I can make work, but 1) is that really necessary and 2) do I need to account closely for fermentation temps as well?

Any info that anyone can provide would be helpful. I am a woodworker, so outfitting the closet would actually be kind of fun, but my time is extremely limited - I'm a traveling consultant and work in Minneapolis right now, so putting that sort of thing together would take months.

 

[Julie]

Hi Vbdcb,

Welcome to winemakingtalk. YOu are right your temps are fine for fermenting. Not to sure about the storage temps, I do remember some in the south saying they store there wine in an air conditioned room. I store mine in my basement and it stays around 65 degrees.

 

[Tom]

You should be fine. If it gets reall hot you can put the carboy in a "tote" add some water and cover with a cotton T shirt. This will wick the water up the shirt and will cool a few degrees.
Be careful lifting a wet carboy!

 

[vbdcb]

Thanks Julie! Glad to hear the ferment temps are ok... That gives me a few weeks to come up with a storage solution. My air conditioned rooms are still 75+

 

[WinoOutWest]

Kind of a related question regarding fermenting temps:

Are the temps quoted room temps or the must temps?
If my room is 72-75 I noticed my fermenting wine is 78-80. Should I be making the room cooling and keeping the must at 75?

 

[sly22guy]

Temp for storage is not so critical as long as they are constant. I would just use an interior closet you want to avoid light & it will be slightly cooler.

As for winooutwest I wouldn't worry about adjusting your room temp. you should be just fine, some of the yeast prefer 78-80 anyhow.

 

[WinoOutWest]

Thanks,
I never really paid a whole lot of attention to the must temperature but now that I got one of those infrared thermometers its a whole lot easier to monitor temps.
Cheers!
Darren

 

[djrockinsteve]

Eventually you change the thermostat in a deep freezer or you may be able to retrofit a closet with a mini cooling unit to help on those really hot days.

Generally it is better to maintain a somewhat consistant temp. than to try to chill a room down year round. Wine will age faster in warm temps.

Most of us try to ferment in the lower half of the 70's. Getting a little warmer is fine. Getting up into the 80's can be awkward but you will be fine. Wine making can be somewhat forgiving.

Get started first and work the kinks out. You'll have fun I'm sure.

 

[roadwarriorsvt]

Hey V, living in Hawaii, I face the same issues as you. I maintain a 70-75* temp for my primary fermentation only. I place the primary fermenter in an old tin wash tub, fill it with cool water, and place 1 to 3 small bottles of frozen water in the wash tub to keep it cool. Moniter the water temp with a cheap aquarium thermometer. When it moves into the secondary, I just keep it in a room out of direct sunlight. No problems.