Temperature concerns

[Cherry Puffling]

I know that there is a lower limit but is there an upper temperature that I should be concerned with? The coldest darkest spot in my house right now is 31c / 86f...and the thermometer on the side of my demijohns reads 28 - 29c / 82 - 83f. This heatwave shouldn't last too much longer, this is England after all, but should I be concerned?

 

[Rice_Guy]

High temperature will stress yeast which is actively fermenting. The solution is to have good nutrition ( ex Fermaid K or step feeding). The wine develops sulfur odors. The yeast you used should have a specification sheet with the ranges listed.
Note this is active metabolism/ nutrient recycling. Storage will generate browning and fast aging at high temperature.

The low temp on yeast means they become inactive, it doesn’t really hurt them, they start up again when it warms up. Yeast will start to die at 120F and have significant population kill in a week at 130F. The flavor issues can develop at 100F.

 

[Cherry Puffling]

Oh it's not fermenting, both my wines have been stabilised That's really helpful, thank you. I'm glad I didn't start my blackberry port this week. These temps shouldn't last too much longer, or get any hotter so it should be fine.

 

[DizzyIzzy]

I know that there is a lower limit but is there an upper temperature that I should be concerned with? The coldest darkest spot in my house right now is 31c / 86f...and the thermometer on the side of my demijohns reads 28 - 29c / 82 - 83f. This heatwave shouldn't last too much longer, this is England after all, but should I be concerned?

I had a unhappy experience last winter when I was making another batch of Dragon's Blood. I thought the fermenting room was too cold, so to supplement the heating pad which was under the primary fermenter, I placed a worklight to shine on the fermenter.......................BAD CALL! When a digital thermometer arrived, and I took the temp, it was in the 90's..................BAD, BAD, BAD ! Obviously I discontinued the worklight, and unfortunately it had developed that musty, sulfur smell and taste! That's the bad news................................the good news is that as it has been bulk-aging, it is slowly losing that musty taste and smell. I can still detect it, but it has come a long way. I am thinking that in another 3 months of bulk aging I will be able to bottle it........................Hope reigns supreme!............................DizzyIzzy

 

[winemaker81]

28 to 31 C is not ideal aging temperatures, but periods of a few weeks should not adversely affect the wine.

 

[DizzyIzzy]

28 to 31 C is not ideal aging temperatures, but periods of a few weeks should not adversely affect the wine.

Thanks for the response: guess I am still on the right track.......................................DizzyIzzy

 

[Scooter68]

Remember that a lot of guidance is for "Best Possible Outcome" but your results are still likely to be good as long as temp/conditions don't persist for weeks at a time or go way above suggested upper limits.
Wine is tolerant of some exceptional conditions as long as those conditions are not persistent or extreme.

 

[DizzyIzzy]

Remember that a lot of guidance is for "Best Possible Outcome" but your results are still likely to be good as long as temp/conditions don't persist for weeks at a time or go way above suggested upper limits.
Wine is tolerant of some exceptional conditions as long as those conditions are not persistent or extreme.

Thankyou for the comforting words....................................DizzyIzzy

 

[winemaker81]

It may help to consider that a wine you recently purchased may have spent a week in a truck (during shipment) where the temperature was over 120 F.