Other the mystery of temperatures.

[Busabill]

Hi room all! I'm getting the hang of this wine making thing and really appreciating all of your input. My question is about temperatures, the last and first kit I made (RJS cab) wanted the temperature of 66 to 75 I think during fermentation but then 55 degrees during clearing in the carboy and 55 degrees while the bottles are laying down and aging. I am currently making is a CC Red Mountain kit and it too says 66 to 75 during fermentation but does not specify a temperature during clearing or laying the bottle down and aging. I still have my RJS cabernet in my 55 degree wine refrigerator but if I'm going to put my new CC wine in there during clearing or bottling and aging I need to get the RJS bottles out of there but where should I put those? In cases at room temperature ? Do they need to keep laying on their side?. So the main question...Does it need to be 55 degrees during clearing or laying the bottles down and aging? Does it really matter? I know that's a mouthful but I'm a little confused.Thank you.

 

[vernsgal]

wines almost always ferment better at a higher temp. It's like in baking, you usually always start your yeast in warm water to get it going.Same as with wine. So once it's done fermenting you usually rack and let it sit in a cooler temp to clear.
Clearing in cool temperatures help the lees sink quicker so you get a clearer wine faster.
Wine when bottled should always be stored on their sides to help stop the corks from drying out and letting air into your wine and oxidizing it.For storing wine -50-60 F would be ideal but it could be ok up to 68.If your wine gets too warm it swells and could either blow the corks, change the color and clarity of your wine and age it (not in a good way) faster. It could also change the ph etc. altering the flavor, but that's for the science guys here to explain.I just know...keep it cool
Hope this helps a bit

 

[Rocky]

I have read, and I cannot quote the sources at this time but there have been a number of them, that the "ideal" temperature and RH for aging and storing wine are 55 degrees F and 75%, respectively. It would seem that the closer one could get to these two numbers, the better.

 

[Bartman]

My experience (and from the comments of others with more experience) has been that aging at room temperature is ok, so long as the wine is not getting frequent temperature fluctuations (like in a garage) or vibration (such as under a heavily-used staircase). I've been told aging in warmer temperatures up to 80 degrees will help the wine to 'age' more quickly, but that's a fine line to tread, and wouldn't recommend it trying it on your 2nd kit.

Unless you are getting significant temperature swings (like 40 degrees to 80 degrees and back down - which might be common if stored in a crawl space, attic, or unconditioned area), there is little risk of corks popping. Failing to adequately degas after fermenting can cause cork-popping at any temperature. The only bottle I have had pop was one I had in my car to give as a gift, but forgot it in the heat of Dallas' summer. Within 1/2 hour, the temperature rose enough to pop the cork and spray red wine across my front seat.

 

[Busabill]

Thank s for the info Bart and others!. I only ask because I want to do several batches at the same time but if you need to clarify and age around 55 degrees I'm wondering how other people do it when you read they have five carboys going at the same time.? Do they have several fridges to keep it all around 55 degrees or are they mostly just clarifying and aging at room temperature? it sounds like from your replies that a lot of it is being done at room temperature.

 

[Rocky]

I think the 55 degrees came from the temperature of caves used for aging wine in Europe many years ago. If you dig down into the earth past about 4 or 5 feet, you will hit a fairly constant temperature of 55 degrees or so. Some people on this forum have dug into hillsides and built a storage/aging structure. I don't think that many of us do anything that extensive. My cellar stays at about 65 degrees all year (as long as I don't open up the ducts) and that works fine. As was pointed out above, the practical objective for most of us is a cool, relatively stable (and this does not mean "constant") temperature away from UV light and vibration of any kind. For me, my numbers are 60-70 degrees F, 70-80% RH, no appreciable vibration and I cover the carboys with the shipping boxes in which they or kits are shipped (inverted and with a hole cut into the bottom to clear the airlock).

 

[SouthernChemist]

55 degrees as an ideal celllaring temperature is based off of European practices and traditions. You're better off trying to ensure your wine does not experience significant temperature fluctuations than trying to reach this temperature...which can be beyond the means of many people dependent on where you live and what kind of structure you live in.

 

[ceeaton]

My basement fluctuates from about 58*F in the winter to 67*F in the summer. It is a slow rising temperature in the Spring, then slowly falls back and hits the low point sometime in January. Is that too much of a fluctuation to store wine? I know it works fine for beer, but my beer rarely lasts one year unless it's a strong ale (Thomas Hardy like).