Thread: cellaring
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MikeStanton MikeStanton is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronin[_22_] View Post
On 2008-09-21 10:08:00 -0700, Doug Anderson
said:

Ronin
writes:

I have seen posted here that 56 deg F is the proper cellaring
temperature, and I wonder if anyone can offer a citation for such, or
knows of any study done to show what is the proper temp and humidity
other than "common knowledge." Further, has there been any studies as
to how maturing is effected by a few degrees warmer or cooler? In my
own case, I have an uncontrolled basement room which stays about 55
deg in the winter, and 65 in the summer. And as I am advancing in age
(as which of us isn't?) I am finding myself wondering how I can push
maturity without damaging the poor babies...


Good question, and I'd love to hear what others have to say.

The only controlled experiments I've read about have been done by
this guy (Chris Miley):

Wine Cellar Temperature



Another question brought up by this interesting website - he notes that
the optimum humidity is 70%, but if I raise my orchid room above 60%,
the room turns black with mildew. Now, that is admitedly a much warmer
clime, but I knew a man back East (US) who had a temp/humidity
controlled above ground wine cellar and the room was dripping with
water, and the paper cases were falling apart and some damn fine wine
was in very ugly bottles - all spotted with red and black mold/mildew.
Does anyone else put up with those conditions??
Absent proper room preparation, which includes the critical use of a complete vapor barrier envelope which segregates external and internal environments, the humidity levels RELATIVE to a given temperature are going to result int eh probability of mold and mildew growth.

Absent proper room prep, you're just wasting time monitoring ro trying to control any environment.

Mike Stanton