I'm getting more and more into wine, and the living room wine rack is not going to cut it anymore.
I was looking at getting a wine cooler for both wine storage and cigar storage. I live in an apartment with no air conditioning which usually isn't a problem in Northern California, but I'd like to have a stable environment for the wine. The cigar storage is a happy by-product and helps sell this to the woman of the house.
I've done a lot of shopping around, and I've got an idea that may be genius or down right stupid.
Instead of a wine fridge, with their limited space and high prices, how about I get an chest-style freezer and hook it up to a temp controller?
Set the temp controller to 60 or 62 will be a happy medium for the cigars and the wine. Throw in some racks, and maybe lay it on its side (so it opens like a fridge), and it's starting to look very doable, at least in my head.
The freezer is much more storage for less money (7 cu ft at $140 new vs 3 cu ft $200 new), and has the happy side effect of being completely square on the inside (unlike a regular fridge). If gotten used (and cleaned, of course), the storage to price ratio would be even better.
I'm aware of the humidity swings that may occur when the compressor kicks in, but all my cigars are in ziplocked boxes and I'm confident the internal RH won't change that much. It doesn't get all that hot (it tops out in my apt at 75 on a really hot day) so the compressor wouldn't come on all that much anyway.
The main reason I'm doing this is to have storage space for wine and for cigars, as my cooler is completely full.
Obviously, I'll have to contemplate humidification, beads or CO will probably be enough along with some fans.
As I see it the only benefit of a wine cooler is the built in racks (which sometimes have to be removed) and the higher temperature, which the temp controller solves.
Am I crazy, or is this a good idea?
I was looking at getting a wine cooler for both wine storage and cigar storage. I live in an apartment with no air conditioning which usually isn't a problem in Northern California, but I'd like to have a stable environment for the wine. The cigar storage is a happy by-product and helps sell this to the woman of the house.
I've done a lot of shopping around, and I've got an idea that may be genius or down right stupid.
Instead of a wine fridge, with their limited space and high prices, how about I get an chest-style freezer and hook it up to a temp controller?
Set the temp controller to 60 or 62 will be a happy medium for the cigars and the wine. Throw in some racks, and maybe lay it on its side (so it opens like a fridge), and it's starting to look very doable, at least in my head.
The freezer is much more storage for less money (7 cu ft at $140 new vs 3 cu ft $200 new), and has the happy side effect of being completely square on the inside (unlike a regular fridge). If gotten used (and cleaned, of course), the storage to price ratio would be even better.
I'm aware of the humidity swings that may occur when the compressor kicks in, but all my cigars are in ziplocked boxes and I'm confident the internal RH won't change that much. It doesn't get all that hot (it tops out in my apt at 75 on a really hot day) so the compressor wouldn't come on all that much anyway.
The main reason I'm doing this is to have storage space for wine and for cigars, as my cooler is completely full.
Obviously, I'll have to contemplate humidification, beads or CO will probably be enough along with some fans.
As I see it the only benefit of a wine cooler is the built in racks (which sometimes have to be removed) and the higher temperature, which the temp controller solves.
Am I crazy, or is this a good idea?
