Who is using one of these? My wife is thinking of getting me one for my birthday in April. I live in Arizona and will not keep my house at 70 degrees more like 80. It would cost way to much. The ones I've seen say they keep wine between 45 and 65 degrees. Is 65 degrees too low? How would I get it up to 70? Should I adjust the humidity also and if so to what RH? Thanks for the replies.
Wine Coolers
- Thread starter The Searcher
- Start date
Wasch_24
2005 BoY
Since it is relative humidity the RH will always be the same regardless of temperature, just more or less difficult to maintain.
65 degrees is pretty close to perfect IMO, and many others opinions.
I would recommend humidity beads from Heartfelt, a sponsor here, and a lot of them.
JW has one of these and can give you better advice on the rest.
65 degrees is pretty close to perfect IMO, and many others opinions.
I would recommend humidity beads from Heartfelt, a sponsor here, and a lot of them.
JW has one of these and can give you better advice on the rest.
caudio51
BoM Nov '05; Mar '06
Definitely use beads, or even an active humidification device in conjunction as it might be tough to keep that RH up in that try climate.
I don't know much about fridges though. Browse around the CW galleries, I know a few guys have theirs posted in detail there.
I don't know much about fridges though. Browse around the CW galleries, I know a few guys have theirs posted in detail there.
I recommend 65/65. Anything below 70 degrees will pretty much do it, but, as has been stated, 65 is the "sweet spot". I'll do a search in a second and post a link to the thread I started when I got mine. Beads are a must and you want about 2 lbs. If you can find it I recommend the one I got: Haier BC112G 30 Bottle. Here's the link to the thread so you can read through my trials and tribs:
Link
I have a couple bottles of wine in the bottom and my cigars up top. Though I have no where near enough cigars in there at the moment so that is part of the problem I was having with humidity that you will read about in that thread. Now that I have enough beads in there though I'm steady at 65-65% with swings of about 5% when she kicks on to cool things down. I set mine using the manual setting to 65 degrees and it goes 65-68 degrees. I also recommend picking up some of those Oust fans for moving air around unless you want to go to the trouble of installing a computer fan (I don't like messing with wiring and such so I went with the Ousts).
Good luck and let us know if you have any more questions.
Link
I have a couple bottles of wine in the bottom and my cigars up top. Though I have no where near enough cigars in there at the moment so that is part of the problem I was having with humidity that you will read about in that thread. Now that I have enough beads in there though I'm steady at 65-65% with swings of about 5% when she kicks on to cool things down. I set mine using the manual setting to 65 degrees and it goes 65-68 degrees. I also recommend picking up some of those Oust fans for moving air around unless you want to go to the trouble of installing a computer fan (I don't like messing with wiring and such so I went with the Ousts).
Good luck and let us know if you have any more questions.
AZsteelman
April 2006 BoM
Searcher,
I have one and have had it for about 6 months now. It's a Haier, bought it at Lowes. I have the beads in it, set the temp to the max setting and installed a computer fan to move the air around in it...I like rigging stuff, so the Oust fans were just too easy to do, I had to make it hard. Just be sure to plug the hole in the drain area in the back and you're in business. I still keep a couple of bottles of wine in mine, also. I love it!
Hey, to get by the reading swings in RH when the unit kicks on, just put the hygrometer in one of the boxes and that stops that stuff...easy fix.
I have one and have had it for about 6 months now. It's a Haier, bought it at Lowes. I have the beads in it, set the temp to the max setting and installed a computer fan to move the air around in it...I like rigging stuff, so the Oust fans were just too easy to do, I had to make it hard. Just be sure to plug the hole in the drain area in the back and you're in business. I still keep a couple of bottles of wine in mine, also. I love it!
Hey, to get by the reading swings in RH when the unit kicks on, just put the hygrometer in one of the boxes and that stops that stuff...easy fix.
Kurtdesign1
The Thinker
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2004
- Messages
- 1,415
Over 70 deg. = BAD!!
Wine Cooler = GOOD!!!
Here's the deal, if you never plan on keeping boxes for the long term, lets say over a year (though in reality this is very short term), you can certainly live without a cooling unit. The problem you will have to avoid without one though, is Beetles. They can hatch above 70 deg and most likely will in 80. Another solution which I use is to keep your house unheated at times in the winter and keep your humi right by the air conditioner in the summer. I don't have a wine cooler or cooled cab and this is how I maintain mid 60s. it's not too precise, unfortunately, but it's the best I can do. Sooner or later I'll stop being intimidated by the price tag of cooled cabs (or wine coolers) and pull the trigger. Either that or I'll find a wine cooler that won't cool by removing moisture from the air within. Then I'll be able to age long term instead of getting raped by having to pay for somebody elses product!
I'm off my soapbox now, sorry!
Wine Cooler = GOOD!!!
Here's the deal, if you never plan on keeping boxes for the long term, lets say over a year (though in reality this is very short term), you can certainly live without a cooling unit. The problem you will have to avoid without one though, is Beetles. They can hatch above 70 deg and most likely will in 80. Another solution which I use is to keep your house unheated at times in the winter and keep your humi right by the air conditioner in the summer. I don't have a wine cooler or cooled cab and this is how I maintain mid 60s. it's not too precise, unfortunately, but it's the best I can do. Sooner or later I'll stop being intimidated by the price tag of cooled cabs (or wine coolers) and pull the trigger. Either that or I'll find a wine cooler that won't cool by removing moisture from the air within. Then I'll be able to age long term instead of getting raped by having to pay for somebody elses product!
I'm off my soapbox now, sorry!
If the cigars are included I'm on my way. But I live in Mesa, Arizona. I think I will go forword with more research and "Let my wife" buy me one for my birthday (April) just in time for the WARM weather. Thanks for the replies
