Category Archives: wine cellar temperature

Why controlling the humidity in your wine cellar is important

Proper Construction and Installation of a Reliable Wine Cellar Cooling Unit will Create te Perfect Wine Storage Environment

You can avoid wine storage problems when you work with the right builder. Wine Cellar Specialists is composed of HVAC experts who have been providing wine cellar cooling solutions for residential and commercial applications. We know and understand the importance of regulating the temperature and humidity levels in your wine cellar. We have extensive experience in the installation of wine refrigeration systems in Texas 

Temperature and Humidity Control and Wine Cellar Cooling Tips from HVAC Experts in Texas   

So you want to build a wine cellar in your home. Congratulations. Making this decision is the first step to best protecting your wine collection, whether you’re collecting as an investment or just as a way of making sure that no matter the occasion or the food being served, you have the right wine to pair with it. Paramount to your wine cellar is the cooling unit you install, and the type of cooling unit you install will depend largely on how large your cellar will be, the type of wine you plan to store, and where in your home you build your cellar.

Humidity: Why Should It Be Regulated  

Humidity is one of the factors that can affect the quality of your wines. Therefore, it must be regulated to prevent wine storage problems. The ideal humidity level in a refrigerated wine room is 60 to 70 percent. Failure to stay inside this range will cause wine spoilage.     

One of the adverse effects of humidity levels exceeding 70% is mold growth, which can ruin your wine labels, and worst, the corks. When mold grows on the corks and will contaminate the wine stored inside the bottle that it seals. Moreover, mold will also damage the structural integrity of your wine cellar as it can degrade your wine racks, door, and walls. 

When the humidity level is below 60%, the corks will dry out and shrink. The decrease in the cork’s size will allow oxygen to enter the bottle and oxidize the wine. An oxidized wine has off-flavors and unpleasant smells.  

Temperature: What is Its Importance in Wine Storage? 

Temperature control is vital in building wine cellars. Ideally, a refrigerated wine cellar should have a temperature between 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit. Very high temperatures or temperature fluctuations will alter the chemical properties of your wines because heat accelerates the process of aging.              

The Role of an Efficient Wine Cellar Cooling System in Controlling the Conditions in Your Texas Wine Room   

Wine-Cellar-Specialists Offers Innovative Wine Cooling Solutions

Wine-Cellar-Specialists Offers Innovative Wine Cooling Solutions

Keep in mind that a regular air conditioning system will not help in controlling the humidity in your cellar. A wine cooling system is designed to do just that – keep your wine cool. An air conditioning system, like the one you may have in your home, will dry out the air in residential or commercial cellar, which could eventually dry out the corks. 

An efficient wine cellar cooling system designed by reliable manufacturers is intended for achieving the optimum conditions needed for your wines to reach their proper maturation. 

Types of Wine Cellar Cooling Systems Offered by Wine Cellar Specialists in Texas 

Some systems are ducted and others are not. Some have separate evaporators and condensers, others are all in the same unit. The type of system you need will also depend on where you live. Live in the western part of the United States and you may need to increase the natural humidity level in the room where your cellar is. Live in the north or northeast, and in the winter, you may need to increase the humidity, but in the summer you may not need as much.

When you add a climate control system to your wine cellar, as the room will be cooled, and because of the vapor barrier in the walls encompassing the room, and the liquid mass of wine in the room, the humidity will naturally increase inside the room to be higher than the air outside of the room. Most parts of the country do not need extra humidification once the room is functioning. All of the cooling units will help to get rid of excess humidity and regulate the humidity in this way. The right refrigeration/cooling system is out there for you. And there are experts who can help you find the option that will work best for you in your home in Texas.

So what about winter in areas that see temperatures in the single digits? If your compressor sits outside, this must be taken into consideration when ordering your unit. Some cooling units can withstand the super cold temperatures, others cannot. Some can have low-ambient protection added for areas of the country where it is needed. This will protect your compressor when temperatures fall below 40 degrees outside.

Most cooling systems come with built-in temperature controls. See other blog posts for why going with a digital control is best. But humidity controls are often missing. Most of these units still help to control your humidity by getting rid of the excess. There are only a few systems on the market which claim to actually add humidity back into the room when it becomes too low. If you live in a very dry climate, it is as important as temperature control. If you do not regulate and control the humidity level in the room where your wine is stored, the dry side of the cork can dry out even more, which can eventually lead to air seeping through the cork, which can destroy your wine. Keep the humidity between 60 and 70 percent and you can ensure your cork doesn’t dry out.

An Expert Can Handle Temperature & Humidity Challenges in Chicago Custom Wine Cellars

Chicago wine cellar

Chicago Home Wine Cellar Installed with a Cooling System

Poor conditions can be detrimental to wine. Investing in a climate-controlled wine room can protect your investment from harmful external factors.

Wine Cellar Specialists offers a turnkey solution for clients who want to have a custom wine cellar in Chicago that has the ability to maintain the right temperature and humidity levels.

Temperature and Humidity – Factors that Affect Wine Quality

A wine storage room is much more than the wine you choose to store inside it. In fact, the wine, contrary to what you might think, is less a factor in an effective wine cellar than the cellar itself.

For Chicago custom wine cellars of course, ultimately, the wine inside your wine room is what will matter, but in the beginning, and, to some degree, going forward, the cellar itself is what will make or break your collection.

The optimum conditions in a wine cellar can be achieved by regulating the temperature and humidity.

Optimum Conditions Needed by Wine for Proper Maturation

Chicago Wine Cellar Design

Without the right temperature and humidity in your wine cellar, and in less than ideal conditions, the wine you hope to one day enjoy or sell (wine as investment is not as rare as you may think) will not be there.

Ideal Wine Cellar Temperature

wine cellar temperature Chicago

A Stable Temperature Keeps Wine at Its Best

In order to preserve wine’s complex characteristics, it needs to be stored in a room where the wine cellar temperature is approximately between 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wine Cellar Humidity

In addition to temperature, humidity can indirectly affect the quality of your wine. Your wine cellar should be able to keep the humidity level between 50-75%.

Too low of a humidity level in your Chicago wine cellar may dry out the cork, allowing unwanted oxygen to get into the bottle. When this happens, oxidation occurs. Oxidation causes off flavors and flat aromas in wine. It also causes wine discoloration. Premature browning in reds and a deeper yellow color in whites are indications that wine has been oxidized.

Too high a humidity level can trigger mold growth that can damage the wine labels and wine racks.

Achieve Proper Storage Conditions by Careful Planning and Choosing the Cooling System Ideal for Chicago Custom Wine Cellars

Wine-Guardian-split-cooling-system

Wine Guardian Refrigeration System Offered by Wine Cellar Specialists Chicago

With some careful planning, forward-thinking, and the right cellar, how you want your wine to be when you one day drink it is achievable and very possible.

Some people choose to build their Chicago custom wine cellar in a basement, and while this may be the best space in your home in which to create a cellar, (assuming you actually have a basement), keep in mind that the conditions in your basement are not necessarily ideal for wine storage or more importantly the proper aging of your wine collection.

Also, you should create an environmentally controlled space for your wine collection.

Installing a Refrigeration System Can Help Maintain Constant Temperature and Humidity in Chicago Wine Cellars

wine cellar cooling system

Wine Cooling System Can Protect Your Investment

wine cooling system should be protecting your collection and investment.

So make sure that regardless of the conditions outside, or even in your home, you are using an efficient refrigeration unit.

Such a system also means that your cellar does not have to be in a basement.

Effective wine cellar cooling units correctly controlling your wine rooms climate means the sky is the limit when it comes to cellar location, or is at least only limited by the size of your home.

 

Location of Your Wine Room Should be Considered When Choosing the Type of Cooling System

Of course, where you place your wine cellar is based on how a cooling system can be installed. If installing a self-contained unit, you need to be able to vent directly through the wall outside (only units specifically designed for extreme conditions) or to another room that is heat and air-conditioned and is at least twice the size of your cellar.(the most cost-effective method.)

If using a split system, you can place your condenser up to 50 feet from the evaporator and either copper lines or ducting might be used. There are many ways and types of cooling systems.

Avoid These Common Custom Wine Cellar Cooling Mistakes

Wine Mold in Chicago Custom Wine Cellars

Whether it’s traditional or modern custom wine cellars, proper cooling systems are required to prevent wine molding.

Knowing the right thing to do doesn’t mean you’ll end up with no mistakes during the process. Even if you’re knowledgeable about proper custom wine cellar cooling, there’s always room for error (as well as improvements). That said, you should avoid these common mistakes when dealing with a cooling unit:

  • Blending or mixing hot air exhaust and fresh air intake — the cooling unit won’t work correctly if it re-uses its hot exhaust air. If you’re challenged by room space, there are various types of cooling units to choose from, such as a split system, ducted system, and self-contained system.
  • Making the wine cellar the source of fresh air — make sure that fresh air will come from an external source and not within the cellar to ensure proper airflow. 
  • Not paying attention to the cooling unit’s extreme temperature capability — as a custom wine cellar owner, you should be familiar with the capacity of your cooling unit. There are seasons when the temperature is extreme. Make sure the custom wine cellar cooling unit is capable of adapting to a consistently changing environment.
  • Picking a cooling unit based on one factor — never ever choose a cooling unit based on one factor. A lot of things can affect humidity. Not only the size of the wine cellar itself but also the walls that surround it. Whether it’s glass, wood, or any specific material that encloses a wine cellar, this affects the thermal load of a room which contributes to the humidity level.

Consult a Wine Cellar Specialist to Determine What Can Be Used in Your Situation

You must choose the correct cooling unit for your Chicago custom wine cellar so that it cools efficiently for your particular conditions. Not only the size of the room but the insulation, the door, where the cellar is located inside the home are all factors when determining the correct size of the unit.

At Wine Cellar Specialists, they make a careful assessment of their client’s needs to ensure that all the components are of high quality and installed properly.

Heat Load Calculation

Wine Guardian Refrigeration Unit Installed by a Chicago Expert

Wine Guardian Refrigeration Unit Installed by a Chicago Expert

A wine cellar specialist can do a heat load calculation to determine the size of unit that you will need. The correct unit can be counted on to keep your wine collection safe. Do not size your cooling unit solely by the cubic footage of your wine cellar. A heat load calculation will take into account the size of your room as well as the amount of insulation, glass, the number of doors, interior and exterior walls, etc. to determine the amount of BTUH needed to correctly cool your room.

You will find that temperature and humidity will become common words around your home, as these are the two aspects in your cellar that are keys to proper wine storage.

Digital Control – an Important Feature of Cooling Units for Chicago Custom Wine Cellars

Wine Cooling Unit Digital Controller

Wine Cooling Unit Digital Controller

Most wine cellar cooling units have digital controls. This type of control allows you to monitor the temperature in your cellar, and tell you instantly if there are any changes.

The cooling units automatically run in cycles to maintain the correct temperature.

Digital controls are part of most units, but is offered as an option, consider going with it, even if it adds to the price of your unit.

Protect Your Wines from Being Damaged. Contact a Professional.

Wine Cellar Specialists - Wine Cellar Builder in Chicago

Wine Cellar Specialists – a Reliable Wine Cellar Cooling Expert

Prevent wine spoilage by choosing a wine cellar cooling expert in Chicago. Let Wine Cellar Specialists help you determine the refrigeration system that can maintain the ideal temperature and humidity in your wine room.

Contact them today at 866-646-7089 or request a 3-D wine cellar design for FREE!