Weird cellar idea??

Discussion in 'Cellaring / Aging Beer' started by crytion, Aug 12, 2013.

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  1. crytion

    crytion Initiate (0) Jun 24, 2010 Ohio

    I have been toying with the idea of buying or making my own liquor cabinet for a couple of years now. I am about to have a child so I will eventually need one. Lately I was debating leaving the bottom 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 x3 foot area and filling it with sand. The main idea being that I would submerge my beer in the sand for aging purposes. Has any one ever done this before? Is it a bad idea? As is I do not like the idea of buying an appliance that requires electricity to function as my power grid is spotty, at best. I also love the idea of possibly forgetting about a beer for several years.
     
    #1 crytion, Aug 12, 2013
  2. stupac2

    stupac2 Pooh-Bah (2,031) Feb 22, 2011 California
    Pooh-Bah

    I think sand wouldn't be great insulation. Also, insulating the cabinet will only muffle the average temperature swings of the house, depending on what temperature your house averages it might be really inappropriate for cellaring.
     
    #2 stupac2, Aug 12, 2013
  3. Hanzo

    Hanzo Initiate (0) Feb 27, 2012 Virginia

    I'm sorry, did you just ask us if you should bury your beer in sand?
     
    #3 Hanzo, Aug 12, 2013
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  4. jrnyc

    jrnyc Grand Pooh-Bah (3,012) Mar 21, 2010 New York
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Could be a new way for people to get walez and add further challenges to getting to them. Instead of release parties and long lines at breweries, coastal breweries can just bury their walez at the local beach and have people dig through the sand to find desired walez.
     
    #4 jrnyc, Aug 12, 2013
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  5. CerealKillerKP

    CerealKillerKP Zealot (514) May 24, 2009 Kentucky

    This idea could work, OP. I actually dig really deep holes in my backyard to cellar my beer. I keep a map so I know where everything is. Most of my one offs are next to grandma.
     
    #5 CerealKillerKP, Aug 12, 2013
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  6. olympuszymurgus

    olympuszymurgus Initiate (0) Nov 24, 2009 California

    Make sure you dig below the frostline!
     
    #6 olympuszymurgus, Aug 12, 2013
  7. UCLABrewN84

    UCLABrewN84 Initiate (0) Mar 18, 2010 California

    Cement insulates better. Go that route.
     
    #7 UCLABrewN84, Aug 12, 2013
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  8. leedorham

    leedorham Initiate (0) Apr 27, 2006 Washington

    #8 leedorham, Aug 12, 2013
  9. dazedandconfused

    dazedandconfused Initiate (0) Dec 11, 2008 New Jersey

    Beached whales?
     
    #9 dazedandconfused, Aug 12, 2013
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  10. crytion

    crytion Initiate (0) Jun 24, 2010 Ohio

    Before any one continues to post any more unavailing dribble please consider the technicalities of this question. bare in mind that people use sand as insulation all the time. I quote "The thermal conductivity, K, of coarse dry sand varies between 0.15 - 0.25 W/mK. Converting to Imperial units = 1.7 Btu.in/ft2.oF.hr. R-value is the reciprocal of conductivity therefore, the R-value of coarse dry sand = 0.58 ft2.oF.hr/Btu.in."
     
    #10 crytion, Aug 13, 2013
  11. stupac2

    stupac2 Pooh-Bah (2,031) Feb 22, 2011 California
    Pooh-Bah

    And styrofoam, which is pretty trivially available in large quantities and doesn't make a goddamn mess, is about .03-.04 W/m*K, so the idea of using sand as indoor insulation seems pretty dumb in comparison.
     
    #11 stupac2, Aug 13, 2013
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  12. crytion

    crytion Initiate (0) Jun 24, 2010 Ohio

    Are you suggesting that lining the cabinet with styrofoam would be sufficient enough to deal with the yearly internal temperature swing in my home and that sand would be overkill in terms of insulation value, and especially messy?
     
    #12 crytion, Aug 13, 2013
  13. elNopalero

    elNopalero Grand Pooh-Bah (5,822) Oct 14, 2009 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I say go for it!

    I remember reading somewhere about food preservation without electricity/refrigeration. Seems like sand, hay, and even running water (rivers) were all used (and perhaps still are) in places to keep certain produce fresh. Or, fresh-ish, at least.
     
    #13 elNopalero, Aug 13, 2013
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  14. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,145) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Hope you don't have a cat.
     
    #14 jesskidden, Aug 13, 2013
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  15. stupac2

    stupac2 Pooh-Bah (2,031) Feb 22, 2011 California
    Pooh-Bah

    Sand has less insulation value than styrofoam, significantly less. So yeah, I guess I'm saying that.
     
    #15 stupac2, Aug 13, 2013
  16. salzar

    salzar Initiate (0) Dec 27, 2008 California

    Sand is much harder to work with and heavier. Styrofoam insulation is available at Lowes(better selection) or Homedepot. An old fermentation design from the homebrew forums http://home.roadrunner.com/~brewbeer/chiller/chiller.PDF
     
    #16 salzar, Aug 13, 2013
  17. Hanzo

    Hanzo Initiate (0) Feb 27, 2012 Virginia

    No one is knocking the insulating properties of sand and/or burying things, I am knocking the immense impracticality of it for so little gain realistically.
     
    #17 Hanzo, Aug 13, 2013
  18. leedorham

    leedorham Initiate (0) Apr 27, 2006 Washington

    A lesson in subtlety right there folks.
     
    #18 leedorham, Aug 13, 2013
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  19. crusian

    crusian Pooh-Bah (1,989) May 14, 2010 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    #19 crusian, Aug 13, 2013
  20. leedorham

    leedorham Initiate (0) Apr 27, 2006 Washington

    Are you really trying to argue the merits of that idea?
     
    #20 leedorham, Aug 13, 2013
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