Cellaring in non-ideal conditions...

Light and huge temp swings are the enemy. While it is not ideal to cellar at room temp there are many of us that do.

#closetcellar4life

 

I feel your pain on the weather, living down here in St. Louis is always a mixed bag when it comes to temperature. I am currently in the market to buy a house, and a basement is definitely on my list of "must haves". I was kind of shocked at the number of houses around here that don't have them, every house I've ever lived in has had a basement. That said, do the best you can with them, and if you have the spare cash to invest in a small wine fridge, I say go for it, even if it's only a small one for the bottles you want to take especially good care of.

 

Just for reference, temperature has nothing to do with skunking. Light is the only thing that causes skunking. Others will chime in on the actual chemistry of temperature and aging but I think if you are looking to do anything longer than 2 or 3 years, those 80 degree temps will not be your friend.

 

80 is much higher than I'd be comfortable with. It's hard to say how much it matters, but I'd try to avoid it. My cellar goes between 50's and high 60's, and I've been considering building a little insulated area to moderate that somewhat. I probably don't need to, but I don't even get into the 70's. 80's I'd definitely try to find somewhere/something else.

You can also get a cheap fridge off craigslist and a temperature controller, that has a pretty good $/bottle, better than most wine fridges (unless you get really lucky).

 

What are your guys thoughts on my situation?

So my "temperature controlled" storage unit isn't actually functioning as I hoped it would. It came with a device that's supposed to control the temp, but it doesn't actually seem to work.

In the winter, the storage unit (aka my beer cellar) went as low as 47°F and stayed in the range of 47-55 for several months. In the last month though, with the temperatures rising, it has gone up to as high as 68°F. I doubt it'll go much higher than 70°F in the heart of the summer (but we'll see). It's never big, quick temperature swings...it's in a concrete basement so the temperature fluctuations are gradual.

So, thoughts?

 

Sounds the same as my setup (except mine is just my basement in a much more temperate climate) and I'm not super worried. Might not be ideal for aging 10+ years, but ought to work fine for 5.

 

I'm in the same situation as the OP and I don't keep any beer in the hot summer. Under the sink/with the pots and pans is the best place because it meets the outside wall and is cooler than an interior closet. Mine also has a draft on that side of the building.