Aging and Fermenting Temperatures

[RandyB]

Try to make it short – Wine cellar is full so I need to make room for more. The easiest way to expand my storage is to use my wine making room. The dilemma is temperature! I can keep the wine making room around 55 to 60 degrees by adding a cooler, but is this too cold to ferment properly? Additionally, I would assume that the temp would rise considerably as I’m in the room going in-and-out and it may vary from 55 to 70 (I’m in Texas). So here’s my question – is fermenting between 55 and 60 degrees Ok and would the temp swings effect my wine aging so that there was a taste difference?
Thanks in advance,

 

[Wade E]

Temp swings will make your wines breathe in and out through your corks oxidizing your wine over time. That temp would be a little cold for fermenting most wines. i like to ferment my white and fruit wines in the lower 60's as that will help the wine keep its fruity ester.

 

[hartm]

I think it depends upon the yeast strain you are using. they can have requirements of 70-75 degrees. That would be difficult for a wine room in the 55-60 degree range.


Personally, I would go with a cellar for storing the wines at 55-60 degrees and find another place to store the fermentations. You can always bulk age your wines in the cellar.


Just my two cents...

 

[Bartman]

What about too warm of a temperature? With the Dallas heat at 103 to 104 the last several days, my primary fermentation zone (guest bathroom) was up around 80-81 degrees. My Gewurztraminer with Lalvin DM 47 yeast seemed to be ok and fermented to dry, but did so really quickly - like 6 days, with S.G. going from 1.092 to 0.996.

It seemed to progress normally but just fast - the last two days, the surface made big bubbles that collapsed when I breathed on them, but those big bubbles were a first for me. They looked like bubble-bath bubbles - it was weird.

Everything seems ok now - should I be concerned? Thanks for your thoughts.

Bart

 

[RickC]

I would like to hear some comments from our expertsabout the warm side as well. I am in Oklahoma and normally stop making wine from late spring into early fall due to house temperature 78-80.Interesting to see your Gurtz kept fermenting at 80-81. I was afraid it would kill the yeast.

 

[Wade E]

I would not let it get any warmer then around 82* as the fermentation itself will produce more heat and stress the yeast which will give your wine off flavors. If it gets that warm put your bucket or carboy in a cool bathtub and wrap a t-shirt that is wet around the vessel and get the end of the shirt into the water kind of like a wick which will cool things down. A fan blowing on those items will further cool things down. Red wines will do okay at those temps much better then fruits or white wines which you will lose some of your flavor due to the fast ferment.

 

[hartm]

I would agree with Wade (though I'm no expert). I've heard that Red wines tolerate higher temperatures than whites. One way around this is to make your kits seasonally (whites in winter when its cooler, red in summer).


I have also seen a reccomendation to put your carboys in a tub of water that you can cool down with frozen water bottles. By using the water bottles you can easily refreeze them and not have to worry about the volume increase by adding ice all the time.


Since the active fermentation generates its own heat you could probably reach an ideal temperature with carefully regulating the bath temperature.


I have thought about doing this myself (I'm in MI) however, we have had a very mild summer so far and the temps upstairs aren't outrageous (yet).