Carboy aging temps

[kyle5434]

I have a room in an unheated, non-air-conditioned basement where my carboys sit to do a bit of aging. Because of limited space, I'm only aging in the carboys for around 3 months before bottling.

During the cold of winter, this room hovered in the upper 50s to lower 60s. With the abnormally warm temps we've been having recently (upper 80s), that room is now hovering around 70. (I have a walk-out basement, so one external wall of this room - facing east - is not underground at all and has a couple of windows with the blinds kept shut). I never kept a thermometer down there before, but I imagine it could get into the upper 70s - perhaps even low 80s - in there come August.

Is that going to create a problem, or excessively adverse conditions, for 3-month bulk aging?

I should state that the room where I keep the wine after bottling doesn't get much above 65 or 70 in the hottest part of the summer, but it doesn't have room for the carboys too.

I'm just trying to gauge if I should put the brakes on any more new batches until the fall.

 

[pillswoj]

Its more about how quickly the temperature changes in the room, does it swing 15-20 degrees day to night, that would be bad. A slow change in temperature as seasons change is fine, high 70's is not ideal but won't hurt anything for the time you are aging.

 

[Johnd]

Here's a little blurb from Wine Spectator about wine storage, you'll need to decide for yourself if taking additional measures is in order. Though the article is focused on bottle storage, some wisdom can be inferred for carboy storage as well. I too struggled with this before my wine cellar was built, wines bulk aged at room temps (72-73) for a few months at a time, guess there's really no way to know how it would have turned out at different temps, but it seems to have been just fine. Concern seems to be for those times when temps might get into the upper 70's / low 80's, even for short periods of time. You might want to consider building a little insulated box in your basement with an inexpensive window unit to keep the highs down and lessen the temp swings.

From Wine Spectator:
"So you bought some wine that you’re not planning on drinking right away. Now what do you do with it?

First off, it’s useful to remember that only a small percentage of fine wines on the market benefit from long-term aging. Most wines are best enjoyed within a few years of release. If you’re looking to buy wines to mature, you should really consider investing in professional-grade storage—a totally different ballgame

For everyone else, however, following a few simple guidelines should keep your wines safe until you’re ready to drink them.

1. Keep It Cool
Heat is enemy number one for wine. Temperatures higher than 70° F will age a wine more quickly than is usually desirable. And if it gets too much hotter, your wine may get “cooked,” resulting in flat aromas and flavors. The ideal temperature range is between 45° F and 65° F (and 55° F is often cited as close to perfect), though this isn’t an exact science. Don’t fret too much if your storage runs a couple degrees warmer, as long as you’re opening the bottles within a few years from their release.

2. But Not Too Cool
Keeping wines in your household refrigerator is fine for up to a couple months, but it’s not a good bet for the longer term. The average fridge temp falls well below 45° F to safely store perishable foods, and the lack of moisture could eventually dry out corks, which might allow air to seep into the bottles and damage the wine. Also, don’t keep your wine somewhere it could freeze (an unheated garage in winter, forgotten for hours in the freezer). If the liquid starts turning to ice, it could expand enough to push the cork out.

3. Steady as She Goes
More important than worrying about achieving a perfect 55°F is avoiding the landmines of rapid, extreme or frequent temperature swings. On top of cooked flavors, the expansion and contraction of the liquid inside the bottle might push the cork out or cause seepage. Aim for consistency, but don’t get paranoid about minor temperature fluctuations; wines may see worse in transit from the winery to the store. (Even if heat has caused wine to seep out past the cork, that doesn’t always mean the wine is ruined. There’s no way to know until you open it—it could still be delicious.)"

 

[NorCal]

When I built my wine box, I read all I could about wine and temperature. Mostly scholarly papers from UCD and others. The bottom line was that I concluded was below 70 degrees, the wine will be fine for longer term storage. While the wine will age faster than if it were kept at 55 degrees, for me that was actually a benefit.
Between 70-80 was the questionable zone, above 80 and as other people said, the change in temperature and how fast that change occurred put you in the potential danger zone.

 

[BigH]

Consider getting something like this thermometer that can record min and max temps, or getting something even more high tech so you can plot temps throughout the day.

I am still pretty new, but I would not sweat anything at or below room temp. If temps get into the 80's during August, then it might be wise to time your batches so you are in the bottling room by August.

Another option is to put your carboys in tubs filled with a few inches of water. The water mitigates the impact of the warmest and coldest temps during the day.You can also drape your carboys with wet towels and let evaporation keep the the temps down. That is how I kept fermentation temps down on my white wines down during hot August and September days after harvest. Now I freeze my white juice and don't start them until November.

Good luck
H