wine refrigerator?

[LordOpie]

so there's this...

http://i.walmart.com/i/p/00/68/80/57/30/0068805730148_500X500.jpg (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5430319)

...for $170. 46 bottles.


Has anyone ever built a refrigerator? Like taken some plexyglass, made a walk-in kind of thing, sealed it up with door, and all that?

Have you seen one that can hold more bottles that isn't crazy expensive? Seems like $170 is pretty cheap, yeah?

[DRB]

That's a bit more than a dorm frig the same size but....

Have you checked the classifieds? I bet there are a ton of used ones floating around.

[Westy]

That's a bit more than a dorm frig the same size but....

Have you checked the classifieds? I bet there are a ton of used ones floating around.


Do they still float after you put wine in them. It would be cool if they did but you'd have to make sure it wouldn't drift away and yank the plug out of the wall.

[LordOpie]

Do they still float after you put wine in them. It would be cool if they did but you'd have to make sure it wouldn't drift away and yank the plug out of the wall.

Who the fvck am I? SpongeBob?


DRB, yeah, I'll check craigslist after we move. I'd love to build a transparent walk-in tho cuz that'd be hella cool.

[narlus]

build your own refrigerator? i suppose it could be done, but you'd have to spec the compressor, design the temp control loop, and know a fair bit about the insulative properties of the material you are gonna use.

based on your thread about cameras and IS, i think it'll be a lot cheaper/easier for you to buy one.

i've got a ~50 btl capacity unit from Haier which i bought @ home depot several years ago for $150. it does tend to run a bit on the cool side (~52F) but then again it was pretty cheap.

[LordOpie]

based on your thread about cameras and IS, i think it'll be a lot cheaper/easier for you to buy one

:rofl:

Projects are different than toys *shrugs*

it does tend to run a bit on the cool side (~52F) but then again it was pretty cheap.

Is it not adjustable?

That's a fine temp for whites, but a bit too cold for reds.

[narlus]

there's a simple rheostat which i've got all the way to the warm side, but my non-NIST cheapo hardware store thermometer tells me it's 52F. so if i wanna pull a bottle (and pretty much everything in there is in a deep sleep), i can let it sit @ room temp for a bit.

[BikeGeek]

You could build a cold room in the basement, assuming you have one. A lot of homebrewers build them for conditioning their beer before bottling. It's essentially a well insulated closet that is kept cool with a standard window-mount air conditioner, mounted through a wall or door, attached to an external thermostat (http://www.northernbrewer.com/temp-control.html). Probably not the most efficient thing, but it wouldn't be too bad if the basement is naturally cool to start with.

[LordOpie]

interesting idea!

[I Are Baboon]

I've got a wine fridge and it's filled with beer.

[BikeGeek]

interesting idea!
Those external temp controllers will work on a refrigerator too. Finding an old frig on c-list and buying the controller may be more wallet-friendly than building a cold room. A lot of the refrigerators to be found there go for real cheap because the usually have a busted thermostat (it just keeps running and gets too cold). Not a problem with the controller since the way you set it up is to put the frig thermostat on the coldest setting, plug it in to the controller which gets plugged into the outlet, then run the temp probe in under the door seal.

[berkshire_rider]

That's a fine temp for whites, but a bit too cold for reds.

Chilled reds? :disgust1:

[SkaredShtles]

Chilled reds? :disgust1:
Some reds are recommended served slightly chilled. The most obvious I can think of is Beaujolais and Bardolino.

[LordOpie]

Chilled reds? :disgust1:

oh, hello newbie, welcome to this forum.

Did you know the idea of "room temperature" is actually the temp of a wine cellar, not your friggin' kitchen n00b.

A cellar should be dark with a temperature in the high 50°F range.

[BikeGeek]

Did you know the idea of "room temperature" is actually the temp of a wine cellar, not your friggin' kitchen n00b.
Word. Goes for good ale too...55 to 58F. A recent study of pubs in Britain found that a majority are serving their ales too warm. They took "room temperature" to be just that, with many serving their pints in the upper-60's to low-70's.

[berkshire_rider]

oh, hello newbie, welcome to this forum.

Did you know the idea of "room temperature" is actually the temp of a wine cellar, not your friggin' kitchen n00b.

A cellar should be dark with a temperature in the high 50°F range.


Your post was about a refrigerator, not a wine cellar.

BTW - Nice assumption - there wasn't any reference to "room temperature" or stored "in my kitchen" in my post. :rolleyes:

[LordOpie]

Your post was about a refrigerator, not a wine cellar.

BTW - Nice assumption - there wasn't any reference to "room temperature" or stored "in my kitchen" in my post. :rolleyes:

Dude, you got owned, take it like a monkey.

[TN]

:popcorn:

[SkaredShtles]

Word. Goes for good ale too...55 to 58F. A recent study of pubs in Britain found that a majority are serving their ales too warm. They took "room temperature" to be just that, with many serving their pints in the upper-60's to low-70's.
Naw - they serve 'em too warm 'cause their refrigerators are made by Lucas! :rofl:

[LordOpie]

I thought the Brits served 'em warm cuz cold hurts rotting teeth ;)

[SkaredShtles]

Your post was about a refrigerator, not a wine cellar.
I have to agree - with a wine "fridge" I would assume that the temp would be suitably cold to serve chilled whites right out of it. Which is *not* the right temperature to age wines. Age them at too low a temp and it'll take a lot longer for them to mature. I guess that might not be a bad thing... :D

[SkaredShtles]

I thought the Brits served 'em warm cuz cold hurts rotting teeth ;)
We have *GOT* to ask ukjason. :rofl:

[LordOpie]

I have to agree - with a wine "fridge" I would assume that the temp would be suitably cold to serve chilled whites right out of it.

There's no functional difference between a cellar and a fridge if you can control the fridge's temp and humidity.

and we covered that starting with Narlus' post @ #5 :)

It's better to store at the temp Narlus' fridge is set at (52°F) than above too much above 60°F. You can always let it sit in a decanter for 20-30 minutes... which is nice to do anyway if you'd like to air it out a bit.

Some people don't have a cool, dry, dark cellar. We do, it's awesome, but we're moving in a few months.

[LordOpie]

We have *GOT* to ask ukjason. :rofl:

Nah, he'll get upset and drive his car into a woman.

[BikeGeek]

Some people don't have a cool, dry, dark cellar. We do, it's awesome, but we're moving in a few months.
The new place doesn't have one? :(

My wife and I just bought a 107-year old house near Gettysburg, PA. It has a "potato cellar" in the basement, which is a separate room in the corner of the basement that is intentionally left unfinished (dirt floor) and has no windows. The idea was to take advantage of the natural coolness and humidity in the soil for potato storage. I plan on insulating the interior walls and doing some of the floor around the walls with pavers and installing shelving for beer/wine storage. :D

[SkaredShtles]

There's no functional difference between a cellar and a fridge if you can control the fridge's temp and humidity.
Do most of those little fridges have humidity control? It's probably not a concern in moldy places like where narlus lives, but out here it would be a concern. :D

[LordOpie]

My wife and I just bought a 107-year old house... It has a "potato cellar" in the basement...
That's awesome!

Our current house is 80+years old and has an underground concrete garage that we sealed up when we built our above-ground garage. Really does a great job year round.

But we can't afford a home with two more bedrooms and another 1000sq.ft. of living space in the kind of home and location we're currently at... so it's off to suburbia.

Enjoy your potato vodka :D


Do most of those little fridges have humidity control? It's probably not a concern in moldy places like where narlus lives, but out here it would be a concern. :D
I acutally don't know. I just started looking. But yeah, we're lucky here.

Narlus can grow 'shrooms tho :D

[SkaredShtles]

<snip> The idea was to take advantage of the natural coolness and humidity in the soil for potato storage. I plan on insulating the interior walls and doing some of the floor around the walls with pavers and installing shelving for beer/wine storage. :D
Sweet! It'll be your own personal wine cave! :thumb: Bonus points for digging shelves into the soil.

[SkaredShtles]

<snip>

I acutally don't know. I just started looking. But yeah, we're lucky here.

I was actually talking about it being too dry here. Was wondering if the fridges have a way to introduce more humidity...

I'll bet I could grow 'shrooms in my crawlspace. :thumb:

[DRB]

I'll bet I could grow 'shrooms in my crawlspace. :thumb:

freakin' hippie

[SkaredShtles]

freakin' hippie
I'm not actually going to *try* dumbass. What's the point when I can simply go for a ride in the mountains?

http://home.comcast.net/~elan_mbx/ColTrail06/ct06.jpg

[DRB]

I'm not actually going to *try* dumbass. What's the point when I can simply go for a ride in the mountains?

http://home.comcast.net/~elan_mbx/ColTrail06/ct06.jpg

Did you trip for a month after you ate that?

[SkaredShtles]

Did you trip for a month after you ate that?
We didn't eat *that* kind, dumbass. There were portabellos, chantrelles, and other edibles as well.

[DRB]

We didn't eat *that* kind, dumbass. There were portabellos, chantrelles, and other edibles as well.

What's with all the ***?

[SkaredShtles]

What's with all the ***?
Dammit.

Sorry.

Dumbarse.

:p

[I Are Baboon]

:popcorn:

Nice to see someone putting that smiley to some good use.

[narlus]

what kind of wine goes best w/ popcorn?

[SkaredShtles]

what kind of wine goes best w/ popcorn?
Barleywine. :thumb: