Production/storage dilemma!

[spikey]

In a word, help please guys.

I make wine from Beaverdale 5-gallon kits, and have been trying to get to the point at which we always have wine at least 6 months old to drink. I'm getting there, but I'm now up against the storage problem ...

We currently have 22 full demijohns lurking about the place plus one 5-litre wine box, and as we empty that, we re-fill it from one of the demijohns. I've just worked out that in order to get to the point where we have halfway-decent wine to drink all year round, we need to make and store another 3 x 5 gallons.

Bottling that 15 gallons is out due to space limitations, and the same goes for 15 more demijohns.

Maybe I just can't see the wood for the trees, but all I can think of is working round the storage issue by finding some way of keeping production going during the summer. That would let me keep pace with consumption, but so far I've always suspended production April-Octoberish because I can't keep the fermentation down to 21°C when the ambient often goes way over that.

So what are my options - apart from drink less wine?

[gobuchul]

What about a brewfridge? Do you have room?

A tall larder fridge would hold a lot of demijohns.

[spikey]

No room, gobuchul. Or money to buy one

Besides, I may well be missing your point, but I don't really see how that would solve my problem of fermenting at around 21°C when the daytime ambient's well over that at times.

[gobuchul]

Spikey,

Room may be a problem but they can be made very cheaply.

I am talking about a brewfridge/fermentation fridge.

Basically get an old fridge and fit a greenhouse heater inside and connect the heater and fridge power to a STC 1000 temperature controller.

It will cost about £30 for the parts plus an old fridge, which can be picked up s/h for £0 - £30.

Loads of info on the forums and other places.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Convert ... ting-beer/


You set the temperature to 20C and will keep it within about 0.5 of the set temp.

[spikey]

Thank you very much indeed for that, gobuchul. I can see how that would solve my problems very nicely indeed.

However, I first of all need to see if we could possibly find some room for an extra fridge somewhere, and I have a feeling I know the answer to that one. But if we can, it'll then be a case of waiting until something suitable comes up on Freecycle that's near enough to get home on the trailer behind my bike

Anyhow, at least you've supplied one potential solution, for which I'm much obliged. If the fridge turns out to be a no-no due to lack of anywhere to put one though, I guess I'm snookered ...

[gobuchul]

Spikey

Whereabouts are you in Kent/Sussex?

I may may be able to help you if you need to collect a fridge.

I am near Tonbridge and would be happy to help in exchange for some of your vino!

[spikey]

Spikey

Whereabouts are you in Kent/Sussex?

I may may be able to help you if you need to collect a fridge.

Just t'other side of T Wells, and that would be great! Thanks! I'll get back to you if/when this is a goer

[Brewhunter]

Why don't you just store it in carboys instead of having a million Demi's knocking around?

[spikey]

Why don't you just store it in carboys instead of having a million Demi's knocking around?

Cost of buying carboys and getting them delivered when I don't have a car, plus demijohns make better use of the available space than carboys would

[Brewhunter]

Maybe more wine boxes then as they could be stacked.
A friend mentioned to me hat he had seen them in asdas today for £6.50

[Pinto]

How about upping your winebox storage to 20L Bag-in-a-box containers ?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20L-36-Pint-R ... 1519025683