i put 4 carboys out in the garage yesterday to cold stabilize, being from the buffalo area..is this safe? i cant imagine these 5 gallon carboys breaking but is it possible? it isnt all that cold yet, actually it is pretty warm...it is in the 30's...i am just panicing a bit that when it gets down in the single digits we will have a problem....also, how long do these need to stay out. if it is just a few days, i will be ok because temps wont get to freezing...but if it is a couple weeks, might be an issue. thanks to all for the wonderful advice to this novice!
if you're putting them in the garage where they're shielded ffrom the wind, etc....they should be ok. Last year I had a niagara that I put out in my back porch, but threw blankets around it....to shield it a bit. I checked it every day. When the wine got a bit slushy, I put it inside for a day....then put it out again... It depended on the weather and the temperature. but I just kept an eye on it. You should be ok if it goes down to 20 degrees. 30's is no problem, in my opinion....my carboy was ok.
Marlene, I too am from NY, and have just fined my wines with Bentonite. They will be going outside in the next day or two for cold stabilizing for around
10-20 days depending on the weather. Not to worry- just keep an eye on them, and if it snows and they are outside then pack some snow around them for insulation and to moderate the temperature swings. If it gets real cold for more than a day or so then the garage usually is a fair bit warmer than outside and is ok. In my experience mid teens for a day or so is ok, but after that it starts freezing towards a more solid state and is a cause for concern. Just watch the top of the carboy neck and you will see some icing, and that is ok so long as it isn't solid. HTH John Dixon
On glass breakage in general: I had placed a bottle of wine (in a heavy glass wine bottle) in the freezer- it busted overnight. I had placed used bottles, with labels, into a tub filled with water to soak outside. The tub froze and several of the bottles broke. Based on my experience, I wouldn't let carboys freeze....
When I first started making wine, I once put a 5-gal carboy of Chardonnay on my back porch in the winter to cold stabilize. The thing froze nearly solid and blew the airlock out along with a good portion of the wine. If there is an airlock on the carboy, the pressure created by the wine freezing from the edges in will push it out well before the carboy breaks. In either case, however, your wine is lost! I suggest that you do not attempt cold stabilization in a location where the wine may actually freeze solid.
Marlene, I too am from NY, and have just fined my wines with Bentonite. They will be going outside in the next day or two for cold stabilizing for around
10-20 days depending on the weather. Not to worry- just keep an eye on them, and if it snows and they are outside then pack some snow around them for insulation and to moderate the temperature swings. If it gets real cold for more than a day or so then the garage usually is a fair bit warmer than outside and is ok. In my experience mid teens for a day or so is ok, but after that it starts freezing towards a more solid state and is a cause for concern. Just watch the top of the carboy neck and you will see some icing, and that is ok so long as it isn't solid. HTH John Dixon
The garage is a great place to put your wine because it gets residual heat from the house. I live in Rochester, which makes us neighbors on the Net, so I've done exactly what you're doing.
I'd suggest going to Chase Pitkin and getting a cheap digital wall thermometer with a probe. I place my carboy(s) in the back part of the garage by the door that enters my home. Mount the thermometer just inside the door, run the probe wire out to the carboy and tape it to the glass.
Don't set the carboy directly on the concrete as it can draw heat from the vessel too excessively and cause the glass to crack. I set mine on a little table and wrap a dark towel over it. This keeps drafts from affecting the glass temperature and provides a more even exposure to the cold. Every morning and evening I check to see what the carboy temp is.
Oh, I'd also suggest placing Vodka in your airlock. If you put water in there it'll freeze, which wouldn't be good at all.
Last year during the coldest spell (~0f) the garage was in the low
20s and the carboy never dipped below 25f. If you need it warmer, move it closer to the back of the garage (or whatever wall has the door that enters your home... the idea is to get it closest to where the heat from your home radiates). Need it colder, move it closer to the garage door.
No need to panic. We live in a climate where cold stabilizing the natural way is something that comes easily! :-)
I live in north western Canada, and have been to Buffalo. It can get fairly cold there. So as the other have suggested, carefully watch the carboy neck. Also, be careful when moving your carboy at colder temps. It is already under some pressure from the weight/mass of the wine, and can break if handled a little roughly.
well, we panicked and brought our wine in. our garage is no where near the house so it was extremely cold out there and i was just too worried to chance losing 4 carboys of vino! we did have to have a little taste test when we brought them in, all nice and cold....mmmmm. anyhow, they were out for about 3 or 4 days only...with temps below zero i felt we couldnt chance it. i dont know if having it out for those few days helped but i assume it couldnt have hurt. we will degass, then clarify within the next month, then hopefully we will be bottling. thanks everybody for all your valuable advice!!
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