I live in Chicago and have two Transtherm Ermitage wine cellars. Since early December the humidity level in both cellars stays around 52% even after adding water to the units. Do i need to be concerned about this level in the winter months? The temp. remains a constant 57 with no other problems.

I think that's on the low end but I've read between 55-75% is what you should look for. I know I have a container of distilled water in the bottom of my unit. So far humidity is around 52'ish as well. I am trying to get it to go up but am having problems also.

Don't sweat it.

I've never understood all the fuss about humidity. Now granted I've only ever lived in northern England and the Bay Area - I think my cellar runs about 50% typically. If I lived in a swamp or a desert hell-hole I might think differently, but beyond those extremes what does it really matter?

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Tong BBP:
I've never understood all the fuss about humidity.

Well put, Dave. I've NEVER had a humidity issue in the 50% range and, honestly, I like my labels clean, and to NOT have humidity based garbage on them.

The concern with humidity, as I understand it, is that low humidity places evaporative stresses on the wine. It doesn't sound like a big deal, unless you plan to keep the wine a really long time. A few molecules of your wine will move from your bottle, across the cork, and into the atmosphere. This occurs do to random Brownian motion, but if you have a dry environment, you are more likely to drive those molecules out of the bottle because the humidity in your bottle is 100% and the humidity in the cellar is 50%. Nature seeks balance, wine moves out. Additionally, if you have a trace leak around a small imperfection in your cork, then a dry environment will act as a wicking force, pulling wine from your bottle. In a humid environment, your corks will stay more hydrated, that forms a tighter physical barrier to leakage and evaporation, and with a higher humidity, you have less of an evaporative force pulling wine from the bottle. Short term, I think you're OK, but long term, the fill levels on bottles stored in a humid environment will be higher than those stored in a dry environment.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Roentgen Ray,

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Originally posted by Roentgen Ray:
Short term, I think you're OK, but long term, the fill levels on bottles stored in a humid environment will be higher than those stored in a dry environment.

Perhaps. However, my parents have a couple bottles that have stood upright for the past 20+ years, and the ullage is the same today as it was 20 years ago. Superior corks....I doubt it, these were cheap commemorative wines. Colorado is one of the least humid places in the country. I too have never had any problems with my wines, but mine are always on their sides as well.

quote:

Originally posted by Foghorn Leghorn:
I too have never had any problems with my wines, but mine are always on their sides as well.

I posted a TN on that 1995 dei Barbi...if you didn't see it, bottle was in PERFECT condition and drank very nicely. However you're storing your wines, keep doing it! Thanks

EDIT: Never mind, just noticed you saw it!

quote:

Originally posted by Foghorn Leghorn:


Perhaps. However, my parents have a couple bottles that have stood upright for the past 20+ years, and the ullage is the same today as it was 20 years ago. Superior corks....I doubt it, these were cheap commemorative wines. Colorado is one of the least humid places in the country. I too have never had any problems with my wines, but mine are always on their sides as well.

I have no imperical evidence, I only know the theories behind it. I know that the corks from wine that I have stored in a temperature and humidity controlled cellar look different from those not stored in such a manner. The corks stored in 70% humidity are the same thickness, top to bottom, after pulling them out of the neck. My bottles that aren't in a high humidity environment are fat on the wine side, and thinner on the atmosphere side.

As for your parent's wine, you might not notice if the levels have dropped only a few millimeters. I think it all depends on how cautious you want to be in storing your wine. I haven't found a good way to keep humidity at a high level in my Le Cache. I tried a humidfier inside that unit, but when the Le Cache runs, it just blows out all the humid air and replaces it with new dry air. I suppose I could put a humidifier on top of the cellar near the air intake to pre-humidify the air. I also have put wide dishes with water and large sponge like wicks in the water. My humidity inside my cellar went from 48% to 48% after doing that, aka: didn't budge.