There's this small cellar in Eastern Europe that hasn't been used for over 15 years. The brick floor has been placed around 5 years ago. The barrels are empty and some mold built up on them. I guess, they'll serve as decorative tables at this point. I'm going to measure the humidity level, while the temperature seems fine at 13°C. By the look of it, shall I do anything to the brick wall before filling the cellar up with bottled wine?
I appreciate any suggestions!
by fridtjofnan
3 Comments
What an absolutely fabulous space. I’m quite jealous of such a beautiful cellar!
I would definitely get a digital hygrometer/thermometer that can record and indicate humidity and temperature patterns. You want to make sure it is as consistent as it can be and within the correct window for aging. If the barrels were developing mold I would worry that the moisture is too high, but I’m assuming there was previously liquid in them to cause this. You just don’t want any long-term damage to the bottles from over humidification. I personally like to keep my cellar on the lower end of the acceptable humidity range (my cellar is around 55%-60%) which has prevented any issues of mold while still protecting the corks.
Brick is naturally quite porous. I had a buddy of mine who had an entirely brick cellar underground and he decided to epoxy the walls. It was clear satin so you couldn’t even tell it had been done. Although it gave even more stability to the space it did lend it to later issues, primarily he noticed a drop in humidity and later added a humidifier.
I’m so jealous…I’d love to have a passive cellar like that…
I can smell this photo.