Turn Your Mini Fridge Into a Wine Refrigerator

Wine refrigerators can be very expensive, with even the cheapest models running about two hundred dollars. So why buy one when you can convert your mini-fridge into a fully functioning wine refrigerator in just a few simple steps?

Timer Method

 * 1)  Buy an appliance timer and thermometer.  You can find an appliance timer in most hardware stores in the lighting section.  Refrigerator thermometers are pretty easy to find.  You can get them at pretty much any grocery store.
 * 2)  Set up the timer. Plug your mini-fridge's power cord into the appliance timer.  Then plug the appliance timer into the outlet.
 * 3)  Turn the power setting to the lowest possible and put the thermometer in the mini fridge.  Allow it to run, and take the temperature.  Once it is below 55 degrees F (proper wine storage temp) then move on to the next step.
 * 4)  [[Image:361075408_e665ac4a1d_o.jpg|thumb|Mini-Fridge Wine Safe]]Set the appliance timer to raise the mini-fridge's temperature to 55 degrees F (12.8 degrees C).  Basically, the appliance timer can be set to intervals which will turn on and off power to the mini-fridge.  This will effectively raise the temperature enough to make it a good place to store wine.  Start with 2 hours on, 2 hours off intervals. If you start with this, and the temperature ends up above 56 degrees F, adjust the timer so that it has longer on settings, like 2 1/2 hours on, 1 and 1/2 hours off.  Likewise, if the temperature reads too low, adjust your timer so that it has longer off settings, 1 1/2 hours on and 2 1/2 hours off.

Thermostat Tinkering Method

 * 1) Pull the control knob straight off the thermostat. You'll probably see a small screw next to the main control. That's the calibration screw.
 * 2) Twist the calibration screw. Twisting it counterclockwise is likely to alter the temperature range so that the fridge doesn't get as cold, but the only way to make sure is to find out which direction turns the compressor on, then twist it in the opposite direction slightly past its original position.
 * 3) Wait 12 to 24 hours, then take the temperature. Make incremental adjustments to the calibration screw until you get a good temperature for wine.

Tips

 * Raise the humidity as needed. Fridges are designed to keep humidity very low while good wine storage requires relatively high levels of humidity. You can purchase a hygrometer to track the moisture conditions. Humidity should be 70%. Keeping open containers of water in the mini-fridge is one way to increase humidity.
 * For better temperature control, get water temperature instead of air temperature - or better yet keep a cheap container with wine and measure that. After all, it's the wine that needs to be at a particular temperature, not the air surrounding it. And even though you won't bother accurately cooling a cheap wine, its thermal energy susceptibility is more similar than water. This is due to different specific heat capacities of the two mediums, although I wouldn't expect much difference!
 * As the weather changes in your home (e.g. changing seasons) you will probably need to adjust your on/off cycles or calibration screw.
 * The area just below the freezer compartment / cooling unit is likely to be several degrees colder than the rest of the fridge.
 * A battery operated fan placed in the refrigerator compartment will even out the temperature gradients. These can be found in RV shops and thrift stores.

Warnings

 * It's recommended that you do this with a refrigerator that you don't depend on for any other purpose (food, beer, medication).
 * Wines that are stored for long periods of time in this type of wine fridge may be damaged by the vibrations from the compressor. (This is why wine fridges are more expensive - they isolate the vibrations from the compressor so the wine is not affected. However for short term storage, the effects should be negligible.)

Things You'll Need

 * Mini-Fridge
 * [[Image:2871359720100258405pvHGbs_th.jpg|thumb|Appliance Timer]] Appliance Timer
 * [[Image:2826719360100258405ZwDAtc_th.jpg|thumb|Thermometer]] Refrigerator Thermometer

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Store Wine
 * How to Use Wine Bottle Labels As Art
 * How to Become a Wine Connoisseur
 * How to Open a Bottle of Wine
 * How to Pick a Good Pinot Noir
 * How to Taste Wine

Sources and Citations

 * Original Article: http://calwineries.com/blog/2007/01/18/how-macguyver-would-turn-a-mini-fridge-into-a-wine-refrigerator — Used with Permission 2007.