Winery/Museum Finds Benefits in Temperature Data Logging System
Wine and memorabilia may seem like an unusual combination, but Engine House 25 Winery and the Clemente Museum both have found common ground in their use of a renovated firehouse and the Blulog Live Temperature Monitoring System from BluLine Solutions.
A 12,000 sq. foot former firehouse in the Pittsburgh suburb of Lawrenceville houses Engine House 25 Winery, the Roberto Clement Museum, a photography studio and event space. The facility recently installed a Blulog Live Temperature Monitoring and Recording System to monitor both temperature and humidity levels in the winery and museum areas. “It’s a large, old building,” explains Elizabeth Hamilton, Event Coordinator at Engine House 25, “and difficult to regulate the environment. We always had an idea of what the temperature and humidity levels were, but never really knew until we installed the loggers and used them on a regular basis.
“ In the Roberto Clemente Museum, where homage is paid to the great Pittsburgh baseball star, the loggers are used to ensure temperature and humidity stability to preserve the precious memorabilia on display. When the Clemente Museum first started using the Blulog system, they found a temperature difference of 13°F from the coldest to hottest rooms. “It was interesting to see what the readings were in different places,” said Hamilton. “Our temperatures were set to 70°F, but some rooms were 65°F and some were 78°F. With the Blulog system, we were able to make adjustments accordingly.” Hamilton also said that they were “pleasantly surprised” at finding their humidity levels were higher than they thought they were.
If humidity is too low, wine can evaporate and product loss occurs. If temperature levels are too high or low, product degradation or spoilage can occur.
Engine House 25’s winery is located in the basement of the old fire house where premium and custom blended wines are cellared. In order to preserve as much product as possible, the Blulog system is used to ensure that the temperature and humidity levels do not drop too low or too high. If humidity is too low, wine can evaporate and product loss occurs. If temperature levels are too high or low, product degradation or spoilage can occur.
One of the key reasons for Engine House 25 to choose the Blulog system was its ease of use. The wireless system utilizes Radio Frequency (RF) technology to send the temperature and humidity information to a cloud based dashboard where the information is available in real time. Being wireless, the loggers can be installed in any room without having to run cables or wires. The dashboard makes it simple to view temperature and humidity data as well as generate date range reports for each logger zone. Additionally, the cloud based system can send e-mail and/or text alerts to alert the staff of any temperature or humidity excursions.
Hamilton agrees. “If we can figure it out, then anyone can. The system is super easy to use. We can put the loggers anywhere and monitor any area. The email alerts keep us notified as to what is happening in the building. We are excited to be using this new technology.”