The SNO 28 wine cooler is a newer model and may become a more popular choice for wineadors with Vinotemps getting harder to find. There is not a detailed resource for turning a SNO into a wineador on the web. With never seeing a Vinotemp up close I believe the SNO is essentially the same but there are a few unique challenges. Purchased on sale at newegg for $175 shipping included with $40 for a 3 year warranty.
The shelving is made of 1" x 1/2" spanish cedar planks with 2" spacers in between the slats. Everything is hot glued together to make one sturdy piece. Top and bottom racks have a front section to hold a hydrometer. The shelves are designed to promote airflow and hold humidity with the largest opening towards the back of the unit for the fans.
The SNO presents a few challenges in shelving as the height of available space changes as you move towards the rear. The shelving slits are about 1/2" in size until roughly 5" from the back. In those 5" they open up to roughly 3/4". This is designed to allow factory shelving to slide in and out. Those gaps are easily filled with hot glue inserts.
The sides are lined with 2" x 1/4" x 10" spanish cedar to help recovery after opening a door and are attached to the side with hot glue.
The fans direct air up and are on a timer. After researching fans at newegg with the least noise I believed they would be inaudible. They are silent when run outside of the cooler but make enough noise once installed that you can hear it from a distance. An echo effect. They're much louder than the cooler which runs silently.
I went back and forth on whether to drill through the unit. Glad I did. It was simple and makes everything so much easier. The wall is made up of a very thin plastic shell, a few inches of styrofoam, and a thin outer metal case. After threading the wires through the holes they were sealed with GE Window and Door Silicone II purchased at Home Depot. Some people use clear RTV. Ended up going with the GE silicone as, even though it has a chemical scent when wet, it is scentless when dry. The RTV had a slight chemical odor when wet and a strong scent when dry.
There is no drain plug in the bottom of the unit. There is a drainage value in a well underneath the cooling fan. I hot glued the opening shut and then built up a wall of hot glue and shaved it down with a razor blade to a 45 degree angle to direct water buildup to the center and bottom.
The original SNO thermostat was off roughly 7 degrees and there were some issues. They sent a replacement which is only two degrees off. There is a lock at the bottom of the door and while this does keep someone from entering it without damaging the door, it won't stop someone who wants to get in.
Using 1 1/2 lbs of 70% heartfelt beads in a pie dish. The goal is a humidty of 65-67& and went with 70% since I've had problems with 70% beads keeping their humidty when tempatures cool.
It holds humidity like a trap. It's almost shocking. Warmer weather will bring a new round of challenges as condensation begins; the plan will be to fight any pooling with a mesh bag of beads at the bottom.
Hot glue is your friend: strong, cheap, and odorless.
Couldn't be happier. Thanks so much to the pioneers at CA and all over the web who have led the way on wineador construction.
Looks great!!! I wish I had the amount of cigars to fill one otherwise I'd turn mine to a humidor as soon as possible.
Like me, I don't have the space nor do I have many cigars... so I picked a desktop wine cooler. It can fit enough singles and few boxes with its dimension. and temp can go from 39F to 72F, another reason why I got this particular model. Enough to combat nasty nyc summer's.
" . i put two boxes of cigars on the window sill and voila, the cigars became, well, "plump" within a few days. so far the plump damp cigars smoke "better" than the cool dry ones "
"i'll have you know i am the only person in the world alive today who has counted to infinity - twice ! so there, you dolt !" -guru frankd
Posts: 1096 | Location: Fresh Meadows, New York | Registered: April 17, 2009
Nice setup Vision, very similar to the Vinotemp. You'll love how maintenance free they are, I mist distilled water in mine about once every 4 months. Enjoy1
"Only those afraid of the truth seek to silence debate, intimidate those with whom they disagree, or slander their ideological counterparts"
Posts: 1491 | Location: San Marcos, CA | Registered: November 16, 2007
" . i put two boxes of cigars on the window sill and voila, the cigars became, well, "plump" within a few days. so far the plump damp cigars smoke "better" than the cool dry ones "
"i'll have you know i am the only person in the world alive today who has counted to infinity - twice ! so there, you dolt !" -guru frankd
Posts: 1096 | Location: Fresh Meadows, New York | Registered: April 17, 2009
