Wiki: Hygrometers

HTC-1 Brand Combination Digital Hygrometer, Thermometer, Alarm Clock - CheeseForum.org

Honeywell brand model TM005X digital Hygrometer - Thermometer with wireless remote sensor, different readings due to different response speed from opening fridge door to take picture. Note poor mat material selection and surface stress cracks on 1 lb cheese after rapid surface dehydration in very low humdity kitchen fridge - CheeseForum.org
Honeywell brand model TM005X digital Hygrometer - Thermometer with wireless remote sensor, different readings due to different response speed from opening fridge door to take picture. Note poor mat material selection and surface stress cracks on 1 lb cheese after rapid surface dehydration in very low humdity kitchen fridge - CheeseForum.org
This Wiki Article discusses Hygrometers which are used to measure humidity levels in air ranging from 0% to 100% relative humidity, abbreviated RH. This article is divided into the following sections:

Uses

  • Humdity is not an issue in coagulation or cheese forming stages or for fresh unaged cheeses but is a key parameter for the aging phase, for cheeses that are aged.
  • Most aged cheeses after air drying are are initially aged with a natural rind or partially sealed rind i.e. by oiling the rind and then either continued aging in that fashion or sealed with wax or vaccuum bags for longer term aging. During the natural or partially sealed aging, if the humidity is excessive, unwanted molds can result on cheese surfaces, conversely, too low a humidity can result in unwanted dehydration of the cheese. Extreme low humidity, for young moist cheeses, will rapidly dehydrate their surfaces resulting in surface cracks or fissures from the uneven dehydration of the cheese.
  • Thus accurate humidity levels are critical, old cheese makers can sense the aging environment’s humidity level based on experience, for new cheese makers it is recommended that a Hygrometer be used.

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Nexxtech Brand Digital Hygrometer-Thermometer With Wired Thermometer Only Remote - CheeseForum.org
Nexxtech Brand Digital Hygrometer-Thermometer With Wired Thermometer Only Remote - CheeseForum.org

Preferred Requirements

  • Small if small cave, to minimize space consumption.
  • Accurate at high humidity.
  • Does not corrode at very high humidities.
  • Includes a thermometer as temperature is another important parameter in the art of affinage.
  • Can be calibrated for both humidity and temperature.
  • Remote readout if small cave such as a small refigerators as opening the door to take a meausurement can result in rapid humidity and temperature changes before the hygrometer – thermometer stabilizes resulting an incorrect readings.

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Availability

Hygrometers are available from Cheese, Wine and beer making supply stores, hardware type stores, and large supply stores like Wal-Mart, Tesco’s, Amazon, or eBay. If buying in physical store (versus from webstore) and for digital units if working, compare units to choose the one with the average reading which is probably best initialy calibrated.

HTC-1 Brand Combination Digital Hygrometer, Thermometer, Alarm Clock - CheeseForum.org
HTC-1 Brand Combination Digital Hygrometer, Thermometer, Alarm Clock - CheeseForum.org

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Wiki: Aging Phase

This wiki article discusses the aging phase of making cheese, thus non-aged “fresh” cheeses are not discussed. Aging is the art of aging a shaped cheese, which depending on cheese type and age wanted can vary from weeks to years. Other common names for aging the French word affinage and ripening. However ripening is the process from start to end of making and aging cheese thus ripening or to ripen is sometimes used for the curd making phase of making cheese and sometimes for the affinage or aging phase.

General

Aging at warmer than recommended temperatures such as 60F will age faster and often develop undesireable aftertaste from bitter peptides.

During this time, bacteria continue to grow in the cheese and change its chemical composition, resulting in flavor and texture changes in the cheese. The type of bacteria active at this stage in the cheesemaking process and the length of time the cheese is aged determine the type and quality of cheese being made.

Sometimes an additional microbe is added to a cheese. Blue veined cheeses are inoculated with a Penicillium spore which creates their aroma, flavor and bluish or greenish veining. Such cheeses are internally moulded and ripen from the inside out. On the other hand, cheeses such as Camembert and Brie have their surfaces treated with a different type of Penicillium spore which creates a downy white mould (known as a bloomy or flowery rind): this makes them surface ripened cheeses.

Many surface ripened cheeses have their surfaces smeared with a bacterial broth. With others the bacteria is in the atmosphere of the curing chambers. These cheeses are called washed rind varieties as they must be washed regularly during their ripening period (longer than for Camembert or Brie) to prevent their interiors drying out. The washings also help promote an even bacterial growth across the surfaces of the cheeses. As this washing can be done with liquids as diverse as salt water and brandy, it also plays a part in the final flavor of the cheese.

Wiki: Body Defects, Moist

Body excessive moisture defects of cheese are common and can be associated with most cheese types. This article provides a description and some common causes and solutions organized by root cause.

Description

  • Texture of body of cheese is too moist and thus too soft.

Rennet

Causes

  • Too little rennet used and thus too much whey retained in the curds.

Solutions

  • For current batch, try to dehydrate by lowering storage environment humidity. Note, too quick dehydration can result in surface cracking.
  • For future batches, use appropriate amount of rennet.

Improper Cut Curds Stage

Causes

  • Curds cut into too large pieces or stirred too little or for too short a time or at too low a temperature resulting in excessive whey retained in the final curds.
  • Cut curds warmed too rapidly which initially cause rapid expulsion of whey from surface of cut curds but then results in the dehydrated layer inhibiting further expulsion of whey from interior of the cut curd piece.

Solutions

  • Cut curds into size, and/or stir more often and for longer time, and/or at temperature dictated by the cheese making recipe/method.
  • Warm cut curds slower at rate dictated by the cheese making recipe/method.

pH Too High

Causes

  • Acidity level in cheese is not high enough

Solutions

  • For current batch, ripen longer.
  • For future makes, use more starter.

Poor Pressing

Causes

  • For pressed cheeses, inadequate pressing (pressure and/or time and/or temperature) resulting in excess moisture held in body of cheese. Note that the intent of pressing is to remove voids between the cut curds, ensure a good knit of the cut curds and to form a dehydrated layer of curds at the cheeses surface to act as a tough rind, it is not to expel excess whey, that is done in the curd forming stage.
  • Some formed cheeses are not pressed when made commercially or by artisans, however if large, they are actually pressed using their own weight. For example commercial Stilton cylinders are typically 8 kg / 17 lbs and are formed by turning the cut curds in large hoops where the cheeses own weight acts to lightly press the cheese. Scaled down such cheeses to smaller makes requires light pressing to arrive at the optimal moisture content.

Solutions

  • For current batch, try to dehydrate by lowering storage environment humidity. Note, too quick dehydration can result in surface cracking.
  • For future pressed cheese makes, use amount of pressure and/or time and/or temperature determined in cheese making recipe/method.
  • For future normally pressed by own weight type cheeses, apply light pressing dependant on batch size.

Poor Aging Environment

Causes

  • If formed cheese, aging environment’s humidity is too high resulting in excessive moisture retention in cheese.

Solutions

  • If formed cheese, reduce aging environment’s humidity to enable more dehydration of cheese.