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.

Back to top

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.

Back to top

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

Back to top

Wiki: Example Cheese Caves

Small chest freezer for cheese cave, freezing mode, note frost buildup.

Cheese Cave is the slang term for the storage system in which aged cheeses are ripened. This wiki article discusses several examples of different Cheese Cave systems, Cheese Cave requirements are discussed in the Wiki: Cheese Cave Requirements article.

No manufactures make purpose-built small cheese caves and no one cheese cave system fits all. Thus all are built from different systems and  while the range of solutions is infinite, the following are common examples of hobby and artisan cheese caves, their descriptions, temperature and humidity systems, and their pros & cons starting from small/cheap through large/expensive:

Small Cooler Box

Two 0.5 kg cumin & plain Gouda's aging in small drinks cooler on ice block.
Two 0.5 kg cumin & plain Gouda's aging in small drinks cooler on ice block.

Description

  • Small retail box often used to hold cool drinks or hot food for picnic or party.
  • Commonly made out of styrofoam or dual layer plastic with insulation in between.

Cooling

  • Ice or retail plastic and gel freezer block in bottom changed twice per day.

Humidity

  • Normally excessively provided by melting ice or sweating/condensation on freezer block while melting and by drying cheese.
  • Commonly have to crack lid on box and mop out puddled water at bottom of box to keep humidity below 100%.

Pros & Cons

  • Hard to control temperature and humidity.
  • Cheese is in close contact with very cold ice or freezer block.
  • Labor intensive to maintain long-term.
  • Provides little spare physical room.

Back to top

Large Cooler Box

Most Of Two 0.5 kg Cumin & Plain Gouda's Aging In Medium Drinks Cooler With Large Ice Block On Side
Most Of Two 0.5 kg Cumin & Plain Gouda's Aging In Medium Drinks Cooler With Large Ice Block On Side

Description

  • Large retail box often used to hold cool drinks or hot food for picnic or party.
  • Commonly made out of styrofoam or dual layer plastic with insulation in between.

Cooling

  • Ice or freezer blocks in side changed once per day.

Humidity

  • Normally adequately provided by melting ice or sweating/condensation on freezer block while melting and by drying cheese.
  • Commonly have to mop out puddled water at bottom of box to keep humidity below 100%.

Pros & Cons

  • More room than small cooler box to locate ice and perspiration away from cheese.
  • Can house more cheeses.
  • Labor intensive to maintain long-term.

Back to top

Small Food Fridge (& Freezer)

Pre-Wired Johnson Controls Brand Model A19 Analog Thermostat.
Pre-Wired Johnson Controls Brand Model A19 Analog Thermostat.

Description

  • Small less than 0.75 m / 30 in high sealed electric fridge sometimes with mini freezer compartment at top.
  • Smaller ones often used by college kids in dormitory rooms, larger ones for small households to store food and drink.
  • Cooling either by heat exchange pump transmitted to fridge by radiant cooling plate at back of fridge, sometimes augmented by small fan, or by small compressor transmitted to mini freezer compartment which provides radiant cooling to fridge area, normally without fan.

Cooling

  • Thermostat normally does not allow fridge to go warm enough and thus have to either:
    • Cut foam sheet to shape, install in front of or under cooling device and temperature sensor to trick internal thermostat to thinking it has cooled enough. Have to adjust air flow between refrigerated side and cheese cave side to regulate cheese cave temperature.
    • Purchase and use external override thermostat from Johnson Controls, Ranco, or other manufacturer.

Humidity

Four 4 lb Gouda's Aging In Small Fridge With External Thermostat
Four 4 lb Gouda's Aging In Small Fridge With External Thermostat
  • If unit is fully sealed, no condensation drip line to outside, then humidity normally builds to excessive 100% with free water dripping from freezer compartment onto plastic drip tray requiring toweling out daily or twice daily.
  • If unit is fully sealed except for drip line to outside, then natural humidity is often insufficient and can be added by:
    • Bowl of water to which water is added as evaporated.
    • Bowl of water and a small towel draped in and out of water to act as a wick.
    • Small electric humidifier with soda/pop bottle periodically filled with water.

Pros

  • If shelves are plastic or chrome coated wire then will enable good air circulation from bottom of cheese.
  • Units with drip line require water bowl and thus reduce space available for cheese.

Cons

  • If shelves are solid glass then will provide poor air circulation from bottom of ripening cheeses and have to install ventilating matting.
  • Units without condensation drip lines are labor intensive to towel mop out excessive moisture.
  • Either fiddly to install space reducing foam thermal barrier or added cost from external thermostat.
  • Often minimal shelf height adjustment results in less cheeses fitting in cave.
  • Inside of door is often molded plastic shaped to house drinks etc which erodes useable space for ripening cheeses.
  • If freezer compartment, then that column is unusable for cheeses.

Back to top

Wine Bottle Cooler Fridge

Pre-Wired Johnson Controls Brand Model A419 NEMA 1 Digital Thermostat.
Pre-Wired Johnson Controls Brand Model A419 NEMA 1 Digital Thermostat.

Description

  • Sealed electric fridge (nor freezer) purpose-built to store wine bottles horizontally, often with glass door to enable viewing of bottles.
  • Range in size from small holding six standard 0.75 liter wine bottles to very large holding 100’s.
  • Cooling for small units is normally provided by heat exchanger metal plate at back inside of unit or by compressor and fan for larger units.

Cooling

  • Thermostat normally does allow fridge to go warm enough for cheese cave temperatures and thus do not need to install foam sheet to isolate cooling device and temperature sensor or purchase external override thermostat.

Humidity

  • Same as above for small fridges.

Pros

  • Shelves are commonly chrome or plastic coated wire which would offer good air circulation from bottom of cheese.
  • Unlike conventional food fridges, door does not have space wasting food container holders.
  • Unlike conventional food fridges, does not require making and installing thermal barrier to trick thermostat or purchase of external thermostat.
  • More useable space for cheeses as no freezer and door does not have space wasting plastic shelving for food or drinks.
  • Can see your cheeses through glass door.

Cons

  • Shelves are often curved shape to hold wine bottles and thus not suitable for cheeses and have to be replaced.
  • Units with drip line require device to add humidity reducing space available for cheeses.
  • Often more expensive to purchase than conventional food fridges, sometimes reviewed as less mechanically reliable than standard food fridge.
  • Larger space than picnic coolers although often minimal shelf height adjustment results in less cheeses fitting in cave.

Back to top

Chest Style Food Freezers

Small Chest Freezer For Cheese Cave.
Small Chest Freezer For Cheese Cave.

Description

  • Sealed electric chest shaped freezer (no fridge) purpose-built to freeze and store large volume of food frozen.
  • Normally a rectangular box with small section at one end boxed out for external compressor, cooling wires built into walls, no shelving, sometimes sold with hanging plastic coated wire baskets, normally flat – no storage devices in vertical opening horizontal lid.
  • Range in size from small holding ~0.5 m3 to 3 m3 of frozen food.

Cooling

  • Thermostat normally does allow freezer to go warm enough for cheese cave temperatures and need to purchase and install external override thermostat from Johnson Controls, Ranco, or other manufacturer.

Humidity

Small chest freezer for cheese cave, freezing mode, note frost buildup.
Small chest freezer for cheese cave, freezing mode, note frost buildup.
  • As unit is normally fully sealed, no condensation drip line to outside, then humidity builds to excessive 100% with free water dripping down walls and building into puddles on bottom of freezer requiring toweling out daily or twice daily to maintain reasonable cheese cave humidity.

Pros

  • Large flexible volume in which to ripen many cheeses.

Cons

  • Have to make own shelving system.
  • Top only access thus need space for door to open up and awkward to reach cheeses at bottom of chest freezer.
  • Labor intensive to remove free water to try to maintain humidity at cheese cave required level.

Back to top

Vertical Style Food Freezers

Several Cheeses Aging In Sealed Chest Type Freezer With External Thermostat
Several Cheeses Aging In Sealed Chest Type Freezer With External Thermostat

Description

  • Sealed electric vertical shaped freezer (no fridge) purpose-built to freeze and store large volumes of food frozen.
  • Normally a rectangular box with small section boxed out at bottom for external compressor, cooling wires built into shelves, sometimes with pull out drawers, normally flat – no storage devices in side opening vertical door.
  • Range in size from small holding ~0.5 m3 to 2 m3 of frozen food.

Cooling

  • Thermostat normally does allow freezer to go warm enough for cheese cave temperatures and need to purchase and install external override thermostat from Johnson Controls, Ranco, or other manufacturer.

Humidity

  • As unit is normally fully sealed, no condensation drip line to outside, then humidity builds on cooling wire shelves to excessive 100% free water which drips down on top of ripening cheeses resulting in locations for molds or yeast to grow and eventual puddling of water in base of unit requiring toweling out daily or twice daily to maintain reasonable cheese cave humidity.

Pros

  • Large volume in which to ripen many cheeses.
  • Shelves and if drawers provide easy access to cheeses.

Cons

  • Shelving or drawer system is normally not flexible in height reducing amount of cheeses that can be stored.
  • Liquid water dripping on ripening cheeses results in defects.
  • Labor intensive to remove free water to try to maintain humidity at cheese cave required level.

Back to top

Vertical Style Food Fridges (& Freezers)

Description

  • Common kitchen sealed electric vertical shaped fridge, sometimes with connected freezer at top, sometimes with separate freezer at top or more recently on bottom purpose-built to keep large volumes of food and drink cool and if freezer then frozen.
  • Normally a rectangular box with small section boxed out at bottom for external compressor, cooling provided by fan circulating air over external cooling coils, several adjustable shelves, sometimes with pull out vegetable higher humidity storage drawers, normally plastic molded food containers in vertical side opening door to hold bottles and small items.
  • Range in size from small holding ~1 m3 to 3 m3 of storage space.

Cooling

  • Thermostat normally does now allow fridge to go warm enough for cheese cave temperatures and need to purchase and install external override thermostat from Johnson Controls, Ranco, or other manufacturer.

Humidity

  • As air is blown by fan over cooling coils, humidity in air condenses on cooling coils which trickles down and out of fridge on to an evaporation pan at bottom of fridge resulting in very low ~30% humidity.
  • If unit is fully sealed except for drip line to outside, then natural humidity is often insufficient and can be added by:
    • Bowl of water to which water is added as evaporated.
    • Bowl of water or water in drawer and a small towel draped in and out of water to act as a wick. If large fridge then drape wick across forced air vent to increase moisture vaporization.
    • Small electric humidifier with soda/pop bottle periodically filled with water.

Pros

  • Large volume in which to ripen many cheeses.
  • Shelves provide easy access to cheeses.
  • Shelves if chrome or plastic metal wires allow air circulation below bottom of cheeses.
  • Shelves often height adjustable increasing usable space.
  • Easier to increase humidity than to decrease as with some of the examples listed.

Cons

  • If unit includes freezer then that section is largely unusable for ripening cheese.
  • If shelves are solid glass then will provide poor air circulation from bottom of ripening cheeses and have to install ventilating matting.
  • If unit includes drawers, then normally a poor use of space.
  • Humidity providing system takes up usable space.
  • Inside of door is often molded plastic shaped to house drinks etc which erodes useable space for ripening cheeses.

Back to top

Wiki: Cheese Cave Requirements

Four 4 lb Gouda's Aging In Small Fridge With External Thermostat

Making and forming aged cheese are often the easiest stages and ripening or aging cheeses from days to weeks to months or years is often the hardest part. This wiki article discusses aging equipment minimum and preferred requirements. Examples of Cheese Cave systems are discussed in the Wiki: Example Cheese Caves article.

Two 0.5 kg cumin & plain Gouda's aging in small drinks cooler on ice block.
Two 0.5 kg cumin & plain Gouda's aging in small drinks cooler on ice block.

Most cheese making recipes or methods require aging at steady temperatures and humidity levels to minimize shocks to the cheeses. The actual temperatures and humidity levels are dependent on the cheese type and method and are typically at a temperature of 10-13 C/50-55 F and at a relative humidity or 80-95%. The art of aging is called affinage in French and historically it was performed by a separate person called, again in French, an Affineur.

No one has this magic stable “Cheese Cave” conditions year round let alone within a 24 hour period thus unless you have ready access to an underground cave the hobby and artisan cheese maker will have to create this environment as do commercial cheese manufacturers, albeit on a larger scale. Note, if cheeses are highly impermeable sealed such as by vacuum bags or waxing, then external to the cheese humidity is no longer an issue.

Both the temperature and humidity are critical, in general:

  • Temperature too low and the cheese will ripen too slowly.
  • Temperature too high and the cheese will ripen too quickly and can go rancid.
  • Humidity too low and the cheese will dry out and potential crack from uneven quick drying.
  • Humidity too high and unwanted mold can quickly take root, often on the cheese surfaces.

The external environment to where you want to place your cheese cave and the type of cave dictates your heating/cooling and humidity add/remove requirements. For examples for temperature control, locating one in an uninsulated garage in Northern Canada would require heating most of the year and cooling for a short period in summer. Conversely locating one inside a heated and air-conditioned house with year round roughly stable temperatures of 72F / 21C or in a garage in the stable warm tropics of Brunei would result cooling being required all year round. For examples for humidity control, most systems require adding humidity as cooling normally dehydrates air, but some systems like a closed sealed freezer or fridge use indirect radiant cooling which as sealed can over time if located in an external medium-high humidity environment build up humidity to 100% resulting in water puddles inside the freezer which are a location for unwanted micro-organisms to grow.

Minimum Requirements

Most Of Two 0.5 kg Cumin & Plain Gouda's Aging In Medium Drinks Cooler With Large Ice Block On Side
Most Of Two 0.5 kg Cumin & Plain Gouda's Aging In Medium Drinks Cooler With Large Ice Block On Side
  • Made from easily cleanable low porosity food grade hygienic material so that they minimally harbour micro-organisms.
  • Reasonably sealed to stop unwanted entrance of insects or animals yet allow some air movement in an out of the cave to allow the cheese to breath.
  • A means of providing cooling or heating or both depending on the cheese caves external environment.
  • A means of adding or removing excess humidity depending on the cheese caves external environment and how sealed the cave is.
  • Large enough to house your cheeses for the planned length of time and any special ripening containers for surface mold type cheeses.
  • Large enough to house your humidity control system, such as adjusting lids daily on food grade plastic containers, or having a bowl of water in your cave to add humidity, or having a bowl with a cloth towel wick draped over side or across fan, or for larger caves, having a humidifier inside your cave.
  • How much energy you want to exert on maintaining your cheese cave’s temperature and humidity over days to weeks to months or years.
  • Your finances.

Preferable Requirements

Several Cheeses Aging In Sealed Chest Type Freezer With External Thermostat
Several Cheeses Aging In Sealed Chest Type Freezer With External Thermostat
  • Different cheese caves for cheeses that have different temperature and humidity aging requirements and if white or blue molds are intentionally being used.
  • Closely weaved flat wire shelves to allow cheeses to breath on their bottoms vs glass shelves in many fridges or curved wire shelves in a wine cooler type fridge.
  • Shelves that are adjustable height for efficiently storing different height cheeses.
  • If using a fridge, a door without shelving as shelves for milk and salad dressing bottles do not fit cheeses well, and without salad drawer(s) as an inefficient use of space.