Cheese cave/kegerator

[Shalloy]

Hello,

I am thinking about using my small keg fridge to double up as a cheese cave. Has anyone done this with success? I know the cheese needs to age at between 10-15C but will age at lower temps, just take longer.
I am happy to have my keg sitting at around 8C so thought this might still be okay for ageing cheese.

[Shalloy]

Someone??  Anyone???

[hoeklijn]

Well, although even google translate couldn't figure out what a kegerator is, I'll try to answer this: Supposing it is just a small fridge, you could use an external thermostat with a wired sensor. You plug that into your wall outlet, plug in the power cable of the fridge, put the sensor in the fridge and set the temperature to switch it on and off. This way the fridge will only get power at the moment the thermostat allows it...

[BobE102330]

Your assumption is correct, Herman.  Kegerator  = small refrigerator with a tap to contain a keg of beer. 

If you are trying to use the kegerator for simultaneous double duty, you are correct to a point.  Some cheeses may never age properly at beverage temperature, especially mold ripened like blues and Brie/Camembert.  My blue growth stopped dead in its tracks while it was in the regular fridge. 

If you are going to re-purpose it and it won't adjust warm enough you can get a thermostat.  The plug and play solution Herman referred to is http://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/conversion-kits/tower-kits/A19AAT-2C.shtml (just the first one that Google found, not an endorsement of that store).  I use a PID controller on my warm cave, which lets me see the temperature without opening the cave or buying another thermometer.

[SwiftPint]

Shalloy,  how did you get on with this??

I'm looking at doing something similar,  but already have my "kegerator" at a decent temp for beer and cheese. 
Have a look at this  http://www.ratebeer.com/Story.asp?StoryID=479
Maybe its cos Im fron England and used to beer being at cellar temperature rather than really cold,  but I'm fine to have my beer coming out at 12C,  which seems to be a good temp for aging cheese.
It might be worth getting your keggerator up to that sort of temp and see what impact it has on the flavour, aroma etc of your brew.   It might be that you can reach a good compromise. 

[Shalloy]

I know this thread is a bit old but I haven't been on here for awhile. My keg fridge is a fridge freezer combo with the cold air blown in from the freezer via a vent in the fridge roof to cool the fridge section. (basically how most modern day fridges work.)

I was going to put some ducting on the vent down to the bottom of the fridge so the cold air blows directly into the bottom section. I then have a shelf above my kegs that I was going to cover with foam to block off the bottom section with a cut out for the ducting to go through into the bottom. Then have vents in the foam to allow some cold air back into the top. By experimenting with the vent holes I was hopeing to keep the bottom section where my kegs are at 4-6C and the top section between 10-15C to get my cheese going then when its time to wrap and age just remove the foam and let the cheese sit at 3C for 3 months or so.

Ive attached a photo to show you what I mean although I havent put the foam or the ducting in yet. problem is I dont have much room there so not sure if its worth the effort. At the moment Im using my Waeco camping fridge so might just use the top shelf in my keg fridge to age the cheese at 3C once its wrapped.