Author Topic: Two Cheeses, One Cave  (Read 2079 times)

yubb

  • Guest
Two Cheeses, One Cave
« on: December 30, 2012, 07:22:56 PM »
I'm a rookie cheese maker.

Currently I have a brick of Gouda waxed and aging in my cheese cave at 60F. The humidity is way high, as I'm having difficulty maintaining the right humidity with the small dorm style refrigerator. I figure the high humidity is OK since the cheese is waxed.

My question, however... How do you age multiple cheeses in the same cave when they all have such different temperature requirements? I see the methods people use to maintain different levels of humidity. However, in every picture I see of people's cheese refrigerators, they all have several differnet cheeses. When I look at the aging requirements for three cheeses I'm interested in trying (Gouda, Muenster and Brie) they don't seem to share a common temperature range.

So do I have to use multiple caves/refrigerators? Or is there another way to control temperature within the same cave? Or does the temperature not matter that much?

I tried searching the question on this forum and others, so I apologize if this has been answered elsewhere.

AndreasMergner

  • Guest
Re: Two Cheeses, One Cave
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2012, 07:39:10 PM »
I don't think you can ideally age two cheeses that need wildly different temperatures, but the bottom of the fridge will be colder than the top.  You'd have to measure the top and bottom temps to see what the temperature spread is. 

bbracken677

  • Guest
Re: Two Cheeses, One Cave
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2012, 08:02:36 PM »
In your dorm style fridge, you should measure the temp at the top shelf and then again at the bottom shelf....chances are you have a few degrees difference there and, as long as the temp needs do not drastically differ, you should be able to accommodate 2 different cheese styles.

I have mine set so that the temp at the top shelf is around 50F which is fine for mold ripened cheeses such as camembert, and the temp on the bottom shelf is running around 54-55, which is fine for cheddar and gouda.

yubb

  • Guest
Re: Two Cheeses, One Cave
« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2012, 10:06:53 PM »
OK. I'll measure the difference between top and bottom.

Thanks.

Offline Al Lewis

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Port Orchard Washington
  • Posts: 3,285
  • Cheeses: 179
    • Lou's Food & Drink
Re: Two Cheeses, One Cave
« Reply #4 on: December 30, 2012, 10:19:33 PM »
I set mine so it's at 56F and 85% RH at the second shelf down.  Seems to work great for everything.  if I need more RH I put the cheese in a aging container.
Making the World a Safer Place, One Cheese at a Time! My Food Blog and Videos