Basement Cave too Cold

[Gobae]

So I've got a mini beverage fridge rigged up with a Johnson controls thermostat unit. This works great except as I was monitoring temps this winter I discovered my basement drops as low as 42-44F.

Should I:
1) Heat the fridge/cave in the winter? And if so, how?
2)Can I just compensate for low temp with a longer aging time? And how do I calculate that?

Thanks!

[qdog1955]

I use a light bulb in my garage fridge when it gets to cold out.
Qdog

[Gobae]

Ok, I thought there were issues when cheese is exposed to light? Or is that just an issue if it's sunlight?

[Stinky]

It's not particularly major issues. Ideal is in the dark, AFAIK, but mine are in a wine fridge in a kitchen and light gets in all the time.

[jmason]

I no longer use light bulbs as a heat source.  Lost several good hatching eggs in my homemade incubater when the light bulb burned out, switched to using 2 bulbs, but now opt for ceramic heat "bulbs" like they use for reptiles, they don't tend to burn out and they emit no light, and they fit into a regular light socket.  I have a digital controller I bought off ebay that allows me to switch from cooling to heating mode by changing settings and it was only about 13 bux shipped, from china of course

John. 

[Gobae]

but now opt for ceramic heat "bulbs" like they use for reptiles, they don't tend to burn out and they emit no light, and they fit into a regular light socket.

That sounds like the perfect solution. Thanks!

[Alpkäserei]

Or, you could just do nothing.

That temperature is fine.

You really only need to worry about it if the temperature drops well below freezing.

Source:
Swiss cheesemakers discussing their cheese storage and having to heat them in the winter, worrying only about keeping the temperature above -3 C, any cooler and the cheese doesn't age.

So mid 40's is quite alright, in fact I am leaning always toward colder aging temperatures. It helps a great deal to control things.

[Stinky]

Or, you could just do nothing.

That temperature is fine.

You really only need to worry about it if the temperature drops well below freezing.

Source:
Swiss cheesemakers discussing their cheese storage and having to heat them in the winter, worrying only about keeping the temperature above -3 C, any cooler and the cheese doesn't age.

So mid 40's is quite alright, in fact I am leaning always toward colder aging temperatures. It helps a great deal to control things.

Does it not slow the aging process considerably?

[Alpkäserei]

My brain would tell me so,

but the man who told me this information, he makes some of the finest cheese I have ever tasted.

So I'm inclined to believe his knowledge on the subject is just a little bit better than mine.


Now, when we get to the topic of surface ripened cheese, I'd assume that's something totally different altogether!

[Stinky]

My brain would tell me so,

but the man who told me this information, he makes some of the finest cheese I have ever tasted.

So I'm inclined to believe his knowledge on the subject is just a little bit better than mine.


Now, when we get to the topic of surface ripened cheese, I'd assume that's something totally different altogether!

I'm inclined to wonder if he ages his cheeses for longer than usual.

[John@PC]

So mid 40's is quite alright, in fact I am leaning always toward colder aging temperatures. It helps a great deal to control things.

Most member will probably know this but just in case:  You will probably not want to do this at home if you are using a refrigerated enclosure that is in a warm environment.  In Gobae's case where external temps drop below controller target humidity will stay high inside the fridge because the compressor isn't running.  I have the same issue during winter as my cave is in an unheated garage so I use a two-stage controller with 15W 12vdc bulb.  According to Alp I probably don't need the heat as my garage never gets below freezing, but then again as some of you know I'm a "control" freak .