Author Topic: Old closet for aging cheese.. is it possible?  (Read 2972 times)

achik1990

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Old closet for aging cheese.. is it possible?
« on: October 17, 2016, 10:12:06 PM »
Hi guys...

Just wanna ask few questions on this subforum.
Is it possible for me to covert my old closet to a cheese aging store?
I trid looking up for a wine chiller.. and my god lord it's expensive (cheapest one cost MYR 2,200)
Wanted to convert my old refrigerator but I lack the technical skill and the know how to even attempt on doing.
So i figured why not my old closet?
It is spacious, temperature is constant (more or less) and the door isn't closed shut... so air can get through without any problem.
Problem is the humidity... i read somewhere on the internet..i can place a bucket and fill it with water (refilling if need be nd chnage the water if mold etc appear)
But i need some feedbacks about this.. before I can start.

Thanks guys in advance

Offline Andrew Marshallsay

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Re: Old closet for aging cheese.. is it possible?
« Reply #1 on: October 18, 2016, 12:58:42 AM »
I suspect that you would find that the temperature would be your main problem. Ideally you are looking for about 13C, give or take a couple of degrees.
I use a small fridge with a thermostat which I bought from ebay. There are thermostats available which plug into the power socket and which you then plug the fridge into. You need one with an external sensor. You can place the sensor inside the fridge with the lead passing out the top of the door. No modification to the fridge, or technical knowledge, is needed.
These thermostats are generally sold for regulating the temperature in reptile cages so if you look for Reptile Thermostat on ebay you should find something which would suit.
- Andrew

achik1990

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Re: Old closet for aging cheese.. is it possible?
« Reply #2 on: October 18, 2016, 08:30:58 AM »
I suspect that you would find that the temperature would be your main problem. Ideally you are looking for about 13C, give or take a couple of degrees.
I use a small fridge with a thermostat which I bought from ebay. There are thermostats available which plug into the power socket and which you then plug the fridge into. You need one with an external sensor. You can place the sensor inside the fridge with the lead passing out the top of the door. No modification to the fridge, or technical knowledge, is needed.
These thermostats are generally sold for regulating the temperature in reptile cages so if you look for Reptile Thermostat on ebay you should find something which would suit.

Really? Nice.. I'll do my research now..
Thx mate  ;)

valley ranch

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Re: Old closet for aging cheese.. is it possible?
« Reply #3 on: October 18, 2016, 10:21:44 PM »
Andrew, That sounds like good advice and something that can be done fairly fast.

I'm guessing, but Malaysia, I picture as very humid maybe achik 1990 can tell us more about that.

Richard

achik1990

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Re: Old closet for aging cheese.. is it possible?
« Reply #4 on: October 19, 2016, 12:15:06 AM »
Andrew, That sounds like good advice and something that can be done fairly fast.

I'm guessing, but Malaysia, I picture as very humid maybe achik 1990 can tell us more about that.

Richard

hot and humid ...we have summer,drought and monsoon season..that's about it haha
mold,culture thrives here...
perfect location for microorganism 

Offline Gregore

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Re: Old closet for aging cheese.. is it possible?
« Reply #5 on: October 19, 2016, 04:45:08 AM »
You are better off with an old mini fridge  and a controller than with a wine fridge as most use a tec cooler to chill the air and they can only drop the temp inside the fridge by about 15 or so degrees from out side temps.

So if it is 80 in the house then 65 in the fridge

Offline Andrew Marshallsay

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Re: Old closet for aging cheese.. is it possible?
« Reply #6 on: October 19, 2016, 05:16:59 AM »
hot and humid ...we have summer,drought and monsoon season..that's about it haha
mold,culture thrives here...
perfect location for microorganism
You may well find that your high humidity is indeed a good thing. You will find that the humidity inside a fridge tends to be lower than that outside. In fact, it varies considerably during the cooling cycle, with humidity falling while the compressor is running and then rising when it turns off. Keeping the humidity up is a challenge for me, especially during our dry summers so you may have an advantage there.
- Andrew

Offline awakephd

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Re: Old closet for aging cheese.. is it possible?
« Reply #7 on: October 19, 2016, 01:47:52 PM »
I would echo the vote for worrying about temperature more than about humidity. If you can control the temperature, then there are many ways to deal with the humidity -- everything from ignoring it and just planning to seal your cheeses after the rind is well established, to low-tech approaches using ripening boxes or a cheesecloth hanging in water, to high-tech approaches using controllers and humidifiers. But the reverse is not true - you can't control the humidity, and then just ignore the temperature, or deal with it with a low-tech approach like a ripening box.

FWIW, I only use low-tech methods in my "cave." My "cave" is a medium-sized wine cooler that uses a compressor rather than a TEC system, and it has the ability to set the target temperature as desired. I bought it used off of an internet ad. For cheeses that really, really need a high humidity (e.g., camembert), I use ripening boxes. For most of the cheeses I make, though, I have found that I can age them for two weeks to a month or so without cracking even when the humidity stays at 50%-70%. (The lower figure is what I generally have without using anything; the higher figure is the best I can get with a cheesecloth hanging in a bowl of filtered water.) After the rind is well developed, I seal them, and then they can age for the rest of the time needed. Note that with some cheeses that are intended to be very dry (e.g., parma style), I may let them age for a couple of months before sealing. The result is no doubt not exactly correct ... but it sure is good!
-- Andy

Duntov

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Re: Old closet for aging cheese.. is it possible?
« Reply #8 on: October 19, 2016, 02:37:43 PM »
You are better off with an old mini fridge  and a controller than with a wine fridge as most use a tec cooler to chill the air and they can only drop the temp inside the fridge by about 15 or so degrees from out side temps.

So if it is 80 in the house then 65 in the fridge

My wine cooler pulls down 45 degrees easy.  I don't think there is any difference between a wine cooler and a mini fridge except for the thermostat range.

Offline awakephd

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Re: Old closet for aging cheese.. is it possible?
« Reply #9 on: October 19, 2016, 08:45:52 PM »
Duntov, is your wine cooler using a traditional compressor?
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Offline Gregore

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Re: Old closet for aging cheese.. is it possible?
« Reply #10 on: October 20, 2016, 06:08:15 AM »
A TEC is capable of  creating a sub zero temperature  but it can only do it for a small load so if the TEC is  massive for the size of the area that needs cooling then it can keep it very cold even if the out side is very warm .

It is rare for a manufacturer to use a large TEC  that can go much lower temp. Than what is called for as they are quite pricey , insulation is cheaper

I use one as an ice chuck for holding parts to be  CNC milled  and  the surface freezes in seconds ,  but if a double the load  by double the size of aluminum plate that it comes with , it will not freeze at all .  And that TEC cost more than most wine fridges.

Offline awakephd

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Re: Old closet for aging cheese.. is it possible?
« Reply #11 on: October 20, 2016, 08:57:44 PM »
Gregore, using freezing to attach something for machining is a new one on me. I've only ever used super glue ... which of course requires some heat to release, whereas I guess you just turn off the TEC and let it unfreeze!
-- Andy

Offline Gregore

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Re: Old closet for aging cheese.. is it possible?
« Reply #12 on: October 21, 2016, 02:52:53 PM »
Yes Andy it is way cool . The only issue is adding the sacrifice plate can overload the TEC  and it no longer freezes

achik1990

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Re: Old closet for aging cheese.. is it possible?
« Reply #13 on: October 24, 2016, 09:16:15 PM »
Soooo many technical terms ....  :o
Dont know where should I research 1st

Offline Gregore

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Re: Old closet for aging cheese.. is it possible?
« Reply #14 on: October 25, 2016, 04:02:26 AM »
You just want a small fridge ,  or at least the largest fridge you have room for and then a temp controller and there are many posts here in cheese making equipment on the best and the cheapest