Cheese Cave - refrigerator question

[susanky]

I am ready to branch out into more cheeses as I just bought a refrigerator that I can dedicate to cheese!  Can't wait to get started.  It is a standard refrigerator/freezer with freezer on top, refrigerator on bottom.  What I am wondering is will I be able to set the two compartments at different temp and humidity levels for different types of cheeses?  Or will I only be able to use the refrigerator portion?
Susan

[mtncheesemaker]

I think just the fridge part. I use an external thermostat with a probe in the fridge part; you plug the refrigerator into it and the thermostat controller just switches the refrigerator on and off to maintain the desired temp.

[Mondequay]

I am doing the same as Pam until my all-fridge is delivered. Must be a lot of cheesemakers buying them as it's been on back order for 2 months! The freezer stays just above freezing temp; it is not able to freeze food and is too cold for cheese. Might be a place to hold milk or other foods short term.
Christine

[steffb503]

I have seen those external thermometers for the fridge but hubby says they burn out the compressor.
Any thougts

[mtncheesemaker]

Haven't heard that but would be interested in knowing if it's true. It is just switching the fridge off and on; don't know how that is different from the regular operation, which is just running at lower temp targets.

[steffb503]

Maybe the one he is thinking of does not have a probe.
What you say makes sense, Now where do I get one.

[mtncheesemaker]

Just google Johnson external thermostat. Lots of places sell them.

[kimlasavio]

Hi!  I set up a little apartment size fridge/freezer with the Johnson external thermostat and a Honeywell thermometer/hygrometer, and I am really happy with the results so far.  Stays right between 50 and 55 F just like it's supposed to.  One thing I did have to do that I wasn't thinking about at first was move the cave indoors - if it is 40 degrees outside the thermostat won't do anything about heating it up, it just stays off of course but the temperature is still 40 degrees in the fridge.  So, moved it into our mud room where it is dark and cool but not cold, and it hardly ever turns on.  I had my first cheddar turn 60 days old two days ago - I am waiting to finish up some other cheese we have before I crack it open, but I am sooooo excited to try my first hard cheese!  Kim & the goats

[FilZer]

                 My compressor is burn like what steffb503 said. Or there are other reasons why my compressor burn? I ask a technician to pass our house but its been 2 days he still not visit us.

[MrsMarbles]

The Johnson Controls A419 digital controller has a setting (ASd) to avoid frequent short cycling.  It also has a heating mode (though you have to unscrew the cover and move a jumper over, which makes it hard to go back & forth). 

I used the cooling mode all summer in a hot garage without problem.  I'm currently using the heating mode and a small Brew Heater pad, and it's keeping my beer fermentation freezer at 64-67 in a very cold garage.  I keep the ASd setting at the max (12 mins.), but the freezer is insulated enough that it doesn't seem to cycle very often. 

I also have two indoor cheese mini-fridges, one with analog and one with digital controller.  I know the digital controller is expensive, but I think it works better.  The copper wire to the probe on the analog controller seems especially likely to break.