Hello,
We've got a cave going in our basement, which is underground. We are using a small corner room that houses the home's water pump. It is cement floored and walled with cinderblock (though walls are lined with insulation). It has a consistent temperature range in the mid 50's. The humidity in the winter is about 55%. I now have a humidifier going in there and I'm learning how to best adjust it to achieve and maintain ~85% RH. So far so good. During a severe rainstorm yesterday, I found the humidity up around 95%, but was able to get it back down within half a day.
I am posting pics below.
I have some general questions, which are, is this an ideal environment for a cave? anyone else have a similar set-up and can offer advice on potential problems/concerns/pitfalls?
More specifically, I'm wondering about sanitation and mold. This is a basement and there is some dirt and dust down there. Is this a problem? Also, I really have no idea what to expect when it comes to mold. I'm assuming one of the good things about a cave is to create an environment to encourage mold growth. I've seen a wiki on different types of mold, but I'm wondering if a basement set up like mine tends to favor certain molds. If so, are they good molds or bad molds. Also, I haven't been able to come across much information on what to do when you start getting mold. I have seen some things that suggest you should wipe away or bush back mold as it develops, but I've also been working on the assumption that cultivating mold growth on the rind of a cheese is a good thing and that it should be allowed to flourish. Am I wrong on this? Are there only certain cheeses that this applies to? I'm just beginning aging in a humidity controlled environment and so know little about it. Any articles or information someone can point me to would be GREATLY appreciated.
