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GENERAL CHEESE MAKING BOARDS (Specific Cheese Making in Boards above) => EQUIPMENT - Aging Cheese, Caves => Topic started by: jillyphish on February 09, 2009, 06:49:43 PM

Title: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: jillyphish on February 09, 2009, 06:49:43 PM

My SO is a brewmaker and I'm a novice cheesemaker, so we have now purchased a fridge for the garage to become a kegerator and cheese cave!  YAHOO!

Any suggestions, warnings, lessons learned, etc. for a new cheese cave? 

I am also in the process of getting a cheese press from someone on the forum.

Therefore... looking at moving to more complex cheese making soon! 

Title: Re: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: wharris on February 09, 2009, 07:10:43 PM

My recommend would be to bend the ear of that "someone on the forum", about a cheese cave as well.
;)

Title: Re: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: Cheese Head on February 09, 2009, 11:24:21 PM

Jill, sounds great, nice combination ;D, we will all need to see some pictures please in due course.

My only 2 cents is that if fridge is more modern forced air type the air will be very dry so you'll need plastic boxes to maintain a higher humidity in the fridge or find a way to directly increase the humidity. If oolder radient cooling then your problem may be too much humidity.

PS: You two are going to have fights over temperature, colder for beer, warmer for cheese!

Title: Re: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: Cartierusm on February 10, 2009, 12:47:24 AM

John's right you are going to have problems satisfying both requirements. You can always find a used upright freezer on craigslist.

Title: Re: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: jillyphish on February 10, 2009, 05:25:23 AM

You know... we were just talking about maybe I should get a small "dorm room" type of fridge to manage temp and humidity more to the liking of cheese.  The kegerator is a new fridge (Kenmore on sale).  So far the inner door shelves have been replaced with a "white board".  No major drilling yet.  But I'll get some pictures up on the board as we progress.

Thanks for the encouragement. 

Title: Re: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: Cartierusm on February 10, 2009, 06:24:33 AM

There are two probelms with small dorm style friges. One being there is not enough room to fit a humidifier in there and if you're going that far then it's by far too small as you'll fill it up with cheese in no time. Just some things to think about.

Title: Re: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: stuartjc on February 10, 2009, 04:14:03 PM

being the Beer Ambassador that I am.... a *real* beer, as opposed to the fizzy cheap crappy stuff, should be stored at *cellar* temps  - 55 to 65F, 13-18C, which is a range that seems familiar to me somehow...  ;D

Title: Re: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: Cartierusm on February 10, 2009, 06:59:26 PM

Wow, my kegs are always stored at 38F, but then again I like it cold. When I'm in London I do love warm ales, makes me feel as though I'm in the middle ages and not just middle aged. I should try higher temps I know as it will have more flavor.

Title: Re: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: stuartjc on February 10, 2009, 07:56:13 PM

*nods*

With the cheap mass market beers, they tell you to get them cold so that you can't taste them.. because they taste *bad*. Ever had a room temp Bud, Miller, or Coors?

:shudder:

British beer is not served *warm*. It's served at cellar temperature  :)

Title: Re: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: Cartierusm on February 11, 2009, 06:44:10 AM

HAAA it's warm to me.  ;D Stuart, come on man, I don't drink corporate beer. I go down to the local microbrew and gets some great ones. Here we have Speakeasy, which I'm not fond of and lately they've gone down hill, 21st. Amendment, which I really enjoy and there's Devil's Canyon Brewing. Where are you located?

Title: Re: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: stuartjc on February 11, 2009, 01:59:39 PM

Birmingham, Alabama. The state with 2 microbreweries and 2 brewpubs because of the frelled up law  >:(

Mind you, we can get Rogue, Terrapin, Left Hand, Sam Adams, and so on... just so long as they are below 6%  :(

Title: Re: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: Cartierusm on February 11, 2009, 07:51:39 PM

Are you saying in AL there is no hard alcohol?

Title: Re: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: stuartjc on February 11, 2009, 07:54:31 PM

worse than that.

You can buy 3 litres of wine, at 14.9% in the grocery store.

Sherry and Port can only be bought in liquor stores.

You can buy Everclear - 95% ABV pure grain alcohol - in a store owned and operated by the state of Alabama... but you can't home brew, or buy any beer with more than 6% alcohol or in a container larger than 16ozs. But you can buy a 5 litre mini-keg. Or, indeed, a full keg. Because they are draft beer.

.....  >:(

Title: Re: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: Cartierusm on February 11, 2009, 08:02:29 PM

Weird so you can have hard alcohol and wine but not beer over 6%?

Title: Re: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: stuartjc on February 11, 2009, 08:05:51 PM

Quote from: Cartierusm on February 11, 2009, 08:02:29 PM

Weird so you can have hard alcohol and wine but not beer over 6%?

Correct.

Title: Re: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: Cartierusm on February 11, 2009, 08:09:55 PM

You should start an organization and petition and lobby for change.

Just off the top of my head you can call it something like...free the hops, just a suggestion.


P.S. if you haven't noticed I'm a smart ass, can't help it. Jokes are meant to make people smile not offend.

Title: Re: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: stuartjc on February 11, 2009, 08:33:47 PM

Quote from: Cartierusm on February 11, 2009, 08:09:55 PM

P.S. if you haven't noticed I'm a smart ass, can't help it. Jokes are meant to make people smile not offend.

*You*?!? A smart arse?!!!? Shurely Shome Mishtake!

 ;D  :P

Title: Re: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: Cartierusm on February 11, 2009, 09:22:29 PM

Very, very weird law though. Sucks. I guess you could pour some everclear into your beer.

Title: Re: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: stuartjc on February 11, 2009, 09:23:32 PM

Quote from: Cartierusm on February 11, 2009, 09:22:29 PM

Very, very weird law though. Sucks. I guess you could pour some everclear into your beer.

.. no. Just no.

*shudder*

Title: Re: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: Captain Caprine on February 11, 2009, 11:49:39 PM

Put enough banjos in one state and goofy BS like this happens.  No offence to banjo players I actually own one ;D

Title: Re: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: Cartierusm on February 12, 2009, 12:42:56 AM

LOL

Title: Re: Cheese cave / kegerator... in the works.
Post by: DeejayDebi on March 28, 2009, 12:23:40 AM

A good beer is good even when it's warm. I'm with Stuart ICE COLD beer is for covering the taste of a bad beer.

(http://deejaysworld.net/deejayssmokepit/yabb/Smilies/barman.gif)