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GENERAL CHEESE MAKING BOARDS (Specific Cheese Making in Boards above) => EQUIPMENT - Aging Cheese, Caves => Topic started by: Al Lewis on April 17, 2013, 04:45:34 PM

Title: Cleaning Your Cave
Post by: Al Lewis on April 17, 2013, 04:45:34 PM
For those of you with small fridge or wine cooler caves how often do you clean them and with what? I emptied mine last weekend and thoroughly dried off the coils in the shelves and cleaned every surface with a spray of warm water mixed with a little chlorine bleach.  Figured that would keep down any molds that might try to take up residence. :o
Title: Re: Cleaning Your Cave
Post by: Tomer1 on April 17, 2013, 06:21:27 PM
Elbow grees is a good cleaning method so you remove any biofilm and preper the surface for a sanitizer (such as bleach or one of the no rise solutions).

I often satinize after making blue cheese as these seem to contaminate other cheeses despite being in their own "micro caves".
Title: Re: Cleaning Your Cave
Post by: shotski on June 25, 2013, 01:49:52 AM
good question Al. I make wine as well and was wondering if a potassium met bisulphite solution ( a contact sterilizer ) would work.


john
Title: Re: Cleaning Your Cave
Post by: Al Lewis on June 26, 2013, 03:39:16 AM
I couldn't begin to advise you on that but I'm sure there are some here that can.  ;)  I do know that chlorine bleach kills all funguses, etc.
Title: Re: Cleaning Your Cave
Post by: John@PC on June 30, 2013, 10:07:05 PM
What kind of cave to you have Al?  Frost-free, exposed coil or wine cooler?  I upgraded from a exposed coil (i.e. dorm fridge) to a used frost free but immediately started having problems.  I had to pull out the freezer panels and found a lot of grunge.  Cleaned with a pine-oil cleaner / water solution followed by a water / bleach spray and it seemed to do the trick.