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GENERAL CHEESE MAKING BOARDS (Specific Cheese Making in Boards above) => EQUIPMENT - Aging Cheese, Everything Except Caves => Topic started by: adalton on January 23, 2012, 05:59:43 PM

Title: Can Cheese be aged on their sides?
Post by: adalton on January 23, 2012, 05:59:43 PM

As mentioned in a previous post, I am running out of room in my mini refrigerator.  However, the door of my fridge has shelves that could fit a few smaller wheels of cheese on their sides after waxing.  Is there a problem aging cheese this way if they are flipped around often?  This coming summer my problem will be solved when I buy a full size refrigerator and I can start eating some of the cheeses I have made this past fall and winter.  Thanks for your advice as always,

Andy

Title: Re: Can Cheese be aged on their sides?
Post by: zenith1 on January 23, 2012, 06:47:29 PM

Andy -you can age them on any position that you want. The key is flipping the wheel. The only concern that you may have is deforming the wheel if it is not hard enough. But as far as aging goes it is OK.

Title: Re: Can Cheese be aged on their sides?
Post by: margaretsmall on January 23, 2012, 06:57:24 PM

I've been watching the excellent series 'Cheese Slices' in which Will Studd visits small cheesemakers around the world (small, that is compared with Kraft, enormous compared with me) and quite a lot of cheeses are matured on their sides.

Title: Re: Can Cheese be aged on their sides?
Post by: Tomer1 on January 24, 2012, 09:24:40 AM

much more space efficient but may cause deformation with some softer semi hard cheeses.

Title: Re: Can Cheese be aged on their sides?
Post by: adalton on January 25, 2012, 03:07:25 AM

Great, thanks everyone!

Andy

Title: Re: Can Cheese be aged on their sides?
Post by: Boofer on January 25, 2012, 02:57:29 PM

Quote from: Tomer1 on January 24, 2012, 09:24:40 AM

much more space efficient but may cause deformation with some softer semi hard cheeses.

I ran into that same problem over the past year. I decided to store a relatively new and somewhat softer Beaufort on its side in the door. The rind of the cheese wheel had been developed and was looking quite nice (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,6620.msg61503.html#msg61503) when I vacuum-sealed it. As part of my cheese-checking/turning ritual, I went to turn this cheese and the one side had mashed down. I was horrified.  :o What had I done to my poor cheese?  :(

I tried to gently smooth it out and "correct" it inside the bag. That helped a little. Time, I figured, would be my friend and help to bring my disfigured wheel back into a "wheel" shape. It had a flat tire, after all. You can still see some residual lines where the "flat" was at the top of the photo.

You can believe it when I think twice now about storing cheese wheels on their sides. I make every effort to store them flat.

Don't let a cheese go flat!

-Boofer-

Title: Re: Can Cheese be aged on their sides?
Post by: Tomer1 on January 25, 2012, 05:45:11 PM

You will likely see it used with grana cheeses or 1-2 year old dryish alpines.

Title: Re: Can Cheese be aged on their sides?
Post by: Boofer on January 26, 2012, 01:53:22 AM

Quote from: Tomer1 on January 25, 2012, 05:45:11 PM

You will likely see it used with grana cheeses or 1-2 year old dryish alpines.

I could understand it with those harder, drier cheeses. Not a problem.

-Boofer-