Wireless smart hygrometer for home cheese cave?

[NewbieInNewHampshire]

Hi all -

Just joined. Great to be here and I greatly appreciate any advice you're willing to offer. I'm pretty new to cheesemaking. So far, I've made chevre, cream cheese, creme fraiche, and feta - basically all the easy stuff. I've purchased a cheese press and it's time to take the next step to hard cheeses, so I've been doing research on home cheese "caves."

I'm interested in a wireless smart hygrometer that would speak to my iPhone, but have noticed that most hygrometers/weather stations only use a probe to measure temperature. I'd love to have a device that uses a probe for humidity, too, to enable me to keep the electronics of the readout device outside of the refrigerator.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a device that I could stick in a refrigerator that will effectively speak to my phones and provide alerts if the humidity is outside the parameters I establish? In a perfect world, I could just put a probe inside the refrigerator to preserve the electronics on the readout device, but this is the only device I've found that seems to offer that option https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H38RPNG/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=AON8DME687K1&th=1. Any thoughts on this device?

Bonus points if multiple probes are allowed, as it looks like it is advisable to keep a separate "cave" for blue cheese and I don't want to mess around with cross-contamination. :-)

I hope this query makes sense. I'm basically just looking for hygrometer recommendations that are wireless and will speak to an iPhone and provide alerts for excursions.

Thank you so much for any insight/suggestions you can provide. I really value your guidance.

Best,
Melanie

[mikekchar]

My problem hygrometers is that every single one of them that I've looked at says that the operating relative humidity maxes out at 80%.  Above that point it's no longer accurate.  Which, for cheesemaking, is rather useless.  You can actually build a hygrometer out of 2 temperature probes.  You have one that's wet and another that's dry.  They will measure slightly different temperatures.  You can use the difference to calculate the relative humidity from that.  You need very sensitive temperature probes, though.  One day I'll give it a shot...

[Al Quentin]

I've been playing around with a couple of these:

https://www.amazon.com/ThermoPro-Bluetooth-Hygrometer-Thermometer-Greenhouse/dp/B08LKCLFR6?pd_rd_w=NmC4m&content-id=amzn1.sym.bc622850-a717-4d94-96c3-7cc183488298&pf_rd_p=bc622850-a717-4d94-96c3-7cc183488298&pf_rd_r=KBJVXH1BQBSBETGRRJFT&pd_rd_wg=bOvOT&pd_rd_r=1f2bf454-edf2-4780-b75f-bed7bbb3c51c&pd_rd_i=B08LKCLFR6&psc=1&ref_=pd_bap_d_rp_1_t

They claim to measure RH of 10% - 99%, +/- 2%. Haven't independently verified the RH accuracy, but in testing I've gotten readings up to 98%RH. The temp accuracy compares favorably to my pricey Thermapen, and both units  track & agree with each other in temp and RH. Bluetooth range is good, and I can get readings from inside a fridge one story below my place. The Android app (which could be better) can send alerts and log multiple sensors. I've been testing these for a couple of months, trying to figure out how I'm going to control humidity/temp, and it's interesting to see changes as the fridge cycles on/off and how changes in temp affect RH readings. The logs are nice, but you can't save them to a PC.  Nevertheless, they're only $10 - that's why I decided to give them a try. Will update when/if I verify RH accuracy.

EDIT - Sorry, just re-read your post - missed that you were looking for something to talk to an i-Phone and I was talking about Android. Just looked at the instructions for my device & there's a QR code for an IOS app too.

[NewbieInNewHampshire]

Incredibly helpful. Thank you so much. Do you find that condensation collects on the device and, if so, it hasn't caused problems/damage?

[Al Quentin]

In my limited testing so far, I haven't created any significant condensation on the units for any length of time. Given the nature of these things, I expect that a very humid environment would eventually take it's toll. These are meant to reside in the measured environment, and since the sensors are mounted on a circuit board inside the unit, the boards are exposed to whatever humidity's in the air. I've looked inside the units and, although the boards are pretty good quality, they don't have any sort of conformal coating protecting them from moisture long term - I wouldn't expect them to at the price. That being said, lots of electronics live in humid environments around the world. These may not survive as long as they would in an arid environment but, if the RH readings prove to be reasonably accurate, I'll consider them a relatively cheap "consumable" with useful features.

[pastpawn]

In my limited testing so far, I haven't created any significant condensation on the units for any length of time. Given the nature of these things, I expect that a very humid environment would eventually take it's toll. These are meant to reside in the measured environment, and since the sensors are mounted on a circuit board inside the unit, the boards are exposed to whatever humidity's in the air. I've looked inside the units and, although the boards are pretty good quality, they don't have any sort of conformal coating protecting them from moisture long term - I wouldn't expect them to at the price. That being said, lots of electronics live in humid environments around the world. These may not survive as long as they would in an arid environment but, if the RH readings prove to be reasonably accurate, I'll consider them a relatively cheap "consumable" with useful features.

Of course, you could spray conformal coating on them yourself.  Or just brush some polyurathane over the board (both sides).  Or caulk.  Or latex paint.  Or any other non-soluble protectant.

I have a wireless hygrometer, but the batteries went dead too quickly for my liking.  I now use an Inkbird dual controller to both control the temperature of my cheese cave and to control humidity.  It seems to work well.  I have not tested the accuracy of it, but as a hobbyist I don't think I ever will

[NewbieInNewHampshire]

In my limited testing so far, I haven't created any significant condensation on the units for any length of time. Given the nature of these things, I expect that a very humid environment would eventually take it's toll. These are meant to reside in the measured environment, and since the sensors are mounted on a circuit board inside the unit, the boards are exposed to whatever humidity's in the air. I've looked inside the units and, although the boards are pretty good quality, they don't have any sort of conformal coating protecting them from moisture long term - I wouldn't expect them to at the price. That being said, lots of electronics live in humid environments around the world. These may not survive as long as they would in an arid environment but, if the RH readings prove to be reasonably accurate, I'll consider them a relatively cheap "consumable" with useful features.

Of course, you could spray conformal coating on them yourself.  Or just brush some polyurathane over the board (both sides).  Or caulk.  Or latex paint.  Or any other non-soluble protectant.

I have a wireless hygrometer, but the batteries went dead too quickly for my liking.  I now use an Inkbird dual controller to both control the temperature of my cheese cave and to control humidity.  It seems to work well.  I have not tested the accuracy of it, but as a hobbyist I don't think I ever will

You wouldn't happen to have a link to the Inkbird you're using, would you?

[pastpawn]

In my limited testing so far, I haven't created any significant condensation on the units for any length of time. Given the nature of these things, I expect that a very humid environment would eventually take it's toll. These are meant to reside in the measured environment, and since the sensors are mounted on a circuit board inside the unit, the boards are exposed to whatever humidity's in the air. I've looked inside the units and, although the boards are pretty good quality, they don't have any sort of conformal coating protecting them from moisture long term - I wouldn't expect them to at the price. That being said, lots of electronics live in humid environments around the world. These may not survive as long as they would in an arid environment but, if the RH readings prove to be reasonably accurate, I'll consider them a relatively cheap "consumable" with useful features.

Of course, you could spray conformal coating on them yourself.  Or just brush some polyurathane over the board (both sides).  Or caulk.  Or latex paint.  Or any other non-soluble protectant.

I have a wireless hygrometer, but the batteries went dead too quickly for my liking.  I now use an Inkbird dual controller to both control the temperature of my cheese cave and to control humidity.  It seems to work well.  I have not tested the accuracy of it, but as a hobbyist I don't think I ever will

You wouldn't happen to have a link to the Inkbird you're using, would you?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HF9W41Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Works great.  One output is used for controlling temperature, the other for humidity.  Have you thought about a way to generate humidity? 

[NewbieInNewHampshire]

In my limited testing so far, I haven't created any significant condensation on the units for any length of time. Given the nature of these things, I expect that a very humid environment would eventually take it's toll. These are meant to reside in the measured environment, and since the sensors are mounted on a circuit board inside the unit, the boards are exposed to whatever humidity's in the air. I've looked inside the units and, although the boards are pretty good quality, they don't have any sort of conformal coating protecting them from moisture long term - I wouldn't expect them to at the price. That being said, lots of electronics live in humid environments around the world. These may not survive as long as they would in an arid environment but, if the RH readings prove to be reasonably accurate, I'll consider them a relatively cheap "consumable" with useful features.

Of course, you could spray conformal coating on them yourself.  Or just brush some polyurathane over the board (both sides).  Or caulk.  Or latex paint.  Or any other non-soluble protectant.

I have a wireless hygrometer, but the batteries went dead too quickly for my liking.  I now use an Inkbird dual controller to both control the temperature of my cheese cave and to control humidity.  It seems to work well.  I have not tested the accuracy of it, but as a hobbyist I don't think I ever will

You wouldn't happen to have a link to the Inkbird you're using, would you?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HF9W41Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Works great.  One output is used for controlling temperature, the other for humidity.  Have you thought about a way to generate humidity? 

Thanks so much! For humidity, I was thinking a plastic bin of water and, if absolutely necessary, a towel. I have a heat/cool controller now, but the thought of putting a humidifier in the fridge makes me think of nothing but Legionnaire's disease or some other deadly illness. Did you have a recommendation?

[Tedybar]

I have the same inkbird setup and us a humidifier plugged into the inkbird humidity plug. Works great,

[ArnaudForestier]

Dated, but the spec I'm seeing on the humidity sensor says it only reads to 80%.  I used to use meade sensors and base station, but they've discontinued.  Still looking for the high-RH sensors.

[tecla]

I have three hygrometers in my wine cooler fridge / cheese cave, two standalone digital ones and one sensor I connect to my raspberry pi controller. It collects the data on temperature and humidity constantly and turns on a fan and a little aquarium pump in a basin that pumps the water up through PEX pipes with holes to dribble it out back into the basin to do evaporative humidification. I wrote a little manager program to cycle it on and off to try to keep humidity near my target, which is 90% RH.

So far, visually the two standalone hygrometers and the rpi sensor all agree pretty well on the humidity even up into the low 90s, and the cheese surfaces are responding like I would expect at those humidities. Maybe I just got lucky with my choice of sensor and hygrometers?

If anyone is interested, I could post pictures of my little setup.

[Bob]

Tecla, I would love to see pictures and additional description of your setup! I can't quite picture how your humidification works... Also if you could give the details of your hygrometer that would be great!

[tecla]

I can't figure out how to put the images inline, but they should all be attached.

My humidity control is an evaporative humidifier which is switched on whenever the humidity drops below the target, which I have set for 90% RH right now. I built the evaporative humidifier out of a little plastic drawer thingy which holds the water, and cut a hole in the top for a computer case fan to blow down into it. Inside the tub is an aquarium pump which is connected to some PEX B snaked around so that some of it hangs higher out of the water, but has little holes drilled into the PEX so the water drips out back into the reservoir when the pump is running. I also stuck some screen mesh (like on a window) to catch the water as it drips so the fan can more easily evaporate it as it blows. I just have to refill the reservoir of water once every 2-ish weeks to make sure the pump doesn't run dry.

The controller for the pump and fan on the humidifier is possibly overkill, and could probably be done with a simple timer or cheaper humidity control or something like that. But I like collecting data and having fine-grained control, so I did the overkill thing.

I set up a Raspberry Pi 3+ as the controller, which uses a BME680 for temperature and RH readings, and then is also connected to a relay switch for the computer case fan and a another relay switch for the aquarium pump. A little program I wrote runs on the Pi to continuously watch the humidity, and when it drops down it'll fire up the pump and case fan and fairly rapidly boost the humidity back up. The wine fridge will drop the humidity when it does a cooling cycle, so typically the evaporative humidifier runs a lot during and just after a cooling cycle to boost the humidity back up to target. It collects data along the way, so I have lots of history on its performance; it outputs graphs so I can see how it's really going: temperature and RH over time, temperature histogram, RH histogram, and it spits out a summary, and if something goes wrong (except for a power outage) it will email me to tell me the humidifier is offline.

I also have two ThermoPro humidity/temperature devices so I can get a second and third opinion, to make sure everything is working well.

Overall, for a desired target of 50-55 F and 85-90% RH it seems to hold up well. The fridge cooling cycles are really obvious in the data, too.