Hello from San Francisco

[Isabella]

Hello, my name is Isabella and I'm living in San Francisco, CA.  I have just started dabbling in making my own cheese, a few cream cheeses, chevre, mozzarella, a jack and a farmhouse cheddar.  The soft/fast cheeses came out great, still waiting to try the hard cheeses.  I'm, still working out my process and technique, right now primarily about temperature.  Our house temp is a little too warm, fridge is too cold.  Is it better to just do the aging in the fridge for longer time?  Or risk leaving at a room temperature?  I'm not quite ready to go out and buy a special cheese fridge, but I couldn't wait to try the aged monterey jack, I may have gotten ahead of myself.

[zenith1]

Hi Isabella-you would be better off like you have suggested by aging in the controlled environment of the refrigerator. A little cold probably, just have to age considerably longer period of time. The other issue in most refrigerators is the low humidity. You will have to address that by either waxing or vacuum bagging.

ps. go Giants

[Boofer]

ps. go Giants

Ahem...Go Niners! 

-Boofer-

[Isabella]

Thanks zenith!  We'll see what happens.

Enjoy the game, I don't generally watch, but I'm sure I'll hear all about it )

[zenith1]

well-we probably won't agree on the game, but we can all agree on the cheese! Cheers..

[Cheese Head]

Welcome Isabella, most hobby makers here control the humidity with a ripening box, basically a plastic box with preferably raised mesh mat where you adjust humidity manually by cracking the lid. Have fun with that then if you get keened, buy an old fridge with external thermostat, lots of ideas in the Cave Board.

[smilingcalico]

What's your room temperature?  Also, if you have a garage (I realize it's SF), you may choose to age out there.