Hi there,
I am aging several waxed cheddars in my concrete floor basement. Today was the warmest day of the year so far around here (83F). I keep a plastic container of water in the cheese area. This afternoon I checked the water temp and it registered 62F.
Is this too warm? I have some used wine friges that I haven't plugged in as of yet. Do you think now would be the time? Thank you
While 62 might be a bit warm, it's still reasonable. However I would recommend searching Cheddar aging temperature. It's not often discussed, but there are certain cheeses and locations where ambient room temperature is the norm for aging. A consistent temp however would never hurt.
62 is a on the warm side. Cheddar varieties do best aged in the temperature range of ~42-52F. The lower the temperature the longer to achieve your full aging potential. At 62 you risk inviting unwanted bacteria to the party.
Rippening cheddar in the UK is around 54 - 56 ;)