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My cave is too small...

Started by Stinky, March 06, 2015, 06:43:53 PM

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Stinky

Well, it's fine, I'm sure, but not for me. Unfortunately, a new cave of bigger cave is not an option at this point. But I'd like to keep making cheese without them all being young, mild cheeses.

Right now I have

Top layer<full>: [all waxed] Gouda, 10 moremonths, Cheddar, 10 more months, Brew-curds Cheddar ideally one or two more months, at least, and Gloucester, 4 more months.

Next layer<full>: Asiago Pepato [box], 2 more months, Parmesan [waxed], 4 more months, Manchego [box], could be eaten now, I suppose, but the longer the better, kind of

Next layer <unfull>: Tilsit [box], 1 more month, empty space for [box]

Bottom layer <full>: Emmental [big box], ideally 1 more month, Butterkäse [box], 1-2 more months,

So either I could stick one more small box in the empty space, with a Mutschli or something, or I could cut the Manchego, which has been going for 2 months now, wax part of it, and stack it on something, and then make another Emmental [big box] and take a break for a few weeks. Now, a few questions.

What do you think I should do?

Alpkäserei, is it possible to wrap up an Emmental in foil or wax paper and age it like that for the last month?

Should I cut the Emmental now to free up room for a new Emmental and a Mutschli?

Should I move it to the fridge?

Do I cut the Manchego and deal with the Emmental to free up four small boxes or a large box and three small boxes?

Al Lewis

Not sure if this helps your situation but I vacuum pack and wax a lot of mine so I can stack them together on the same shelf.
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Stinky

#2
I don't have a vacuum sealer, but like I said many of them are waxed. Most of them are on a little shelf that a box wouldn't fit on, so they aren't in the way, and I can stack the others. I just prefer to have natural or washed rinds on some of my cheeses. I suppose I might be able to wax the Butterkäse? And maybe the Asiago?

Guiseppe

Well, from my somewhat limited experience I can honestly say that space in the cheese cave and money have one thing in common - you can never have enough.
Regardless of how much room you have you will always want more.
The more room you have available the more cheese you will make and you will always end up back where you started, running out of room.
.
I have to agree with Al Lewis - I also bought a vacuum packer and now store a number of cheeses packed in top of each other.
It increased my available space by probably 50% yet still I hanker for more.

Alpkäserei

If an Emmentaler has its rind, it doesn't need humidity. So you would really be fine just to sit the cheese out in the cave somewhere tucked away to save space

I'll wrap a cheese in foil after it has been cut open. But mold will grow under the foil, and will react with the foil as well. So this is only something I do if I plan to be taking it off frequently to cut bits off.
You'll have the same problem with anything you wrap your cheese in



Stinky

Quote from: Alpkäserei on March 07, 2015, 05:12:14 PM
If an Emmentaler has its rind, it doesn't need humidity. So you would really be fine just to sit the cheese out in the cave somewhere tucked away to save space

I'll wrap a cheese in foil after it has been cut open. But mold will grow under the foil, and will react with the foil as well. So this is only something I do if I plan to be taking it off frequently to cut bits off.
You'll have the same problem with anything you wrap your cheese in

Yes, but I control the humidity via ripening boxes, as I find that easier to control than trying to get the whole cave a certain humidity.

How edible is a three month old Emmentaler?

Alpkäserei

Yes I assumed that's what you were doing.

My point was, at three months old your emmentaler does not really need high humidity any more.

Stinky

Ah, I see. So you don't think it would crack at, say, 50 or 60 percent humidity?

Alpkäserei

shouldnt

To be safe, you could rub it down now and then to keep it moist

Stinky

I realized the Emmental is at two months.  :P I don't think the rind is quite full enough, at least on the top and bottom. For the time being, I plan to make a Montasio today, and an Emmental next week, waxing one, aaaand then we'll see. Maybe take a week break before I start cracking some young cheeses.