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I just wanted to add a few more preliminary pics.

I'm not pleased with what I'm seeing for the humidity or temp. I have the fridge set at the lowest setting (warmest) before it turns off, but it's not good enough. I have a bowl of water in there, but it seems to make little difference. As shown in the two pics, one is inside the fridge...just opened. The other is just after I placed it outside the fridge: it's already showing higher humidity after less than a minute. Need to work on it.

Question: If I'm nore "curing" cheese prior to sealing it and all of the cheeses are sealed, how concerned do I need to be about humidity levels? I realize the temp should be higher, regardless.

-Boofer-

Boofer, great looking cheeses.

Most fridge's thermostats don't allow the fridge to go warm enough for cheese aging, so many members here including me buy an external thermostat, here's picture of mine.

Humidity, is tough to add at lower temp, but easier than removing excess humidity like I had with that chest freezer. This thread has several ideas.

On your gauge, I think mine also reads higher humidity when I take it out the cave, I believe this is because as it rapidly increases in temperature, moisture initially condenses on the sensor, before evaporating and humidity reading going to normal lower number. Similar to taking a cold glass out of fridge.

Great looking cheeses!

It looks like all of your cheeses are sealed in wax or vac bags. I wouldn't worry to much about humidity.

Thanks for the kudos.

I may have hit upon a solution for my low humidity condition. The inspiration once again springs from reading this forum. I am snapping pics, soldering, and installing the fix. I should have some results to show tomorrow. I'm excited about this fix...it may just catch on. Whoo whoo!

I did have a Hunter external thermostat that I used to control my freezer lagering back in the day, but it gave up the ghost...or should I say, it "lost control".

-Boofer-

Did you ever find a solution for the humifity

Wow, this thread has some age on it.

Not too long after the thread I purchased a Johnson temp controller and then a LaCrosse wireless thermometer/hygrometer. Using those pieces of equipment plus some Rubbermaid boxes, my humidity came under control.

I currently have one wireless sensor in a Rubbermaid box upstairs monitoring a Goutaler cheese wheel and it reads 68.9F/81%RH. Another sensor in the cave monitors another newer Goutaler in a plastic box and it reads 54.1F/95%RH. Those humidity levels are about right for where they are in their cycle. The first is 3 weeks in to eye-development. The second is two weeks in to developing its rind. After perhaps another week in the cave it will join its compadre upstairs at room temperature for rind development.

Early on in trying to maintain humidity I installed a laptop cooler at the back of the cave. That did work, but I found that I didn't need additional moisture after a while. The laptop cooler is still there circulating the air inside the cave, but the wet cloth is not.

-Boofer-

You've come a long way since you started this thread Boofer!

Off topic, or at least tangential to your topic Boofer - sorry - but I'm thinking on a cave as well, and wondered how feasible this would be....from another thread, a nano-US mist humidifier, controlled by a PID humidity controller?  The Johnson is what I always used in my brewing as well, and at the price point, it seems a fine solution over the medium term (by the time the probe is shot, I, anyway, put down years of yeoman's service...pretty hard to justify a digital temp controller when the Johnson was reasonable at $60ish).  I know humidity controllers are not cheap, but if the nano humidifier would humidify a decent cubic space adequately, I may be able to think on this more seriously. 

So, basically, envisioning a forced air cooling system (tapping the fan for air circulation) with a Johnson, a nano-humidifier with controller.  Any thoughts/pitfalls?

And was it yourself who said you spent time in Ventura? (native Venturan, here).

Quote from: ArnaudForestier on December 20, 2010, 02:48:27 PM
Off topic, or at least tangential to your topic Boofer - sorry - but I'm thinking on a cave as well, and wondered how feasible this would be....from another thread, a nano-US mist humidifier, controlled by a PID humidity controller?  The Johnson is what I always used in my brewing as well, and at the price point, it seems a fine solution over the medium term (by the time the probe is shot, I, anyway, put down years of yeoman's service...pretty hard to justify a digital temp controller when the Johnson was reasonable at $60ish).  I know humidity controllers are not cheap, but if the nano humidifier would humidify a decent cubic space adequately, I may be able to think on this more seriously. 

Any thoughts?

And was it yourself who said you spent time in Ventura? (native Venturan, here).

I can't comment on that humidifier. It looks like a decent, cheap solution if you need it.

Yes, I moved down from San Jose in 2002 and lived in Port Hueneme for several years. Beautiful part of California. Not a lot of traffic down there. Nestled between expensive Santa Barbara and crazy Los Angeles. Yeah, there's a lot of suburbia between and along the way: Ventura, Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley. With the ocean being within 2 miles of my home it was easy to hit the beach. I used to love kayaking out to do a little lobstering. I understand they've imposed a bunch of regulations and restrictions on all that now. Too bad. It was getting crowded out there though, especially for a lone kayaker at night. Had some really adventurous nights out at the Port Hueneme breakwater with the waves crashing over and creating white water. Oh, fun times!

-Boofer-

Seabee?  (Former corpsman - Balboa, NRMC Oakland).

No, not SeaBee.

Vietnam Vet, U.S. Army, Airborne, Special Forces, 101st Airborne Div., 1st Cavalry Div., yadda yadda....

We just thought it was a really nice place to move to.

-Boofer-

Just got back from an extended holiday stay in the U.P., Boofer.  Followed the 101st for many years...wanted to say thanks for your service, and though I haven't been home (to Ca) in years, lotta fond memories of the area, as well.  Looking forward to seeing more posts.

Paul

Quote from: ArnaudForestier on December 30, 2010, 08:45:58 AM
the U.P.

??  ??
-Boofer-

in my book - the UP always meant the Upper Peninsula of Michigan  - you know that funny shape of land where you wonder why it isn't part of Wisconsin

Quote from: Chris_Abrahamson on December 30, 2010, 03:58:34 PM
in my book - the UP always meant the Upper Peninsula of Michigan  - you know that funny shape of land where you wonder why it isn't part of Wisconsin

Bingo.  Wife's family all over Da U.P., and we formerly lived there as well.  (warning - don't open the first serious French place in a region where pastys are king  ).  We do love it up there, and go several times per year. 

Not sure the U.P. would claim it belongs to the Union, much less any particular state.