Definitely after freshening this year, I am going to start seriously trying hard cheeses, have to at least give it a serious try. My question is regarding the refrigerator. There are the little apartment types that are only refrigerator, then the next size that also has a tiny freezer space but I'm not sure they have any more refrigerator room. I am also wondering if the freezer in it will affect the temperature of the main part. If this goes well for me, I will like figure out a way to dig a cellar under the barn to double as a cheese cave but want to know I can make decent hard cheeses before going that far.
Is a refrigerator only unit better or does it matter? Can the exterior thermostat also control the freezer portion to keep it at the 50-55 degrees?
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Thank you for the insight! I've found that Manchego doesn't dry out as fast as cheddar. I haven't tackled washed rind or mold ripened cheeses yet.
Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:
Want a good laugh? I figure with breedings questionable and kidding time coming up, we can use some humor.
My original post included "...out a way to dig a cellar under the barn to double as a cheese cave ..." As I was peeling potatoes last night and thinking if I have that root cellar, I can grow and keep all of my own potatoes that I would need for the year. It was then I had that "Duh!" moment, groaned then laughed. There are those here who might remember me asking about the barn floor and later, after much feedback, decided to leave it a dirt floor so the urine would pass through into the ground and not need to clean the stalls as often.
So, if I would be lucky enough to be successful with hard cheeses, I would build a cellar *under* the barn? I guess by now you have figured out why that would not only be a bad idea but a really, really bad idea. <big sigh> Good ideas aren't always! Methinks I will choose another location for a cellar.
If you are shooting for a particular type of cheese, you have to follow a particular aging strategy. For example, if you want cheddar, you must either wax or bandage it -- or you will have dried out, cracking, crumbling cheese. Adding moisture to the refrigerator won't help. Moisture is added to an aging cave to increase mold growth, like for a brie. Parmesan is a cheese that is not waxed or bandaged, and you know how hard and dry that is! White mold-ripened cheese such as brie and camembert are also not waxed, but they are protected by their moldy coating. When aging my mold-ripened cheeses, I simply put them in a plastic container, and I have to pour out water every couple of days for the first few weeks.
Diane Kennedy said:
I use a wine refrigerator and I've found that it holds the temperature just fine. I haven't solved the issue of keeping the humidity high enough, though, and my cheeses dry out if I age them more that two months or so. I don't like waxing them. I've tried putting a small plastic container of water in the bottom of the fridge, but that doesn't work well. I've heard that draping a damp cloth inside works well, but haven't tried that yet. If anyone has found a good solution and is willing to share, that would be great!
I heavily considered Deborah's comments about the wine cooler. I found one on Craigs List for $60, only a 12-bottle model, and was able to find the manual on line. My sister also told me last night that, since she isn't making cheeses now, she is giving me her small fridge, thermostat and cheese press. I told her I would take it on loan until she gets back into making cheese again. So, between the two, I will be set for when there is milk again to try some hard cheeses. *And* I will keep a log as Deborah so sweetly suggests.
Have I ever mentioned how much I love this group and the people here?!!
That is good news about maybe not needing the thermostat with the wine/beverage fridge. I just looked at the controller at Baders since they don't carry the coolers. I'll check on it at some point before I put out the bucks for it. My year (after not the best one last year) has started off very good so far so I am optimistic that I will find one used. One of my friends is an avid garage sale treasure hunter so I will let him know I am looking for one.
Perhaps I'm misunderstanding something, but if you buy a wine/beverage frig, you do not need to purchase the controller. Just buy a cheap refrigerator thermometer (less than $5?) and move the thermostat up/down in the frig until you have the right temp. You only need an external controller if you are using a regular refrigerator. With a new wine/bev frig now at $150, it is definitely a better deal unless you are using a second-hand refrigerator. And maybe you'll get lucky like I did and find a wine/bev frig at an estate sale! :)
Thank you, Deborah, for the response. With what you have said and price ranges, I think I shall get the wine cooler/beverage refrigerator. Since they are manufactured to be at a warmer temperature, there is no "conflict of interest" temperature wise on the part of the unit.<g> It looks like the smallest wine cooler will hold at least as much as the small refrigerator. With either one, I still need to purchase the external thermostat so that isn't part of the consideration. Since any cheese will be several months away (due dates if settled are April and May), I have ample time to shop around for a good price on the unit.
This is the thermostat I've been looking at, at our local wine and beer supply store, also selling cheese making supplies and offering cheesemaking classes (in addition to wine, beer, etc.).http://www.baderbrewing.com/products/hydrometersthermometersscales-...
If I keep my eyes open, perhaps I'll be as lucky as I have been with the expanded metal. I've been wanting some for the top of my new milk stand, built to what I now know I need/want, but not much luck finding it. I finally posted on FreeCycle asking for some. Not only did I get a piece, but the gentleman who gave it to me has offered to cut it to size for me. He already has some ice cream coming for being so kind as to share it (a scrap from his business) so he will have more now. Figure a thank-you from the goats is appropriate for something for the goats. Perhaps in a month or two, I will add on to this thread that I came across a great deal on a cooler!
In those tiny refrigerators that have a freezer in the main compartment, that is what cools the entire unit. They are actually terrible freezers and don't work for much more than freezing ice. I have never used a Johnson controller, if that's what you were thinking of buying to keep the temp in the 50-55 degree range. My husband (being an engineer) created his own controller. We haven't found a difference in the various little refrigerators that we've used. They all seem to work. Keep in mind that the very smallest refrigerator won't store much cheese -- maybe 8-10 rounds. You don't want to store cheese in the freezer section because it will be colder than the rest of the fridge. That cooling unit has to be colder than 50-55 to keep the rest of the fridge at that temp, which is why it normally is a "freezer" to keep the rest of the unit at the 33-40 degrees legally required.
We now have two wine coolers, sometimes called beverage refrigerators, which come with stark warning that they are NOT for permanent food storage. Legally a refrigerator must not be capable of being set above 40 degrees F for food safety reasons. That is why the wine/beverage refrigerators have the warnings. Their cooling units usually run along the inside of the back wall of the fridge. We purchased our second wine cooler at an estate sale. You will need a thermometer in there and will have to play with the temp regulation until you get it consistently stay in the 50-55 degree range.