the cave *new member*
Posted: 23 January 2009 09:29 AM   [ Ignore ]
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hello guys,
my name is John and im about to join the world of cheese making. ive been reading a book and got most of it down, however the cave is what gots me. i dont know how to age my cheese. see i live in louisiana so one day my temp is 30 and another 80 with humidity of 60-80. i was thinking of using a mini fridge but idk. can ya’ll help me out with my aging process? and any other pointers you can throw at me? thanks guys and glad to be here.
-John smile

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Posted: 23 January 2009 11:14 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 1 ]
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Depend on the type of cheese u want to make, I use the crisper space in the fridge.
Louisiana ? u have a land?
Welcome to the group !!! hope u catch the bug and make many cheeses smile

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The Cheese Hole

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Posted: 23 January 2009 03:33 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 2 ]
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you have land? sorry im confused lol (not hard) be more percise i live in Baton Rouge La.

so being in complete darkness is ok for the cheese?
my fridge stays at 39 degreese, so ill have to do it in the mini fridge and it dosnt have a crisper…. idk:-P

thanks -John

P.S. i want to try hards and soft, and maby even blue one day lol so all cheese:)

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Posted: 23 January 2009 05:23 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 3 ]
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Land as in back yard or bigger, can easily make a cave with bricks (sidewalk slabs) and soil on top to get away from the heat if u are in an area with excess heat. The type of cheese will req dif temps so need to read up on that, however we do with what we have on hand and rarely get to the “precise” temp req. smile

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The Cheese Hole

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Posted: 23 January 2009 05:35 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 4 ]
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oh… nope no land hehe. im a young college student and i move from time to time. ill be moving again in 6 months so there no way i can make somthing like that right now. down here i think a cave wouldn’t cool down much either… or stand up over time hehe. but know i know and i can look into that and see if one will be possible for me one day:)

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Posted: 23 January 2009 05:43 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 5 ]
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Welcome John, good to have you aboard.  Some things to consider:  how much cheese are you going to be making?  If a lot, then a mini fridge may not work for you.  Since most cheeses require a couple months or more to age, you can accumulate a lot in a short time. 

A fridge IS going to be your solution, its just a question of how big.  Also, you’re eventually going to need a thermostat to keep the fridge temp consistent in the range you want.  A normal fridge is usually too cold.  BTW, I live in Arkansas, so I know about the climate stuff.

Also, you said you wanted to make soft cheese.  Well, for that you don’t need anything to age it - because they don’t require aging.  So start right away with a soft cheese, and then move up as you get equipped.

Again, good to have you with us, and keep us posted.

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Rich

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