Cheese Cave build

[passedpawn]

Cheeses develop properly at around 55F. A wine fridge is a good size and right temperature for cheeses. I don't even have a temperature controller on mine (though I might get one soon).

It's a good idea to have a temperature and humidity sensor in there. Lots of cheap wireless ones available.

This wine fridge is a 2.5 cuft one that I got off craigslist for $30. It's perfect for me. I made my own shelves for it (replaced the wire wine shelves that are not flat and basically useless for cheeses).

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Nice. I need to convert mine over.

 

[Kent88]

Neat.

 

[jcav]

Really nice job Andrew! Got to make me one of those!

John

 

[passedpawn]

Bad news: This fridge died last week. Ugh. Depressed, I spent a lot of time building the custom shelves inside.

Good news: I took a shot at replacing the startup relay. It's a little pluggable module underneath, between the power entry and the compressor. Bingo, back in business! I thought she was a goner for sure. Relay was $10 on Amazon.

 

[jcav]

Bummer it died on you. But if anyone could bring it back to life it's you! Nice job!

John

 

[Staestc]

Indeed a bummer. Is it a compressor unit or a thermoelectric?

 

[passedpawn]

Indeed a bummer. Is it a compressor unit or a thermoelectric?

It's working now. My post #5 might not have been clear. There was a relay that I replaced on a whim and it started right up. It's a compressor fridge, 2.7 cuft I think.

 

[passedpawn]

The part I used is below (just in case this comes up in somebody's search some day

Refrigerator Starter Relay P6R8MC For LG Magic Chef Refrigerator & dehumidier

 

[Staestc]

It's working now. My post #5 might not have been clear. There was a relay that I replaced on a whim and it started right up. It's a compressor fridge, 2.7 cuft I think.

Duh. It was clear. I just missed the "oh it's fixed part"!

I want a cheese cave soon, but my wife is gonna kill me if I get another wine cooler. (I have one full of cigars ). I've only made paneer before, but I spent about 4 hours last rainy saturday watching Gavin Webber videos. Between those and the cheeses I have seen here, I'm ready to have a go at it!

 

[Gadjobrinus]

Passed (or anyone wanting temp and/or RH control), just an FYI. John over at perfect-cheese.com runs some nice digital controllers for both temp and RH. I used smaller ones on beer fridge conversions, and a large unit (very interesting - floating mister) for my large cave. Tossed out controlled fog beautifully. Good guy.

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

i just had to replace the relay on the compressor in my fermentation chamber too.

Where to you get your cheese making supplies. This is a hobby that has interested me for some time. Any suggestions on a good place to start?

 

[Gadjobrinus]

i just had to replace the relay on the compressor in my fermentation chamber too.

Where to you get your cheese making supplies. This is a hobby that has interested me for some time. Any suggestions on a good place to start?

New England Cheesemaking

Get Culture

Worked with both extensively, loved them both. Have worked some with others - there are tons out there.

 

[Jayjay1976]

Wow that is a great looking setup, great adaptation of a wine fridge!

 

[passedpawn]

New England Cheesemaking

I've gotten almost everything from the site above. Also a great source of info, recipes, etc, for the new cheesemaker.

 

[passedpawn]

Passed (or anyone wanting temp and/or RH control), just an FYI. John over at perfect-cheese.com runs some nice digital controllers for both temp and RH. I used smaller ones on beer fridge conversions, and a large unit (very interesting - floating mister) for my large cave. Tossed out controlled fog beautifully. Good guy.

Yep, I've conversed with that guy through his site and through cheesemaking.org. Very good dude.

 

[passedpawn]

Wow that is a great looking setup, great adaptation of a wine fridge!

Thanks! I got the fridge for $35 on craigslist. The shelfs are red oak slats I bought from home depot. I used wooden dowels and glue to put them together, so no nails (nothing to rust or cause other problems). Finished with mineral oil. Whole thing is pretty excellent.

 

[Staestc]

Passed (or anyone wanting temp and/or RH control), just an FYI. John over at perfect-cheese.com runs some nice digital controllers for both temp and RH. I used smaller ones on beer fridge conversions, and a large unit (very interesting - floating mister) for my large cave. Tossed out controlled fog beautifully. Good guy.

Thanks for that link. Some fascinating info and ideas in his resources section.

 

[d40dave]

I am thinking about making cheese and found a wine cooler which looks similar to yours. It the kind a refrigerator that has a compressor. I can get the temperature to around 55 degrees but cannot get the RH past 50%. I put in a cloth which hangs in a tub of water to up the humidity. I noticed that there is a lot of condensation on the back wall which will drip into a drip pan which is heater by the compressor. I was wonder what you use for humidity control.

 

[passedpawn]

I am thinking about making cheese and found a wine cooler which looks similar to yours. It the kind a refrigerator that has a compressor. I can get the temperature to around 55 degrees but cannot get the RH past 50%. I put in a cloth which hangs in a tub of water to up the humidity. I noticed that there is a lot of condensation on the back wall which will drip into a drip pan which is heater by the compressor. I was wonder what you use for humidity control.

Mine stays between 60 and 70 RH by just leaving a bowl of water in there. I have a big rag sticking out of the bowl to significantly increase the surface area, and then the evap rate.

If you don't want to do that, or need higher RH (for example, for camembert or other fuzzy cheeses), put them in a small plastic box. It'll keep the RH high. Below is a pic of a box I use that's specifically made for camemberts. You can see they come out really nice.

I'm experimenting with a tiny mister that I got off amazon. It's really cool, but needs some mods to make it work for out application. More on that later.

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

Do you mind sharing where you get supplies from? Is there some sources you recommend over others? Books, links etc? This is something that interests me very much. And perhaps some ways I could save money until i feel this is something i want to do frequently
thanks in advance!!

 

[Gadjobrinus]

Do you mind sharing where you get supplies from? Is there some sources you recommend over others? Books, links etc? This is something that interests me very much. And perhaps some ways I could save money until i feel this is something i want to do frequently
thanks in advance!!

New England Cheesemaking - Great People
Get Culture - Great People
The Cheesemaker
Hoegger Farmyard
Leeners


As to humidity control, I did the rag technique in the small fridge and it worked reasonably well for me - some really nice tommes. I also used the smallest humidifiers and tweaked their output, that worked a tad better. Finally, I sought to control the humidity and befriended John, who owns Perfect Cheese. John was a great guy to work with. I came to know him through cheesemakingforum.com. When I built my larger cave, the floating mister he has was beautiful.

Anyway, it's been some time for me. I tried a lot of different things as ways to control humidity. I'll try to remember them and post here, if I do. Have fun!

Oops, as to books. I especially recommend a few. One is by Ricki Carroll - of New England Cheesemaking Supply. It's called Home Cheese Making. It got me started.

The other is Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking, by Gianaclis Caldwell. I don't have enough good things to say about Gianaclis. We exchanged quite a bit. I specialized in French alpine cheeses and she was looking for guys like me for some opinions (I demurred. I was a bit shy as to my abilities). A bit more advanced than Ricki's book. Gianaclis has written several, and all the ones I owned I loved. Looks like she has a basic book. I can't imagine it would be anything but great, though I've not read it.

Finally, American Farmstead Cheese, by Paul Kindstedt. I loved it and used it quite a bit. Definitely intended if you want to go pro, and there is some science there but not too much.

Just a few I enjoyed. Hope they help, if you decide to get one or some.

 

[passedpawn]

^^ yep, what he said.

Amazon does have the occasional gem, like that little plastic camembert cave above (sadly, it looks like it's discontinued). Many homebrew shops carry some random stuff like rennet, but don't expect them to know ANYTHING about the process.

Just like homebrewing, you'll find yourself re-purposing all sorts of stuff to make cheese. At least, I have.

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

Thanks Guys!

 

[Staestc]

I highly recommend Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking, by Gianaclis Caldwell. I'm a beginner and just got that book a week or so ago and it is just amazing. It's fairly technical, but goes through all ingredients and processes in detail so that you can understand what's actually going on during you cheesemaking and adapt when necessary. Plus, the recipes have pH points listed which you can live without at first but will ultimately want to know. Just my two bits.

 

[d40dave]

Passedpawn what thickness would did you use for your shelves. I want to do the same thing you did but with poplar, it cheaper but won't look as nice. Home depot has some "hobby" poplar in 1/4" and 1/2".

 

[passedpawn]

Passedpawn what thickness would did you use for your shelves. I want to do the same thing you did but with poplar, it cheaper but won't look as nice. Home depot has some "hobby" poplar in 1/4" and 1/2".

Sorry, I think you posted this while I was travelling and I didn't remember to respond.

Anyway, the slats were definitely from HD, definitely red oak, and they are 1/4" x 1.5" x about 2 feet. Anything thicker than that is overkill for a mini-fridge.

 

[Staestc]

Sorry, I think you posted this while I was travelling and I didn't remember to respond.

Anyway, the slats were definitely from HD, definitely red oak, and they are 1/4" x 1.5" x about 2 feet. Anything thicker than that is overkill for a mini-fridge.

Since my wine fridge will be delivered today, I guess I need to get some shelves built! I plan on going with Poplar. I'm worried that white or red oak will have a grain that is too open, but then I have read about people using rough sawn lumber in big caves because it may promote more open air circulation. I may have other lumber on hand that will work, but don't really know yet.

Dave, did you build shelves yet?

 

[passedpawn]

Since my wine fridge will be delivered today, I guess I need to get some shelves built! I plan on going with Poplar. I'm worried that white or red oak will have a grain that is too open, but then I have read about people using rough sawn lumber in big caves because it may promote more open air circulation. I may have other lumber on hand that will work, but don't really know yet.

Dave, did you build shelves yet?

That oak is very smooth. You should have a look before you decide. Here's the SKU. Go to HD and check for yourself. Poplar would be nice also. I'd like to see the final product when you're done, don't forget to take pics

 

[d40dave]

Staestc, no I didn't. I did order a bunch of stuff from New England Cheese Making since they had their Black Friday deal. I will have to see if they have the oak at my local Home Depot. I was actually thinking of using pine, I think that's what it is, from palettes. The palettes were very new, from a plumbing fixture place and I ran them through a surface planer so they are very smooth. I'm not sure if this is a good idea. They will be knot free. I got the pallets for some beer cases I'm making.

 

[d40dave]

I have finally found time to work on my cheese cave. The shelves are almost done, I just need to dowel them together. I was wondering if Elmer's glue would be OK or if a waterproof glue would be needed.

 

[passedpawn]

I have finally found time to work on my cheese cave. The shelves are almost done, I just need to dowel them together. I was wondering if Elmer's glue would be OK or if a waterproof glue would be needed.

I'd definitely use waterproof wood glue. I use Titebond III, but I'm pretty sure all wood glues would work.

 

[Staestc]

Agree with Andrew totally. Go with Titebond III. Titebond II will work as well, but with the humidity of a cheese cave you will want a waterproof glue.

 

[estricklin]

Cheeses develop properly at around 55F. A wine fridge is a good size and right temperature for cheeses. I don't even have a temperature controller on mine (though I might get one soon).

It's a good idea to have a temperature and humidity sensor in there. Lots of cheap wireless ones available.

This wine fridge is a 2.5 cuft one that I got off craigslist for $30. It's perfect for me. I made my own shelves for it (replaced the wire wine shelves that are not flat and basically useless for cheeses).

So you think 55F is a good general purpose temp? I just ordered a lot of cheese making supplies and intend to start in the next 1-2 weeks. I have a large mini fridge, that is not quite big enough for kegs I plan to use. A lot of the recipes I see, call for temps all over the place, 38-65F. I wasn't sure if it's like beer, where 1-2 degrees makes a big difference sometimes. I plan to make a variety of cheeses but any blue/penicillin would be my preference.

 

[passedpawn]

So you think 55F is a good general purpose temp? I just ordered a lot of cheese making supplies and intend to start in the next 1-2 weeks. I have a large mini fridge, that is not quite big enough for kegs I plan to use. A lot of the recipes I see, call for temps all over the place, 38-65F. I wasn't sure if it's like beer, where 1-2 degrees makes a big difference sometimes. I plan to make a variety of cheeses but any blue/penicillin would be my preference.

I'm no expert for sure, but that sounds perfect. Generally, the recipes I follow call for 50-60F. My wine fridge stays between 55 and 60F, so I just go with that. I never adjust the temperature. If you've seen my posts here, you'll see that I make a pretty good blue cheese.

With some cheeses, AFTER the fermentation, you want to arrest development by getting them to 35F (fridge). For example, camemberts will go from soft cheese to goo quickly if not put in the fridge as soon as the fuzzy rind appears.

 

[jcav]

Good info. I just need to get a wine fridge and I am all set to go to start making some of these recipes.

John

 

[estricklin]

I'm no expert for sure, but that sounds perfect. Generally, the recipes I follow call for 50-60F. My wine fridge stays between 55 and 60F, so I just go with that. I never adjust the temperature. If you've seen my posts here, you'll see that I make a pretty good blue cheese.

With some cheeses, AFTER the fermentation, you want to arrest development by getting them to 35F (fridge). For example, camemberts will go from soft cheese to goo quickly if not put in the fridge as soon as the fuzzy rind appears.

Thanks, my supplies came in today. Starting with Queso Fresco this weekend, I'm pretty excited. I'm going to pick up a temp controller for the mini fridge.

 

[passedpawn]

Thanks, my supplies came in today. Starting with Queso Fresco this weekend, I'm pretty excited. I'm going to pick up a temp controller for the mini fridge.

Good luck!

 

[d40dave]

Finally got my cheese cave built . The thermostat didn't work right so I replaced it with a MH1210F. I have a Colby, Gruyere, Romano, Butterkase and a cloth banded Cheddar aging.

 

[shelly_belly]

Thanks, my supplies came in today. Starting with Queso Fresco this weekend, I'm pretty excited. I'm going to pick up a temp controller for the mini fridge.

This was my first cheese. I made it plain. I did not like it, it was just too bland. I took what I had, vacuum bagged it and tossed it in the vegetable crisper in the fridge. I forgot about it. I found it a month ago when it was 12 months old. Now it tastes like Cabot's Seriously Sharp Cheddar!