# Hard Cheese Issues



## Aozora (Jan 13, 2014)

I have dairy goats, and I was experimenting with making hard cheese out of raw milk. I converted an old mini fridge into a cheese cave by adding a temperature regulator, a hygrometer, and a device to regulate humidity. It was sitting at 50-55 degrees and 80% humidity. I put several cheeses I made in there, and when I went to check on them in about a month Every. Single. One. was covered in mold! I had to throw out about 15lbs of home-made cheese.

What happened? I can only think of a couple of potential issues. First, I was putting waxed cheeses in Ziploc bags with labels on them (date, type of cheese, etc). Maybe I shouldn't have stored them this way?

Second, maybe I heated the wax too hot when I was dipping them, and the wax wasn't a perfect seal? I am using a small crock pot filled with cheese wax. I turn it to high to melt the wax, then put on gloves and dip the cheese, turning as needed and touching up with a wax brush. What temperature should the wax be at in order to dip cheeses?

Third, were the conditions in my cheese cave incorrect? Should they have been at a different temp/humidity?

How do I prevent my waxed cheeses from going moldy while they're aging?


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## RJ2019 (Aug 27, 2019)

Did you sanitize the refrigerator before turning it into a cheese cave? Sounds like there may be spores in it. Otherwise, an element of the cheesemaking process or maybe even the wax isnt sterile. If mold is growing under the wax, it may well be the latter.

It would be good for you to look into inoculating your cheese cave with beneficial microbes. As I understand it, cheese caves from traditional/older family cheese operations are full of good bacteria/yeasts/spores

Edited for clarity and to be more precise.


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## Gayle in KY (May 13, 2002)

If your cheese was cold when you dipped it in the wax, condensation underneath the wax can cause it to mold.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Zip lock bags always failed me. I had the best results with plastic shoe boxes with lids. Elevate the cheese on some sort plastic spacer.


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## Aozora (Jan 13, 2014)

That makes so much sense! Holy cow, I never even considered that cold cheese would make condensate. 

Alice, that's an awesome idea. I'm still working on some of the equipment for cheese, that's a way better option.

Thank you so much!

RJ, we did sanitize the fridge, but it looks like a nasty got in and compromised it. Where would I find beneficial bacteria for my cheese cave?


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## RJ2019 (Aug 27, 2019)

Aozora said:


> That makes so much sense! Holy cow, I never even considered that cold cheese would make condensate.
> 
> Alice, that's an awesome idea. I'm still working on some of the equipment for cheese, that's a way better option.
> 
> ...


I didn't find much. I shouldn't have dove down that rabbit hole, lol. 

Bread yeast maybe?? I did find this:








Société des Caves de Roquefort


The world's most famous cheese caves.




www.atlasobscura.com




I also learned some cheese caves have a section for each kind of cheese. That old brewery areas make good cheese caves. Among a ton of other information that I am unable to use right now.
I would think that the aging of cheese in itself would over time build good microbes in your cheese cave.


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## Aozora (Jan 13, 2014)

I wish I lived in a part of the world where I could have a REAL cheese cave, lol. Like in the ground. How dreamy would that be, and how GREAT would that smell....

Yeast is a good idea. Do you think I could do something like the molds for Camembert/Brie so that if we do have an infestation, it might be an interesting outcome?


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## RJ2019 (Aug 27, 2019)

Aozora said:


> I wish I lived in a part of the world where I could have a REAL cheese cave, lol. Like in the ground. How dreamy would that be, and how GREAT would that smell....
> 
> Yeast is a good idea. Do you think I could do something like the molds for Camembert/Brie so that if we do have an infestation, it might be an interesting outcome?


I think you could do that. It's your cheese cave, put whatever you want in it! If you hate the results you could always start over from scratch and just sanitize it to death then start over.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Aozora said:


> I wish I lived in a part of the world where I could have a REAL cheese cave, lol. Like in the ground. How dreamy would that be, and how GREAT would that smell....
> 
> Yeast is a good idea. Do you think I could do something like the molds for Camembert/Brie so that if we do have an infestation, it might be an interesting outcome?


I am wondering how hard it would be to dig a hole in the ground, to build my own cheese cave. There are a couple of places in my valley where it might be fairly easy to make a cave with minimal digging.

Hmmm....


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

How deep would you have to go to make a cave?


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## VBF (Apr 15, 2017)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> How deep would you have to go to make a cave?


Depends on how much cheese you intend to store. I would dig it below the frost line to a point where the temperature and humidity is consistent with what you want in a cheese cave.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Pony, that would be pretty deep in Missouri!


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

6 Easy DIY Cheese Cave Ideas for the Cheese Lover


If you are a pending avid cheese maker, then you need to consider creating a DIY cheese cave. We have 6 ideas here to help you get set up.




morningchores.com


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> Pony, that would be pretty deep in Missouri!


Frostline is 2 feet down up here on the ridge.

As I am in desperate need of diversion, I shall follow your graciously posted link to see how to build my own cheese cave.


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