My Husband Converted This Old Freezer Into a Temperature-Controlled Cheese Cave!

[@mosesinthemoment]

Can I come and live and learn with you?! Lol I watched your “whey into ricotta” video and immediately got hooked. Love your videos and you seem amazing! Thanks for sharing

[@jmilkslinger]

Aw, thank you!!

[@vickyannpaintingwithoils]

What do you coat your cheese with before you vaccum seal it?

[@jmilkslinger]

Nothing!

[@vickyannpaintingwithoils]

@@jmilkslinger Really? Awesome! I was watching someone make cheddar cheese and they brushed on some strange powder called "white cheese powder" before they vaccum sealed and it looked like suspect ingredients. Thanks!

[@jmilkslinger]

@@vickyannpaintingwithoils I know some people put some sort of sealant on their cheeses, but I thought that was in place of vac-packing, not in addition to. I've never used it, though....

[@vickyannpaintingwithoils]

@@jmilkslinger I thought so too so I thought I would check with the cheese scientist before I vaccum seal this first cheddar I made a couple of days ago. Have a great day!

[@PeterBallW]

Ok, another question before I buy a freezer to convert :) Do I need to stay away from a frost-free freezer because of the large fluctuations in humidity? Or does converting it to a fridge cancel out the fluctuations?

[@jmilkslinger]

Excellent question (and your questions are making me think I should do a more in-depth video on this topic). I don't know that a frost-free freezer makes any difference, and I don't know if the freezer we converted was frost free or not. The important thing is that the coils are on the OUTSIDE of the freezer or in the walls of the freezer and not IN the shelves because then they freeze and thaw and rust and make a mess.

[@PeterBallW]

@@jmilkslinger, thank you so much! Am I a nerd because I am interested in the technology :-) The reason I ask this is that I have a frost-free freezer and I recently put a sensor in it to remotely monitor both temperature and humidity. From that I learned that at times the humidity level gets to be in the high 80’s%. That really surprised me. I thought that if there was that kind of fluctuation when trying to do something like a brie, I might run into trouble.

[@Aaron-nj8xj]

Why do you need the humidifier if the cheese is vacuume sealed?

[@jmilkslinger]

You don't! But not all my cheeses are vac-packed...

[@PeterBallW]

I’ve a question about the thermostat: Is re-wiring needed or do you simply plug the freezer into the thermostat and run the probe into the cavity? It would be interesting to see a video about how to convert the freezer!

[@jmilkslinger]

You do not need to rewire it. You simply plug the thermostat/ink bird in, and then plug the freezer into the cord coming off of the device, and then you put the thermostat probe into the freezer. You need to leave the freezer turned on. The way the thermostat works is that it's turning the power to the freezer on and off. (There's a link to the thermostat at Milkslinger.com --- if you follow the link, you can read the directions and comments.)

[@PeterBallW]

@@jmilkslinger, thank you. So the link you provided is for a humidity controller. What device do you hook up to the controller to provide humidity? Is there a humidifier that you add?

[@jmilkslinger]

@@PeterBallW Oh, dang it. You're right! I don't actually recommend the adapter that we have, and I never got around to linking the one I DO recommend. Putting it on my to-do list. The humidity component has been a whole saga which I've been documenting in Splashed!, the newsletter. My husband manages the actual mechanics of it. Let me ask him when he gets home, and then I'll get back to you.

[@PeterBallW]

@@jmilkslinger, thanks. Is Splashed your newsletter? If so, can I subscribe?

[@jmilkslinger]

@@PeterBallW Yes! Go to Milkslinger.com to sign up!

[@PeterBallW]

Did your husband use the thermostat/controller sold by New England Cheesemaking?

[@jmilkslinger]

No, from Amazon. Here's the link: amzn.to/3LzkxqG

[@PeterBallW]

Awesome! Thanks.

[@andresonate4507]

Why do you need an external thermostat if your fridge already has one?

[@jmilkslinger]

To keep the freezer at 50 degrees. Without an external thermostat, the freezer's internal thermostat will not let it get that warm.

[@TheBloggeroftheBall]

Fridge

[@shawnaoien4548]

What type of plastic bags do you keep your cheeses in? -newbiecheesemaker

[@jmilkslinger]

Wevac Vacuum Sealer Bags from Amazon: amzn.to/3TRjd7a

[@PeterBallW]

I’m seriously impressed with the amount and variety of cheese! I can’t imagine the number of hours it’s taken. Clearly you’re no cheese week-end warrior! What’s the difference between a traditional cheddar and a farmhouse cheddar?

[@jmilkslinger]

@@PeterBallW I'm not exactly sure! My take: Traditional cheddar has a longer cheddaring process and farmhouse cheddar is a little more relaxed (stirring the curd instead of slicing and stacking). But other sources say it has to do with the milk (pasteurized versus raw) and the packaging (vacuum-sealed versus cloth-bound). My conclusion? There are many variations of cheddar and the names are just a way to differentiate.

[@PeterBallW]

Interesting! Thanks for clarifying.