Can I dry cure in a cold room?

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joeybk85
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Can I dry cure in a cold room?

Post by joeybk85 » Mon Oct 15, 2018 19:33

I want to build a curing chamber, and I have a small fridge that I've been using to ferment beer in that's already hooked up to a temperature controller that I was thinking of using. I figured all I need is a humidity controller.

But from my research on this forum, it seems that small fridges are not ideal, and bigger fridges are recommended.

But then I thought, why not use the cold room in my house? I'm not using it to store food so I can play around with the temperature and humidity.

It's currently sitting at around 16-17C, so I can hook a space heater up to a temperature controller, and a humidity controller hooked up to a humidifier and dehumidifier.

It measures 15 feet by 4 feet.

Is there any reason why this might be a bad idea or not work?

Thanks!
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Butterbean
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Post by Butterbean » Mon Oct 15, 2018 20:03

IMO, I'd think you have an ideal setup just as it is without any electronics assuming your humidity is in line. I do most of my curing in the fall and winter months in a barn/kitchen. Humidity stays pretty much in line and if it gets out of wack I just spray the floors with water or boil something on the stove. Its pretty forgiving. Its also sortof neat to watch how nature works because on cooler days my humidity will drop but the drying speed also drops and vice versa. So far I've had no trouble with case hardening.

I have a friend in Colorado that cures in a cellar in his basement. They do nothing more than stuff the meat and hang it and occasionally open the door to let out excess moisture.

I would suggest monitoring your humidity and temperature to get a feel for how your cool room breathes. You may not be able to keep everything precise but as long as your humidity reasonable and your temp isn't crazy hot then I think you might be surprised at how easy it can be without worrying so much with electronics.
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Post by joeybk85 » Mon Oct 15, 2018 20:14

Thanks, I'll start monitoring now.

I already have almost all the electronics I need anyway, so if I do need to control, it wouldn't cost me much.

I have a dehumidifier, a space heater, and temperature controller, a humidity controller. Only thing I don't have is a humidifier but I can get a used one for $20 or so if I need one.

I might need to control the temperature as we get closer to winter. Right now the temperature is pretty good, but as it gets colder up here in Ottawa, the cold room will go down to about 10C if I don't heat it.

I can't wait to try this now!
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Post by Butterbean » Tue Oct 16, 2018 20:25

If it only gets down to 10C - that's 50F right? - I wouldn't bother heating it at all. Nothing wrong with drying your product at a cooler temperature other than it might take a little longer. Some even prefer a slower temp.

From the sound of it the biggest obstacle you are going to face is the humidity and being sure that is within reason.

Another thing I thought about is your floor. What is your floor made of? If its concrete you should seal it since unsealed concrete tends to suck moisture from the air.

When I charted mine drying area I had temps going from in the high 30'sF to the mid 60's F and the humidity would change along with the temps but was always within a reasonable amount.

Here is how I hang mine in the barn/kitchen. The good thing about doing it this way I tend to be less tempted to open a chamber to take a peek. Basically, after fermentation, I hang them and forget them and the aroma fills the room and I can sort of monitor things by smell. So far its worked well for me but my curing season is limited to fall, winter and spring. For summer I dry in a walkin refrigerator at around 41F. Its slow but has its merits as well.

Good luck with it and keep us posted.

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Post by joeybk85 » Fri Oct 19, 2018 00:17

Thanks for the tip. The floor is concrete, but it's painted. Do you think that's enough to seal it?

I'm doing a dry run right now with a humidity and temp controller.
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Post by Butterbean » Fri Oct 19, 2018 01:52

Paint should seal it fine. I just know raw concrete is like a dry sponge and will soak up humidity.

How's the humidity looking so far?
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Post by joeybk85 » Sat Oct 20, 2018 18:10

Butterbean wrote:Paint should seal it fine. I just know raw concrete is like a dry sponge and will soak up humidity.

How's the humidity looking so far?
It's around 50% with no humidifier, but I hooked a small one up to a controller and was able to get it up to 70%, I think it should work pretty well!
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Post by Butterbean » Mon Oct 22, 2018 01:34

That sounds great. IMO, things are much easier when you have a large volume of air.

I'd also suggest monitoring it through the year but whatever you do keep us posted on how things work for you.
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