Can you store the Grotto on both the counter AND in the fridge?

YES! The Grotto is designed to be stored on both the counter and in the fridge.  In the fridge, we've tested our Grotto in a dairy lab, and discovered the Grotto extends the shelf-life of cheese past professional cheese paper, plastic wrap, and tupperware.  If stored on the counter, we recommend keeping the Grotto under 70 degrees F and enjoying the cheeses at room temperature within the week.

Can I store the Grotto in a cellar?

Although a cellar can be a cool environment please note that we do not recommend leaving the Grotto in your basement or cellar if you do not normally store food items unattended in that environment.  There are ambient molds in a basement or cellar that can latch onto a cheese.  If you'd like to keep your Grotto at a warmer temperature than a refrigerator but cooler than the kitchen counter, we recommend a sanitized wine fridge that will have no ambient molds. 

Can I age homemade cheese in the Grotto?

Yes!  An ambient temperature range from 45-60F most accurately replicates the environment of a cheese cave.  To age homemade cheese, make sure that your Grotto is placed in an environment with the proper temperature range for the style of cheese you are making. The temperature and humidity requirements for making cheese are precise and we recommend using a thermometer and hygrometer to verify that you are maintaining the correct environment for the style of cheese you are making. We recommend a wine fridge, where you can control the desired temperature for your cheese to age.

Is the Grotto too small for your at-home cheese cave needs? Don't worry, we do custom projects too! Reach out to info@cheesegrotto.com for a custom project.

What types of cheese can you store in the Cheese Grotto and for how long?

ALL TYPES OF CHEESE - with the exception of extremely fresh cheese spreads (like ricotta or whipped cream cheese) or cheeses that enjoy being stored in a salt and water brine solution (mozzarella and feta). 

Based off our extensive testing in a dairy lab and with top cheese experts, we've found that a Cheese Grotto stored in the fridge can prolong the shelf-life of cheese 3X longer than cheese paper and tupperware, and 4X longer than plastic wrap.  

For a full deep dive into each style of cheese and how long it can last in the Grotto, please refer to Page 4 of the Insider's Guide below.

Do you have to wrap cheese that is stored in the Grotto?

No you don't.  Say goodbye to wrapping and unwrapping your cheese for eternity. Hooray! 

We simply recommend keeping one-inch of space between each style on the shelf to make sure the cheeses don't adopt their neighbor's aroma. 

What about REALLY stinky cheese?

If you're one of those rare birds out there who adores the stinkiest cheese of them all, and you are worried about the aroma of the cheese imparting flavor onto the others, feel free to loosely wrap the stinky one in wax paper as a precautionary measure.

How often do I need to soak the Cheese Grotto brick in water to keep the humidity level up?

After the brick has been soaked for two minutes in cool, filtered water (please avoid unfiltered well water) and placed in the Grotto, the base level humidity that should be reached is 70%.  Our bricks are designed to reach this base level of humidity following proper brick soaking instructions.  Once cheese is added into the Grotto, the humidity will continue to rise to 75 to 85% humidity, and will occasionally get higher than that.

For the Cheese Grotto Classico model: We recommend soaking the brick once every 7 to 10 days since it's the largest unit. Need a replacement brick for your Classico or hygrometer to measure your Grotto’s humidity levels? We’ve got you covered. 

For the Cheese Grotto Fresco, Mezzo, or Piatto Model: We recommend soaking the brick once every 3 weeks. Soak the brick in cool to lukewarm water for two minutes, wipe off the bottom with a dish towel, and place in the bottom of the Grotto. It's that easy! Need a replacement brick for your Grotto models or hygrometer to measure your Grotto’s humidity levels? We’ve got you covered. 

Pro Tip: If you are storing smaller pieces of cheese in the Grotto, we recommend soaking the brick more often, around once every 3 days. With more exposed surface area, these smaller pieces of cheese will absorb more humidity, needing the brick to be replenished more often.

How do I clean the Grotto to keep my cheeses fresh and delicious over years of use?

You’ll want to give your Grotto a little love every so often to keep it a clean, beautiful place for your favorite cheeses to hang out. 

You’ll want to wash the shelves every time you switch out new cheeses. This keeps them from harboring microflora and ensures that you won’t spread one cheese’s molds to the next batch. 

Make a mental note—or, even better, set a reminder on your phone—to give those shelves a monthly clean with very hot filtered water (please note: well water should be avoided) and distilled white vinegar 5% acidity (3:1 ratio), then rinse. Let them fully air dry, then rub the shelves with just a bit of food-grade mineral oil or board balm. This will keep them looking beautiful and stain-free for years to come.

A note on shelf material: Die-hard cheese aficionados love our bamboo shelving, as they mimic what many traditional cheesemakers use in their caves. Make sure you hand-wash these only—no dishwasher. 

The eco-friendly black resin shelves, on the other hand, have natural antimicrobial qualities, which helps mitigate mold growth on cheese if you’re keeping your Grotto on the countertop. Plus, they’re made of recycled paper and resin, meaning they virtually cannot chip or break and are dishwasher safe. You can also write the name of each cheese on the shelf surface, slate-style, with the included soapstone chalk. 

The same goes for the clay brick. To maintain the ideal humidity inside the Grotto, it’ll need to be re-soaked occasionally. We’ve found that submerging it in filtered water for 2 minutes every 7 to 10 days works best for the Classico, our largest model, while the smaller Fresco, Mezzo, and Piatto only need a re-soak every 3 weeks. 

My cheese dried out in the Cheese Grotto, help! 

Cheese caves are delicate environments and the Cheese Grotto is no different. Small variants such as not re-soaking the Cheese Grotto brick or leaving the door or back panel slightly ajar are the culprit for dry cheeses. 

To stop your cheese from further drying out, ensure your hygrometer is reading in the 70-90% range. Note, there is a +/- variance of 5% with any hygrometer, so we recommend keeping an eye on it and re-soaking the Cheese Grotto brick when the hygrometer reading dips past the lower end of the recommended range. If a cheese dries out somewhat, it will not absorb any new humidity, but this will stop the cheese from drying out completely. 

Pro Tip: For blue cheeses and other wetter cheeses, we recommend storing them on the bottom shelf of your Fresco or Classico as there is more humidity in the bottom of the Grotto. When storing styles like that, we also recommend re-soaking the brick more often to prevent any drying out. 

At Cheese Grotto, we care about each and every shipment, from our Cheese of the Month Subscription, to our signature Grottos, to our exciting gift boxes and virtual cheese tasting shipments! In order to ensure your products arrive in the best condition possible, we take extra measures in our packing and shipping procedures.

Many of our cheeses are cut-to-order by our team, and are hand wrapped. We want to ensure the freshest possible experience, and show these fantastic artisan cheeses as the producers intended.

To ensure every item arrives in peak condition, additional packing materials are used for the safest transit, such as ice packs to keep your cheeses at the ideal temperature throughout shipping, as well as the newest technology in insulation. These packaging considerations add weight and size to the shipping boxes. All of these factors will impact the costs charged by our carriers. There are so many questions when it comes to shipping, and PLEASE CLICK HERE to find additional information on our shipping policies, procedures and helpful information on your Cheese Grotto packages.

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