Learn the basics of affinage (cave aging) and cave management. Assist with affinage during apprenticeship at Stony Pond Farm.  

• Keep cave to 50 F and 95-96% humidity
• Turn tomme wheels every second day for around 45 days, then twice a week until sold. This keeps the top and bottom of each wheel even and prevents the “muffin top” effect. Once the cheese starts to bloom (usually at around day 4-5), pat it down when turning it. This keeps the mold from developing too much and making a thick rind
• Brush the wheels once a week starting at about 45 days. The cheese is brushed to slow or stop the mold on the outside from developing. Once the initial rind is sufficiently developed (at around 45 days), you want to slow the development down. As Melanie says, “I want to sell cheese, not rind”
• Test one wheel from each batch periodically with a cheese trier to see how the cheese is developing throughout the 60-day aging process 
• Keep different cheeses separate so as to not mix molds
• Wear gloves and change lab coats when handling different cheeses so no cross-contamination happens between cheeses
• All clogs and other cave equipment stay in the cave to prevent cross-contamination cheese types
• After brushing or turning cheese, sweep the floor so that the mold and cheese particles on the floor don’t get tracked in and out
• Clean and pasteurize the ash boards between batches