After cooking the cheese, the time for its aging will be from a couple of months to several years. The humidity level throughout this period must be maintained in accordance with the standards applicable to the maturation of cheeses. As a rule, even if the chamber is equipped with an air cooler or a refrigerating machine, the humidification system for the cheese maturation chamber is not included in its composition. Only a specialized air humidification system for cheese storage will be able to provide the necessary humidity parameters.
The final proofing of the dough is an important technological operation, on which the quality of bakery products depends. In the process of dividing, rounding and forming, the porous structure of the dough is destroyed and carbon dioxide is almost completely removed. If the formed preparations are baked immediately, the product will acquire a torn crust, low volume, dense crumb and other defects.
In order to loosen the dough, give it the necessary shape and volume, the dough (both wheat and rye) is subjected to final proofing in special cabinets or adapted rooms before planting in the oven. The most important point is the creation and maintenance of a certain level of humidity and temperature at various stages of the manufacture of bakery products.
Negative consequences of violation of the humidity regime of cheese maturation chambers and dough racks
In rooms intended for cheese aging, to control the drying process, it is necessary to provide a certain relative humidity (RH) of the air, the level of which depends on the density (soft, semi-hard, hard grade) of the products. Otherwise, there will be a decrease in enzymatic activity.
The humidity of the air for aging semi-hard and hard cheeses is 80-90%. The task here is to achieve a firm crust and avoid the development of mold on the cheese surface. Insufficiently moistened air in this case leads to the formation of cracks on the crust, drying of the cheese dough and disruption of the ripening process. After applying a latex or paraffin protective layer, the humidity in the cheese storage should decrease to 75-85%.
For soft cheeses with "noble" mold, having surface bacteria, a humidity of at least 90-97% is required (the correct development of mold is possible only in a very humid environment). If the RH of the air is insufficient, the formation of mold will be destroyed, and the cheese will spoil.
When the test preparation enters the proofing cabinet, when the temperature of the workpiece is less than the temperature of the dew point of the vapor-air medium, there is a sufficiently strong condensation of the moisture on the surface of the test workpiece. This leads to an accelerated increase in the temperature of the test piece. Condensation of moisture prevents the surface from creeping and cracking when the dough billet increases in volume, and also increases the gas-holding capacity of the dough.
the test is influenced by the temperature and relative humidity of the air in the proofing chambers: at high relative humidity, this process proceeds faster. Thus, with an increase in temperature from 30 to 45 ° C and relative humidity 80-85%, the proofing time is reduced by 25-30%. However, the relative humidity of the air cannot be maintained above 85%, since in this case the dough will stick to the cupboards of cradles or proofing boards. The best conditions for final proofing are the air temperature of 35-40 ° C and relative humidity of 75-85%. Depending on the above conditions, the duration of proofing ranges from 20 to 120 minutes.
If the relative humidity value is below the specified limits, the dough dries, curling and cracking of its surface occurs, as a result of which the loosening process is disrupted.
Provision of the required humidity parameters of the air environment in the maturation chambers can be carried out in an unconventional way – due to air exchange with a multiplicity of 3-5 times a day with the help of air conditioning. However, much more often in modern cheese factories, humidification systems of cheese storages with an automated control system and electronic hygrometers are used. Such systems are capable of self-regulation depending on changes in microclimate parameters.
In large cheese storages, it is optimal to use a misting system (adiabatic type) working with high-pressure injectors. By spraying water spray, they provide greater performance (compared to isothermal systems), and are not subject to scale formation. When the highways with nozzles are located under the ceiling, along the aisles between the racks, the most uniform humidification is provided. Precise control of relative humidity is carried out by controllers and hygrometers.
Advantages of high-pressure misting systems for storing and maturing cheeses and dough proofing
· The size of water droplets is not more than 5-10 microns;
· Anti-drip nozzle system to prevent the formation of puddles and the wetting of cheeses and dough;
· Low power consumption;
· The possibility of deep purification and UV sterilization of water before feeding to the high-pressure pump;
· The choice of the material of the highways: economical nylon tubes or stainless steel tubes that are easy to clean and meet hygienic standards;
· Maintenance of several chambers with one pump;
· Precise electronic humidity control;
· font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Easy installation and maintenance of the fog system
The mist system consists of nozzles connected in series by a polyamide tube. One end of the tube is connected to a pump that supplies water to the system at a high pressure of 70-100bar. Water, passing through the nozzles of the nozzles, breaks up into microscopic droplets with a size of 5-10 microns.
As a result, in cheese storages and bakeries, sterility is observed and the exact level of relative humidity of the air is provided in automatic mode.
The complete set of the high-pressure misting system includes:
· High pressure pump;
· High pressure hose systems;
· Fine-dispersed nozzles;
· Fittings;
· Filter for water on the supply water supply;
· Block control of the fog generation system;
· High-pressure ball valves;
· Drainage valve;
· Fasteners , etc. accessories according to the project.
Moisture mist support systems are in demand in cheese maturation chambers and dough racks. They accelerate the ripening process and improve the storage of bread and cheese.