PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make the environment in a cheese-maturing chamber optimum for the mature of cheese by a simple structure and function.SOLUTION: The cheese-maturing apparatus includes the cheese-maturing chamber 20, a water spray-controlling unit 30 for controlling the temperature of circulating water and sending the circulating water to the cheese-maturing chamber, a water-sprayed plate 44 provided in the interior of the cheese-maturing chamber, and a water-spraying pipe 42 for spraying the water on the water-sprayed plate. The temperature in the cheese-maturing chamber is controlled by the temperature of the circulating water sprayed on the water-sprayed plate, and the humidity in the cheese-maturing chamber is uniquely provided by the temperature of the circulating water and the temperature in the cheese-maturing chamber. As a result, the construction of the cheese-maturing apparatus and the controlling system are simplified because both of the temperature and the humidity in the cheese-maturing chamber can be controlled only by the control of the temperature of the circulating water. Further, air flow is not required because space cooling by the radiation from the water-sprayed plate is adopted to easily eliminate air flow on the surface of the cheese.COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT【課題】簡単な構成及び機能で、チーズ熟成庫内をチーズの熟成に最適な環境にする。【解決手段】チーズ熟成庫20と、循環水の温度を制御し、循環水をチーズ熟成庫に送る散水制御部30と、チーズ熟成庫の内部に設けられた散水板44と、循環水を、散水板に対して散水する散水パイプ42とを備えて構成される。散水板に対して散水される循環水の温度により、チーズ熟成庫内の温度が制御され、循環水の温度と、チーズ熟成庫内の温度とによりチーズ熟成庫内の湿度が一意的に規定される。このため、循環水の温度制御のみで、チーズ熟成庫内の温度と湿度の両者の制御が可能になるので、チーズ熟成装置の構成や、制御システムが簡略化される。また、散水板からの輻射による空間冷却のため、空気の流れは不要となり、容易にチーズ表面を無風にできる。【選択図】図1
