What do you know about cheese ripening and aging? How many factors contribute to a cheese's delicious flavor and nuances? Should the climate be hot or cold, ventilated or not? All these questions arise when talking about cheesemaking. In the past, cheese aging was done naturally, in cellars, and there was a lot of waste due to incorrect temperatures, excessive humidity, or lack of ventilation. Today, cheesemaking has become significantly simpler, as aging can be done under ideal conditions.

Today, cheesemakers face the challenge of aging their cheese in the best way possible, combining traditional methods with innovative technologies.

For over 50 years, Guglielmi Stagionatura has stood out for the quality of the service it provides to several of the main Italian cheese producers, especially in the hard cheese segment.

Now, it has a new solution, the result of the design and development work carried out by Merenti Refrigerazione, a local refrigeration company, and perfectly implemented at the Guglielmi Stagionatura facilities.

Guglielmi's production site is located in the Valdastico mountains, which helps prevent the cheese from being exposed to high temperatures and poorly ventilated environments.

However, location isn't the only important factor in cheese aging: to ensure the highest quality and the perfect climate, something more is needed—one that ensures the best environmental conditions and, on the other, reduces energy consumption.

The installer therefore chose to install a programmable controller and use a custom software application.

What can a custom application bring to cheese aging? Certainly, temperature and humidity management during storage, with maximum flexibility.

The solution adopted allows for the optional combination of multiple factors: the system utilizes advanced features such as free cooling , in which a damper is activated to allow outside air to enter whenever weather conditions permit, thus reducing energy consumption. Electronic expansion valves ensure strict refrigeration control, while the external compressor set optimizes fluctuating condensing pressure and heat recovery, allowing for an overall reduction in energy consumption of around 30%.

To ensure maximum efficiency, the system was equipped with a monitoring system capable of monitoring up to 50 devices. Connected via RS485 serial lines, the system centralizes data from 16 active devices and sends notifications via email or Telegram in the event of an alarm. This solution not only greatly facilitates maintenance, making it faster and more efficient, but is also used to record temperature and humidity data.

Additionally, Guglielmi offers its customers the possibility of accessing a dedicated website, where they can monitor in real time the status of their cheese wheels during the aging process.

In 2023, Guglielmi opened a new artisanal cheese production facility. Here, they produce high-quality cheese, including blue cheese and other specialties. The storage rooms are managed by cold room controllers, designed to ensure maximum flexibility and adaptation to different production needs. Each room is equipped with a humidity and temperature control module, as well as electronic valves for precise management of the refrigeration system. The new unit is also connected to the supervisory system, ensuring continuous monitoring and perfect synchronization with existing operations.

With this installation, designed by Merenti Refrigerazione, Guglielmi was able to optimize the maturation process, ensuring stable environmental conditions, lower energy consumption and superior quality in the final product.