Also,
We will be aging and maturing our cheese in an unsealed basement, because the humidity and temperature are consistent year round, and are right on where they need to be (quite a bit like a natural cave, which is the ideal environment)
But for sanitation reasons, I want to coat over the 100+ year old exposed concrete blocks with a thin coat of lime plaster, to inhibit mold and make it easy to wash.
What would you suggest for this, Bruce? (and others)
would a single brown coat with a light skim coat suffice?
And also, the firebox for our vat will be built of small field stones (random round here in Central IN) mortared with lime-reinforced mud (with some chopped straw). How much lime would you recommend adding? It does not have to be waterproof, it will be inside.
Recapping, here is my plans as of now (for review)
For the shop walls: Base coat of clay mixed with chopped straw, covered with a coat of lime-reinforced clay, finished with a plaster skim and limewash. Possibly at some point I might have a tinted plaster and do some simple sgraffito work as well. I like sgraffito.
For the basement walls: Brow coat with skim coat
Firebox: random round field stone with lime and straw reinforced mortar.
