So which is better at same absolute humidity--cold or warm? As I had
guessed the increase in relative humidity
by lowering temperature more than offsets the decline in growth from
lowering the temp. Just need to look
at the cheese in my fridge (we seldom have any) to confirm. Cool and
dry may be best but more difficult.
Moldy Mike
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC167859/pdf/620959.pdf
"At the same absolute humidity, relative humidity markedly
changes with slight changes in temperature. When temperature
decreases by 18C, the relative humidity increases by about
5% (shifts in the right oblique downward direction in the
figure). Temperature and relative humidity affect the fungal
index. The index decreases by about 10% when temperature
decreases by 18C, but the index increases about twofold when
the relative humidity increases by 5% (1). With a decrease in
temperature, the environment becomes less favorable for fungal
growth. However, an increase in relative humidity due to
the decreased temperature produces an environment more
favorable for fungal growth, canceling the effect of the decrease
in temperature. As a result, at the same absolute humidity,
the fungal index is higher at a lower temperature. For
example, with a decrease in temperature by about 28C, from 18
to 168C at an absolute humidity 10 g/kg, an environment showing
a fungal index of 7 (an environment that requires 1 week
for germination) changes to an environment showing a fungal
index of 45 (formation of new spores on hyphae that germinated
and extended within 1 week)."
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