Author Topic: Pressed Cheese - Unwanted Blue Surface Mold  (Read 3432 times)

chewie

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Pressed Cheese - Unwanted Blue Surface Mold
« on: August 19, 2012, 11:25:43 PM »
uh, hmm, I tried makng havarti, but somehow it has blue on it, as in blue cheese looking mold.   and today I tasted it.   its like a mild white blue cheese,, but creamier.    what did I make??

and a couple of my other little cheese wheels in my cave are fuzzy in a bad way.  why is this happening?  how to stop it or make it never happen again?

bbracken677

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Re: Pressed Cheese - Unwanted Blue Surface Mold
« Reply #1 on: August 20, 2012, 12:29:02 AM »
I think it is a common thing to develop molds on the outside of cheeses without trying to.
Try washing the rinds with a mix of brine and vinegar....a brush may also help remove more stubborn molds.

Offline H-K-J

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Re: Pressed Cheese - Unwanted Blue Surface Mold
« Reply #2 on: August 20, 2012, 02:06:31 AM »
cleanliness is next to cheesiness  ;)
maybe some mold spores floatin around
sofar I have made Blues, just doesn't matter just adds to the mix :o
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iratherfly

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Re: Pressed Cheese - Unwanted Blue Surface Mold
« Reply #3 on: August 21, 2012, 10:02:26 PM »
I agree with H-K-J - the cave needs to be clean, utensils, pots, thermometer, cheese moulds and cloths, as well as draining board -all sanitized when you work.

ALSO, avoid putting it in proximity to bread or bake yeast doughs next to it. Don't ferment beer or sourdough next to it, don't share the cave with other fermented/aged things you are making such as sausage.  Your cave should be located out and away from the kitchen (or bathroom).

That blue mold is probably not roqueforti; It is most often saccharomyces cerevisiae - bread /beer yeast that releases freely into the air and is normal to be in a house. While terrible for flavor, it is not dangerous, just a grand annoyance.

As for your fuzzy moulds in the cave - do you have a photo?  It could be poil de chat (which is actually desired in many cheeses like Tomme, where yo begin to flatten it a few weeks through and it creates the signature grayish-brownish mold). Usually reducing moisture can help.  It can also be Oidium, a fruit yeast-like fungus. Looks like a white powdery cover on grapes and plums but looks totally different when it is attacking cheese.  Again, most likely nothing dangerous but an annoyance.

Did you salt the cheese properly?

Also, I am not sure what you are trying to do. Semi-soft or hard cheese in a cave without wax, oil or vacuum seal - will ALWAYS grow these molds. If you want to age it naturally and don't like these molds, then you should inoculate a mold that you like -so that it outgrows the foreign molds (kill them by using all of their nutrients, competition effect).  alternatively, you can wash the cheese on a regular basis in brine. It will wipe off some of those mold spores and won't let them grow. It will however also invite B.Linens to develop on your cheese rind ...which isn't a bad thing for many cheeses.

chewie

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Re: Pressed Cheese - Unwanted Blue Surface Mold
« Reply #4 on: August 09, 2013, 03:12:36 PM »
this got lost, but since I am having this issue yet again, i'll reply

my recipes are telling me to put in the cave, 'nekked' and then in a few weeks, to age further, wax or vac.   that is when the fuzz starts.  if i'd vac it the day or two after it comes out of the molds, i'd not have this issue!   so can i do that??  i may just try it and find out, as this way isn't working so hot.   and yes, i add the amt. of salt called for, i use sea salt, un idoined.   thanks for anything you can tell me!

Offline Boofer

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Re: Pressed Cheese - Unwanted Blue Surface Mold
« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2013, 03:24:25 PM »
Hi chewie. Is this still the same cheese as back in August 2012 or a new make?

Here's my experience: press, brine, dry for several days either in the cave or at nominal room temperature. Goudas have been then vacuum-sealed within a week and returned to the cave to continue ripening. Other semi-hard and hard cheeses might be washed with brine, brine & wine (see Alp's attached guidance), and PLA or ARN-dosed brine.

My Beaufort #8 and Hispanico #2 were beginning to develop some white wisps and blue touches so I cleaned them off and today I began washing with PLA-dosed 3% brine. The cultures in the wash will overcome any outsiders wanting to breach my cheese rind. I'm innoculating my cheeses against foreign influence and giving them a passport to clear affinage. 8)

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chewie

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Re: Pressed Cheese - Unwanted Blue Surface Mold
« Reply #6 on: August 19, 2013, 10:44:39 PM »
this is stuff made recently.   the mold is almost black, quite ugly.   all seems to be going well til i try to let it dry for the few days after pressing.   when its in the cave it starts growing the mold.  it never really gets very dry to touch either.   

Offline Boofer

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Re: Pressed Cheese - Unwanted Blue Surface Mold
« Reply #7 on: August 20, 2013, 02:16:46 PM »
this is stuff made recently.   the mold is almost black, quite ugly.   all seems to be going well til i try to let it dry for the few days after pressing.   when its in the cave it starts growing the mold.  it never really gets very dry to touch either.
I'll point you back to iratherfly's response.

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chewie

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Re: Pressed Cheese - Unwanted Blue Surface Mold
« Reply #8 on: August 20, 2013, 04:40:22 PM »
i've went and did a major sanitation of the cave, so hoping this will help.  i've washed the wheels.    i know its suppose to be waxed/vac'ed or something, but its that week its suppose to be drying that i get the uglies.   during that week, after the molding/pressing and before waxing, that this issue shows up.   so how can i let it dry for that week when this happens??

and, how does one decide which finish to do?  wax, cream, bandage, natural rind?   and why would you choose one over another?   

i know i ask alot of things that probably seem like dumb questions, but i assure you, i am really trying to learn here!
-chris

Offline Boofer

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Re: Pressed Cheese - Unwanted Blue Surface Mold
« Reply #9 on: August 21, 2013, 01:49:45 PM »
Don't be afraid to ask questions. Also, don't forget that you can find a lot of answers checking the Wiki and using the SEARCH function. A lot of other folks have asked some of the same questions as you, including me!

The original posting talked about Havarti, so I will assume that is the cheese you are working with now. More assuming...your sanitation practices are good, the salt level (either dry-salting or brining) is adequate, and your ingredients (milk, cultures, etc.) are all fresh.

Executing a quick search for "havarti" over the entire forum, I came away with 11 pages of links from previous Havarti makes. Here is one that answers a few questions, such as how to manage rind-care, mold, etc.

HTH.

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