Hi Tiarella,
If I'm aging something for a year or more, I'll tend to wax it. My vaccuum sealer isn't that great, and I generally don't get the seal that most seem to. So, for me, I tend to just age in ripening boxes if the cheese is going to be consumed within a couple months, and if there is room. If my boxes get full, I'll vac seal some so they can be kept outside the box without drying out. If I get a good seal, I can decide to age it out longer, if not, I may have to redo it again if moisture/mold becomes a problem.
To deal with mold, I generally just brush them with a nail brush that I bought for this purpose, but let the rind develop as it will. I just want to keep the wild blue at bay, and this seems to work. If I'm trying to keep the rind clean, I'll brush it back, and use a brine solution. Generally, though, I just let the mold grow and cut the rind off (wild rinds are not my thing, but they do add nice flavours to the inners).
There are others who are much more adept at their affinage. Boofer's threads are filled with his notes and observations and a real treasure trove of information from his experiences and from the input of others. I highly recommend you read those, even for cheeses you might not be making, as it will give you the information that you can adapt to your situations.
- Jeff
