Author Topic: "Volunteer" Blue mould  (Read 3770 times)

TAMARA

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"Volunteer" Blue mould
« on: December 30, 2012, 04:50:54 AM »
So, on my last few posts, i was asking advice about how to get more 'blue' on my blue cheese, and now i find that i have blue mould which is 'piggy backing' some other cheese such as pressed goat cheese and some washed rinds. I don't mind the look of it and just brush the cheese which seems to get rid of the blue (for now) but i was wondering... has anyone saved these blue shavings and inoculated fresh milk with this 'volunteer blue' to see whether it then grows as a blue mould on a new cheese?

Incidentally this blue doesn't seem to have quite the aroma of my roqueforti spores... not sure why as I don't know where else the blue would migrate from.

Advice anyone?

Regards, TAMARA

Offline Tiarella

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Re: "Volunteer" Blue mould
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2012, 12:45:37 PM »
Hi Tamara,  I'm not very experienced but I believe your volunteer blue mold is possibly/probably a wild yeast or mold and unless you are going to let your ri d go completely natural (and go through stages of different mold growths until it reaches a balance) you'll need to keep it in check.  It is likely not the same as the blue you add on purpose.  There is a large range of wild molds, yeasts and other microflora that are in the air and ready to be opportunistic and make a home somewhere.  Washing with a salt water brine or salt/white wine/water mix will take care of it.  For washed rinds, keeping them wet with that second mixture and rubbing them until a thick paste occurs will keep wild molds off.  They will however likely develop b linens which will give them aroma (strong perhaps but usually desired) and color.

Hope this helps a bit.

linuxboy

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Re: "Volunteer" Blue mould
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2012, 04:41:17 PM »
If you want to use the wild strain, I would save it and propagate first in a loaf of bread, or if you have more equipment and know-how, in a lab under more sterile conditions. Then you can dry out the bread and sprinkle on curds or add to milk. This was the original blue technique. If it's a different blue than you added, it came from the surroundings.

Offline Tiarella

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Re: "Volunteer" Blue mould
« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2012, 10:23:14 PM »
If you want to use the wild strain, I would save it and propagate first in a loaf of bread, or if you have more equipment and know-how, in a lab under more sterile conditions. Then you can dry out the bread and sprinkle on curds or add to milk. This was the original blue technique. If it's a different blue than you added, it came from the surroundings.

Pav,  Are you saying that the wild blues are P Roq?  I've been curious but thought they were a wild blue something else.....that mostly brought a musty taste. 

Offline Al Lewis

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Re: "Volunteer" Blue mould
« Reply #4 on: December 30, 2012, 10:37:30 PM »
Sure hope so.  That stuff is expensive but I can make bread go moldy all day! LOL
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linuxboy

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Re: "Volunteer" Blue mould
« Reply #5 on: December 30, 2012, 11:23:43 PM »
Quote
Pav,  Are you saying that the wild blues are P Roq?  I've been curious but thought they were a wild blue something else.....that mostly brought a musty taste. 
Yours likely are not.

Tamara's post made it seem like hers are. Taste and smell them, roqueforti is very distinctive.

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Re: "Volunteer" Blue mould
« Reply #6 on: December 31, 2012, 05:17:38 PM »
Aaaah, I thought since she said this blue didn't seem to have the aroma of her P. roq that it was likely not that type of blue.  I'd love to hear a more complete description of how one can use bread to propagate blue.  Do you take some blue cheese that you like and use that to inoculate the bread?

linuxboy

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Re: "Volunteer" Blue mould
« Reply #7 on: December 31, 2012, 05:26:31 PM »

TAMARA

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Re: "Volunteer" Blue mould
« Reply #8 on: February 18, 2013, 06:06:07 AM »
Hi Guys, Sorry for my absence... Been so busy with cheese over the Xmas period that i haven't been back here since.

My volunteer blue does seem to have the flavour of roqueforte but seems not to be as reliable as i would like... takes over some cheese in a matter of 6 days and doesn' t have any impact on others.

Another question.... if i have a blue mould cheese that i inoculated with p. roq, and then brush off exterior mould before eating, could THESE shavings which are obviously p roq. be frozen and then used in another batch of cheese with same results? I presume they could since the mould just continues to reproduce itself, but should i also add a little bought roq spores, or does that defeat the purpose of using my own...

Help!

linuxboy

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Re: "Volunteer" Blue mould
« Reply #9 on: February 18, 2013, 06:14:23 AM »
Ttons of other things on the rind (yeasts, other molds). Usually not the best idea to use the rind for internal blueing, not that consistent.

Offline Al Lewis

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Re: "Volunteer" Blue mould
« Reply #10 on: February 18, 2013, 06:01:42 PM »
I was reading an article on Wenslydale cheese yesterday and it said that the blue version came about from blue mold off of horse bridals as the cheese was aged in the barn.  Found that very interesting and more than a little surprising.
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