Author Topic: Rind Management: When one says "brine" does that assume saturated brine?  (Read 2805 times)

Offline kdttocs

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Unless a % brine solution is stated, when someone just says "brine" does it mean saturated?

Just clarifying as whenever someone talks about aging and keeping on top of mold they just say brine, not any specific concentration.

Also, do people use plain water brine or vinegar brine? If vinegar, plain or other like apple? Or does the type of cheese determine this?
« Last Edit: April 20, 2013, 12:04:40 AM by kdttocs »

linuxboy

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Re: When one says "brine" does that assume saturated brine?
« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2013, 11:21:13 PM »
Yes, saturated, generally. Vinegar depends on the kind you have. Flavored/non-ethanolic will leave a color or flavor. If you're after that flavor/color, then use the vinegar. If not, use cheap ethanolic vinegar.

vinegar brine? for what as the actual brine? vinegar is used as a rind management tool, like salt or mechanical scrubbing.

Offline kdttocs

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Re: When one says "brine" does that assume saturated brine?
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2013, 11:51:05 PM »
Thanks!

So it's either Water/Salt brine or Vinegar only, no vinegar saturated with salt?

I'm making a Caerphilly. It's my first non-mold ripened, aged cheese.

linuxboy

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Re: When one says "brine" does that assume saturated brine?
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2013, 11:52:51 PM »
Vinegar + ton of salt in the bucket is pretty effective as a tool for mold control. But I wouldn't call that a brine. It's more of a rind management solution... like a solvent almost.

Offline kdttocs

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Re: When one says "brine" does that assume saturated brine?
« Reply #4 on: April 20, 2013, 12:03:11 AM »
Sorry let me clarify further. As I'm aging and flipping my wheel and I start seeing colored spots I assumed I should wipe it down with a brine or vinegar solution. I'm not referring to the initial brine before drying for salt infusion.

I searched and couldn't figure out the best solution to use for rind management and to keep/remove mold.

Again thank you for your responses, hope I'm not annoying.

linuxboy

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http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10722.msg81736.html#msg81736

there is no single "best" if you want to fight mold. A saturated vinegar scrub with a good brush works very well. You will achieve best results by forming the barrier first, as I describe above.

WovenMeadows

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Ah, I see. The brine for the initial brining of cheese is saturated. But the "brine" which you use to wash wheels of cheese during aging. (Like Linuxboy said, it probably shouldn't be called a brine, since nothing is actually placed IN the solution to brine). Commonly you use a solution of just a few % salt for this, like 1/2 to 1 teaspoon per cup of water, for instance in developing a b. linens rind (whether a slimy smear or a thinner, drier coating). If using a wash to combat mold, then vinegar (w/ or w/out salt) works well, or alcohol, or sometimes a higher salt or saturated brine.

What kind of "colored" spots are you seeing? Really fuzzy? Circular? A natural rind Caerphilly typically develops a mold rind, a mix of whitish to brownish and maybe some blueish thrown in. Bright reds to yellows and blacks though are more trouble though. If it looks like "bad" molds, maybe start with something like 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/2 or 1 teaspoon of salt. Otherwise, caerphilly of similar mold rind are often brushed, not washed.

Offline kdttocs

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Okay this is all making WAY more sense. I've been using apple vinegar with a fairly heavy salt concentration. Only been using it when any colored mold pops it's head which has been every 2-4 days. So far it's only been brown about the size of a pencil eraser. This Sunday will be 2 weeks aging. This is after 5 days on the counter drying.

I'll switch to a lower concentration salt water mixture for daily use and continue to hit it with heavier stuff when the mold pops up.

Thanks!