Author Topic: Forgot to add PC culture  (Read 10504 times)

Offline NimbinValley

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Re: Forgot to add PC culture
« Reply #15 on: September 09, 2013, 04:40:43 AM »
Before you start to grow the white mould you need to dry the surface of the cheese.  Do this at 16-18oC for a couple of days, turning each day.  Then transfer to the maturing room.  7-8 will be ok, but up to 10-12 is fine too.

Humidity around 95% is good.

NV

Offline Schnecken Slayer

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Re: Forgot to add PC culture
« Reply #16 on: September 09, 2013, 06:00:40 AM »
They're looking good.
Also, you will find the white out-competes the blue anyway.
-Bill
One day I will add something here...

Shalloy

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Re: Forgot to add PC culture
« Reply #17 on: September 10, 2013, 08:31:58 PM »
Thanks for the replies. I wasnt sure if that was Pc or something else. Ive left the lid of so it dries out a bit and they are dry enough on the surface but moist when I turn them over.

Shalloy

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Re: Forgot to add PC culture
« Reply #18 on: September 12, 2013, 10:49:02 AM »
I've had them out of the fridge at around 17c (luckily for me that's ambient temps here in Melbourne at the moment) for 24 hours now.  They are still tacky to touch so I will leave them another 24 hours.
So once I can touch them without them without leaving a greasy film on my hands can I assume they are dry enough and put them back into the fridge?

Also will I have to spray them with PC slurry again as I'm concerned this will only make them wet again?

This cheese making is very hard. It's hard to tell if a cheese is too moist or not moist enough.

Offline NimbinValley

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Re: Forgot to add PC culture
« Reply #19 on: September 13, 2013, 02:16:02 AM »
Its all practice Shalloy.  Depending on the humidity they mightn't dry out much more.  Once you see a fine growth of pc, which will look like a faint white felt, they can go into the maturing room. 

Good luck.

NV

Shalloy

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Re: Forgot to add PC culture
« Reply #20 on: September 13, 2013, 10:34:41 AM »
They are still a bit sticky but at least drier than they were. They have patches of PC growth here and there especially on the sides where its covered in larger areas than the top and bottom.
So I'm going to put them back in the fridge tomorrow morning at 10C and 90% humidity.

Will the fact that this cheese has had a delayed PC growth by about a week cause any issues down the track?

Offline Schnecken Slayer

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Re: Forgot to add PC culture
« Reply #21 on: September 13, 2013, 03:14:54 PM »
No, it just means they will take a little longer to ripen.
-Bill
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Shalloy

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Re: Forgot to add PC culture
« Reply #22 on: September 14, 2013, 10:56:36 AM »
Thanks schecken that's good to know. They're back in the fridge at 12C and 90% humidity.

Shalloy

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Re: Forgot to add PC culture
« Reply #23 on: September 18, 2013, 09:17:25 PM »
I have a moderate amount of PC growth on these now but its still very slow going and I dont have complete coverage.

its also not as white as the photos Ive seen on here of others cams and bries and is more of a darker grey sort of colour.

Offline Schnecken Slayer

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Re: Forgot to add PC culture
« Reply #24 on: September 19, 2013, 06:20:23 AM »
That doesn't sound right, what does it smell like? and can you post a picture. (Maybe put a piece of white paper beside it for comparison)
-Bill
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Shalloy

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Re: Forgot to add PC culture
« Reply #25 on: September 25, 2013, 08:23:05 AM »
Here's a picture of them. They look much better now but the white doesn't seem to grow where those yellow areas are. I'm sure I read a post here that said that's another type of growth but am yet to find it again.

They smell fine, no ammonia smell at all.

They've been in the cave for 4 weeks and were sprayed with PC 3 weeks ago. Should I now wrap them and place them in my fridge at 3C? Or do I want a better coverage of PC first?
« Last Edit: September 25, 2013, 08:57:16 AM by Shalloy »

Shalloy

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Re: Forgot to add PC culture
« Reply #26 on: September 25, 2013, 09:24:37 PM »
I found the post I was referring to. It's this one here

http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10229.0.html

Where Mike Richards has a problem with an overgrowth of geo. But is mine an overgrowth of geo or just an undergrowth of PC where it hasn't completely covered the cheese yet?

I have my cheese cave set at 11C and humidity is around 91%.  Is it time to drop it to say 7C and lower the humidity?
« Last Edit: September 25, 2013, 11:12:02 PM by Shalloy »

Offline NimbinValley

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Re: Forgot to add PC culture
« Reply #27 on: September 26, 2013, 09:27:38 PM »
Hi Shalloy.  White mould likes humidity but not wetness.  It also likes good access to oxygen and dislikes acid.  So the areas where the mould has not grown may have been wet or it may have been too dry or didn't get enough fresh air.  If it was a pure PC culture you added with no geo acid may also have been a problem.  I hope this helps.  NV.

Shalloy

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Re: Forgot to add PC culture
« Reply #28 on: September 26, 2013, 11:39:12 PM »
I forgot to add the culture as I thought it was mixed in with the culture I added. (hence the title of this post)  So I used a slurry of brie cheese sprayed onto the cams.

What can I do now or are they stuffed? i have reduced the temp to 7C and taken the lid of the maturation box but the humidty has dropped to 82%.

Offline NimbinValley

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Re: Forgot to add PC culture
« Reply #29 on: September 27, 2013, 12:25:18 AM »
You will need a high humidity for PC, but no free moisture.

You could respray the cheese where the PC hasn't grown, but I guess it has already started ripening underneath the existing PC.  You could try it and see how it goes.  Either way, the cheese is not 'stuffed'.  It may just not ripen evenly.

My suggestion is respray the bare bits. Continue to grow for another week.  Then wrap and see how you go.

NV.