Author Topic: Mold Issue  (Read 2326 times)

brewbush

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Mold Issue
« on: April 09, 2014, 03:32:03 AM »
Hi all,
  I posted this on the general section, but no one replied.

I am brand new here and about 6 cheeses under my belt.

My issue right now seems to be mold.   1 month ago I made farmhouse cheddar and waxed them after 1 week out for drying.  I noticed they both have dark spots under the wax with mold (opened one up)   It was just on the surface, I cut the areas off and vaccumed that one, but my other one is still waxed.

I also have a parmesian that daily I have to wipe off with brine/vinegar solution and scrape off the little bits of black/blue mold spots (majority are just white tufts).  All wipe off very easily, but this is an every 2 day job.

Now I recently made camemberts and all 6  have blue mold on them PLUS my skin is loose.

Some questions....
1. Is this normal, and is there something I can coat the parms with to prevent this?  I am not at the oiling stage in their aging.
2. Is there something I should do to the cheddar prior to waxing?  I double boil the wax, so it is not super high temps.   Should I wipe the cheese down first and dry before wax even if I didn't notice any mold prior to waxing?

3.  What is causing this with my camembert?  Are both the mold and the loose skin from too high a humidity? 

4.  What should I do about the mold under the wax for the cheddars now?  Unwrap it, wipe it down and rewax? 

My fear about rewaxing as I noticed in my parm is that I think it will just grow back under the new wax too...

Any other suggestions or info please let me know

Offline Andrew Marshallsay

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Re: Mold Issue
« Reply #1 on: April 09, 2014, 05:35:02 AM »
I had a problem with grey mould growing on a couple of Camemberts, a few weeks back. I tried scraping them and then, following advice on this forum, cleaned with brine and vinegar. Scraping was a bad move as the grey stuff grew back on the bald areas but the washing took out the grey mould without destroying the PC. The PC covered the cheese but then took on a yellowish tinge (BL?). I opened one of these about ten days ago, and despite the apparently nice PC coverage, it hadn't ripened and was still quite firm.
Quote
PLUS my skin is loose.
   - You may want to seek professional medical advice about this.
- Andrew

brewbush

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Re: Mold Issue
« Reply #2 on: April 09, 2014, 12:39:15 PM »
I keep a solution of brine/vinegar with me also, but I find it tough especially on the camemberts to rub the mold off.

Is all this, plus the loose skin ;D, from too high humidity?

Alison

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Re: Mold Issue
« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2014, 12:56:24 PM »
Hi Brew bush

When I have a mould spot problem on a white mould cheese I cut it off with a sterile knife, like a surgeon would for a skin cancer (making sure that you remove all the non-white mould to below the skin). Still speaking dermatologically, (loose skin) I observe that my white mould cheese suffer more slip skin from high temperatures and than high humidity, so I'd start with checking temperature (below 16degC).

hope that helps
regards
Alison


jwalker

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Re: Mold Issue
« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2014, 02:18:38 PM »
I was getting mold under my wax on cheeses as well , it was getting to be a real problem.

Now I wash them thoroughly in straight vinegar before waxing , I also have been heating my wax up to 250 degrees in a small deep fryer before dipping the cheese , I read somewhere that the high temps kill off most surface flora , between those two changes , I have had no mold under the wax at all on my last 10 or 12 cheeses.

Careful if using deep fryer , as wax can ignite anywhere after 300 degrees or so , I never leave it unattended without unplugging it.

I've had no problems with my white mold cheeses , so can't help much there , but my last batch of red mold cheese (Reblochon) , was getting patches of blue mold all over , I finally scrubbed them down with vinegar and stared a new wash with some new Linens in it , and they have come back the way they should have been , in fact just ate half of one last night and it was great , no hint of the blue was left at all.

I also scrubbed out the cheese cave with vinegar at the same time I vinegar washed the cheeses.

Anyway , that's my experience.


John@PC

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Re: Mold Issue
« Reply #5 on: April 09, 2014, 09:46:56 PM »
It's my understanding that most surface molds are killed at 160F but it's a time/temperature thing.  I don't wax cheese anymore but JWalker's suggestion sounds like good advice.  Only thing I would add is to use enough heat and double-dip your cheeses to make sure the surface "sees" that temperature long enough to kill all mold.  As for the parm that sounds pretty normal and the mold development should slow as the rind progresses. 

My experience parallels Alison's, but even with proper control lately I can't make a camb without having slip-skin, but then again I enjoy the "ooze" when you cut it (as long as it doesn't become a flood).  I was having a good bit of invasion with the b linins causing orange spots and affecting the flavor.  I cleaned out the cave but haven't made one yet to see if it fixed it.

Good luck  :).

brewbush

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Re: Mold Issue
« Reply #6 on: April 10, 2014, 12:29:31 PM »
I was getting mold under my wax on cheeses as well , it was getting to be a real problem.

Now I wash them thoroughly in straight vinegar before waxing , I also have been heating my wax up to 250 degrees in a small deep fryer before dipping the cheese , I read somewhere that the high temps kill off most surface flora , between those two changes , I have had no mold under the wax at all on my last 10 or 12 cheeses.

Careful if using deep fryer , as wax can ignite anywhere after 300 degrees or so , I never leave it unattended without unplugging it.

I've had no problems with my white mold cheeses , so can't help much there , but my last batch of red mold cheese (Reblochon) , was getting patches of blue mold all over , I finally scrubbed them down with vinegar and stared a new wash with some new Linens in it , and they have come back the way they should have been , in fact just ate half of one last night and it was great , no hint of the blue was left at all.

I also scrubbed out the cheese cave with vinegar at the same time I vinegar washed the cheeses.

Anyway , that's my experience.

Thanks for all the inputs.
My temperature is controlled keeping it on the lower end so I hope that is not an issue.

I will try the vinegar only route (white vinegar I assume)

I have also been using a double boiler and painting the wax on the cheese.  If I were to do higher heat, do you all use a fry daddy with a temperature control (like on a presto griddle) and just set it to 260 to dip the cheese?

I may have to try the higher heat method of waxing....I see a few of the multi-cooker/fryers on amazon for 30 bucks for a small one, is that what I should look for?

Thanks

jwalker

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Re: Mold Issue
« Reply #7 on: April 10, 2014, 02:31:44 PM »
I had two little deep fryers that I got at thrift stores really cheap , the first one tuned out to be too small when I started going to four gallon makes and larger cheeses , then I found another that is about 10 inches accross and holds five or six pounds of wax , it works really good.

But try the vinegar wash first , in fact I think it is even in Rikki Carrolls book , she says to always wash with vinegar before waxing .

I think the vinegar wash is more important than the higher heat , but with both together , it might increase your chances of success , it is working well for me.

Good luck with it.