Author Topic: Aging Blue and Manchego together?  (Read 3033 times)

fabian

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Aging Blue and Manchego together?
« on: August 01, 2014, 01:48:07 PM »
Hey friends, I have a big question. How can I do to age together my Gorgonzola and regular natural rind cheeses? I make Manchego, Montasio and a Farmstead cheese plus Gorgonzola. So far I managed to keep the separated but in my cheese cave I can control much better temperature and humidity so I would like to age them together.
The contamination (if it happens) will occur through the air or by hand? Can it be prevented being careful with the handling?
Thank you in advance!

fabian

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Re: Aging Blue and Manchego together?
« Reply #1 on: August 04, 2014, 01:54:36 AM »
Any thoughts?

Offline H-K-J

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Re: Aging Blue and Manchego together?
« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2014, 02:07:01 AM »
you might want to place one or the other in it's own ageing container
mold ripened cheese's can get to your other cheese rinds pretty easily
Never hit a man with glasses, use a baseball bat!
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fabian

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Re: Aging Blue and Manchego together?
« Reply #3 on: August 05, 2014, 08:10:10 PM »
Thank you H-K-J!
I was trying to see if have any chance of put them together just taking care handling them.

Offline H-K-J

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Re: Aging Blue and Manchego together?
« Reply #4 on: August 06, 2014, 01:46:47 PM »
As a precaution always play with the non-moldy rind cheeses first,
if you plan on wearing the same clothing(shorts/levies/trousers,etc.) do not put your hands in your pockets until after you wash your hands :o
I am sure you can guess why ;)
Never hit a man with glasses, use a baseball bat!
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Offline Boofer

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Re: Aging Blue and Manchego together?
« Reply #5 on: August 06, 2014, 02:39:50 PM »
As a precaution always play with the non-moldy rind cheeses first,
if you plan on wearing the same clothing(shorts/levies/trousers,etc.) do not put your hands in your pockets until after you wash your hands :o
I am sure you can guess why ;)
Good advice, H-K-J.

"hands in your pockets"? You're a funny guy. :D

Yes, minicaves (plastic ripening boxes) help to segregate the different cheeses in your cave (temperature-controlled refrigerator ~ 50-60 degrees F), having clean hands when you handle each cheese (I use gloves to minimize any transfer between cheeses.), and restricting access to your cheese making area and cave (no pets, open windows, fans/AC blowing, family traffic, etc., especially while making a cheese.)

Here's an extract about gloves:
"I am a dairy farmer working on the farm and even tho my hands were clean, my scrubbing didnt get those gnarly cracks and crevices on my hands clean enough, so I have moved to yellow gloves when handling my cheese."

-Boofer-

Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

fabian

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Re: Aging Blue and Manchego together?
« Reply #6 on: August 06, 2014, 03:38:14 PM »
Thank you guys,
 my cave is a 12' x 18' shed with a AC and ultrasonic humidifier (I need more humidity) so I planned to keep the bues in a corner, away from the rest. I will use your advice about clothing and gloves and will keep the results posted.
Thank you again!

Offline awakephd

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Re: Aging Blue and Manchego together?
« Reply #7 on: August 06, 2014, 06:34:56 PM »
A 12' x 18' cheese cave??? Please don't talk about such things so openly; the rest of us (space-limited) folks are going to cry!
-- Andy

fabian

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Re: Aging Blue and Manchego together?
« Reply #8 on: August 07, 2014, 02:10:34 AM »
Awakephd, don't cry.  ;)
Big caves bring big issues. It's really hard to keep the right RH. I need help with that too!

Offline awakephd

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Re: Aging Blue and Manchego together?
« Reply #9 on: October 07, 2014, 08:52:19 PM »
Fabiolo,

I see that you are not too far from me (I'm a few miles south of Raleigh). Given the size of your cave, are you making cheese commercially, by any chance?

Andy
-- Andy