You are correct, irf - these are the 'petit tomme' molds from Cheesemaking. Nice to finally use them for what they were meant for after trying them out for some harder cheeses . . . As for the mold, I am working with a slurry I made from rinds of Chaumes, Port Salut, Tomme de Savioe and a raw milk Cantalet in 3% brine, as noted in this thread:
http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,5687.msg43371.html#msg43371Lots of discussion here lately on just these topics, and I as a newbie I am really enjoying all of it. I'm also digging tracking your own raw milk tomme efforts and as a fellow New Yorker I will admit I'm curious about your 'mobile co-op' source. Sounds like it beats driving upstate 3 hrs to get some!
Anyhow, I have been keeping the slurry for about a week and a half now and it seems to get more pungent every day. Although I could not avoid getting some little bits of the cheeses in it, I 've been keeping it refrigerated, so I would think there's no concern, but - whho-ee! Sweatsocks on steroids does not even begin to describe it. I've been wiping down every day for 5 days, then every other day 2x so far, and it's just . . . .blech. Must be mostly b. linens, I'd think. If it gets really putrid-smellying, I may just make a new one. Plus I want a mixed rind, not all stinkiness.
So far there is little or no visible mold growth on the rind - perhaps 3 or 4 very tiny bright orange spots, but that is all. The whole thing has begun to have a 'soaked' look to it though, with the surface seeming a little translucent or something. Keeping at 50-53 deg. and have now achieved 90-95% RH. That is, until condensation drips from the freezer section of my mini-fridge knocked out my meter yesterday! Hopefully it will recover . . . .