What to do, if anything?

[Martin]

I have never worked with blue cheese before. Well, not long term. These are some pics of my first, and second, buttermilk blue. The first is about 4 weeks old. I think the white is p. candidum. Does this look all right? Should I just hold course or wipe the rind down?

[Al Lewis]

Would like to see a closer shot of the white to make sure it's not mucor.  Mucor is bad.  I'd brush it off and let the blue rind develop.

[Gregore]

I would be inclined to pat it down or brush it a little , you could also give it a salt rub dry as blue likes salt more than most other molds.

Looks good though

[Martin]

When you say "a salt rub" you mean to actually rub the rind with dry salt?

I can't really get a closer shot, crappy camera. It did have tall "spires" but I didn't see the balls on top when I looked at it with a hand lens.

I did rub it down with a brine and bring the temp down 2 degrees F. All that's possible in my cave.

[Martin]

The rind on both of my blues has turned sticky. I tried clamping the sides of the ripening box down. The RH stays down at about 50% even though there is condensation inside the ripening box. (I've checked the hydrometer and think it's working properly.) I have scrubbed with brine to get the white mold off and rubbed once with salt. I think I'll go back to letting the box get more circulation.

[Gregore]

If there is condensation on the lid of the box it is higher than 50% for sure.

Not sure why it would be sticky though

[john H]

If there is condensation on the lid of the box it is higher than 50% for sure.

Not sure why it would be sticky though

I agree with Gregore, I would think you would get slip skin  before sticky at 50% humidity.

[Gregore]

I would suspect sticky is from the humidity climbing too high.