Hello from Tasmania.

[awakephd]

I entered into the vacuum-bag route with some hesitation ... which quickly and decisively disappeared very quickly. I love it! So convenient for so many reasons. Obviously it provides a different aging experience for the cheese, so certainly may be reasons not to bag a particular variety (and some CANNOT be bagged without stopping the process - e.g., brie or camembert) - but in general I've found it to be an ideal solution for enabling worry-free aging and maximizing the use of the limited "cave" space that I have available.

As a reference point, the longest-aged cheese in a vacuum bag in my cave at the moment is half of a Romano, which as of today is 2 days shy of 26 months old. During that time it has gradually transformed from its initial white color to a deep caramel color, and the taste has developed and intensified. I started using the first quarter from it at about 16 months, and the second quarter I pulled out about 4 months ago; each time I have re-sealed. Based on the relatively slow rate of usage,  I anticipate that it will make it to at least 3 years of age before I use the last quarter.

Given the modest size of the make - only 4 gallons, rather than the hundred-gallon-plus required for a true parma/Romano style - there is no way I could have left this unbagged for so long; it would have dried out to be all tough rind and nothing else! When I made it, I did leave it unbagged for a couple of months, to give it plenty of time to breathe and develop a rind, but ever since it's been in the bag.

[DoctorCheese]

I have found that the longer I let my cheese develop its paste before bagging, the less whey seepage there is. Typically a month or so seems to do the trick.

[Jay-1]

 Well today i made some beer and as i keep both my beer and cheese gear together I noticed this mould growing on my bamboo mats in my small boiler?? I did sterilise them before storing them but they still grow mould on them??

[5ittingduck]

Play it safe and bin it.
You could probably kill the mould on it but mycilae have been all through it and these cavities will be a channel for harboring nasties and prompting re-infection.

[Jay-1]

Play it safe and bin it.
You could probably kill the mould on it but mycilae have been all through it and these cavities will be a channel for harboring nasties and prompting re-infection.

 i've boiled them at least 30 mins and they still look ordinary so i'm going to take your advise and bin them. Thanx.

[Gregore]

You have to dry them really well before storing , fungus does not grow without moisture . 
You killed the spores that were on it with the boiling , then new ones landed  and lived the moment it it cooled enough .

[DoctorCheese]

If you REALLY love shushi mats as part of your cheese making, I would recommend going to Amazon or the like and typing in "plastic sushi mats". There are many available products.

[Gregore]

Even the plastic mats can grow mold on them if they have organic matter on them.

Fungus needs ( food) organic matter , moisture and oxygen to grow . All the things found in a cheese cave , or a cheese mat put away wet .

I asked a chemist friend why honey will not host bacteria , he said mainly because of the low moisture .   Add water to your honey and see how how fast you get fungus .

[Jay-1]

 Ok, I'm probly guilty of not drying them properly, lesson learned.

[awakephd]

Even the plastic mats can grow mold on them if they have organic matter on them.

Fungus needs ( food) organic matter , moisture and oxygen to grow . All the things found in a cheese cave , or a cheese mat put away wet .

I asked a chemist friend why honey will not host bacteria , he said mainly because of the low moisture .   Add water to your honey and see how how fast you get fungus .

I keep getting mold on the front of my house, on the vinyl siding and vinyl parts of the porch - both areas that tend to stay shaded (and thus more likely to stay damp) due to the orientation of the house. No organic matter in the vinyl, as far as I know - I'm guessing it must get what it needs just from the rain. All that to agree, emphatically, that mold will grow even on plastic mats!

[Geodyne]

I just wanted to pop in here and say welcome Jay-1. I'm another cheesemaker from Tasmania, but I'm down south. I'm an old forum member who's been absent for a couple of years because busy. You're making some wonderful cheeses for someone just starting.

Having just read through this thread, a few comments:
- I've always had trouble with keeping sushi mats clean. I gave up on them a long time ago. I picked up some plastic cheese mat and have found it to be worth it's weight in gold. I tried plastic needlepoint mats for a while but found they didn't let the whey drain well enough.

- I debated long and hard over whether to get a vacuum system but I'm a total convert. I age the cheeses with a natural rind (using a humidifier in a wine fridge) then vacuum-store the cheeses once I've cut them. If you store the whole cheese in a vacuum bag, check regularly for expressed whey: you may have to open, air and reseal the cheese. I often leave enough of a tail on a bag for a couple of resealings if I suspect that will be necessary. If they cheese has been sitting in whey in a vacuum bag, it often helps to open it and let it air for a couple of days before eating it.

- Vacuum sealing can be an economical way to store cheese. More so if you purchase a bulk lot of bags from ebay. Lots of sellers there giving good deals.

- What milk are you using? I recommend Pyengana's as they don't homogenise and you can guarantee you get it fresh, and if you get in touch with them it's possible to buy in bulk. I"m not sure what northern delivery times are like, but down south I order on a Wednesday, they milk on Thursday and I receive the milk on Friday. Perfect for cheese making.

[John@PC]

- I debated long and hard over whether to get a vacuum system but I'm a total convert. I age the cheeses with a natural rind (using a humidifier in a wine fridge) then vacuum-store the cheeses once I've cut them. If you store the whole cheese in a vacuum bag, check regularly for expressed whey: you may have to open, air and reseal the cheese. I often leave enough of a tail on a bag for a couple of resealings if I suspect that will be necessary. If they cheese has been sitting in whey in a vacuum bag, it often helps to open it and let it air for a couple of days before eating it.

Good advice.  I've done much the same thing Geo waiting for the rind to develop and/or cutting the cheese before vac-bagging.  Right now I'm experimenting with Paracoat (with Natimycin) which I think may be a good alternative to waxing and (possibly) vac bagging.    My pressed cheeses are still young and it will be next weekend before I start sampling them.  I'm planning to try re-coating the exposed paste after cutting the cheese to see how that does (I did this when I cut a Gouda and Manchego round in half for smoking and so far the paste looks good and not drying out). I'm not sure if water-based cheese coatings are available in Tasmania though .

[Jay-1]

 I can feel a cheese coming on

[Jay-1]

 First taste of my Sage Derby, very nice indeed...my Wife as my critic enjoyed...hooked in to the plater and rice crackers (peckish) we eat cheese with.

[John@PC]

Very nice Jay-1 and a cheese for the effort.