Brevibacterium linens - Smearing Temperature & Humidity Recommendations

[dttorun]

I have a question. I made a soft cheese with MA 4001 and added b.linen. I used brie steps without p.candidum. I am planning to ripen it in 7 to 10 days and age it in the fridge.
My question is what is the best condition in terms of temp and humidity to develop maximum red surface in such a short time. Do I still need to wash the surface with b.linen in salt solution as in hard cheese?
Thanks for any response.
Tan

[linuxboy]

The best?

Surface pH: 6.0+, usually through lactis yeast or candida utils or debromyces or geo or similar. You want rapid surface de-acidification in 1-2 days.
Humidity: 92-95% Too high and the surface de-acidifier usually overwhelms
Salt: start with enough to deacidify surface, usually 2-3%, then crank it up after 5-6 days to 8-10% to favor the b linens.
temp: it is flexible, but generally 50-52F is optimal.

Yes, you need to dunk to inoculate and smear with a rag to spread.

[DeejayDebi]

I don't dunk I spray and it works well for me.

[dttorun]

I started seeing pinky colour on the surface after 2 days, it is slimy and smelly :-) I am keeping them around 15-16°C and 95% humidity.
I did not add anything except initial salting after removing from the molds but I am going to wash the surface with salty water as I started seeing white molds.
I was wondering how long should I keep them before wrapping for the fridge. Also I remember eating a similar cheese but the red surface was grainy. Is it something usual with b.linens or something added later on to absorb excess moisture and stop further ripening. Any idea?
Thanks,
Tan

[MrsMarbles]

Okay, I see the answer to my temperature question in this thread.  50-52 is good.  I guess I should start spraying & wiping, since I don't see any red mold yet.  I have a pH meter, so I can check the surface pH too. 

I'll stick with just the b linens in my brine.  Tempting to try washing with a bit of my homebrew beer or mead, or some brandy.  But better to get the basic lactic type b linens cheese to work first, before adding complications.  Sigh.  I hope these come out stronger than the store bought Port du Salut, as it was extremely bland.