My Smear has SPOTS

[Illiterate]

Hi there, it's me again. I opened my pretend cave today to find a very nice red orange color starting to develop, then I turned it over and saw this (black and blue or green spots on the other side). According to what I've read here the longer the smear remains the stronger the cheese and I'm trying or something Wisconsin Cheese Mart seems to think is 1 step below Limburger, SO, the question is do I try to wipe these spots with as little damage to the smear as possible or do I wipe the one side with the spots or the whole cheese.

Thanks for any help

Sam

[mtncheesemaker]

Hi Sam;
I think you should wipe it with brine, or maybe a bit of vinegar with salt in it. The smear-ripened cheeses are hard to wipe without tearing the rind.
I'm wondering if your ripening condition might be a tad too wet? Are you wiping up any visible moisture on a daily basis and turning the cheese? That may help prevent the unwanted molds from growing, and give your B. linens a chance to take hold.
Keep us posted.
Pam

[Illiterate]

Hi Pam;
Yes it became very wet as soon as the smear appeared, I left it that way because I thought that was what it needed , I just finished wiping it with some 8% brine and I think I lucked out, nothing seemed to go very deep and it all washed off very easy without losing much of the red/orange rind. I have it wrapped in paper towels and sitting on a wire rack right now, I'll unwrap it and put it back in my pretend cave, this time with the cover opened a crack, at bed time. I have high hopes for this cheese.

Thank you very much for the help.

Sam