My Beer washed and Bourbon washed cheeses

[Aris]

The one with the paper wrapped around it is the beer washed and the other one is the bourbon whisky washed. I attached a belt to the beer washed cheese to prevent it from bulging and spilling its guts because its starting to become runny like an Epoisses.  I have a question though, can B. Linens survive 40% percent alcohol whisky? The whisky washed cheese has a b. linens rind but i feel it is no longer ripening because it doesn't soften at all like my beer cheese and both are made the same way just different wash. I think the whisky washed cheese is more acidic, does that slow down the ripening?

[Tomer1]

The high proof ethanol will most likely kill most of the surface stuff but if the yeast have penetrated the rind further in forms of spores they will eventually recover once the alcohol is vaporized and conditions are right again.

If you feel like its not "working" you can smear it with the active one.

[Aris]

There are times i wash this with  b. linens brine. From now on i will stop washing it with whisky. Thanks for the reply.

[Caseus]

Aris, what was the final outcome on your whisky-washed cheese?   Could you taste the whisky?  Was there a color change, and how deep did it go?  Did the b. linens return when you stopped washing with whisky?  Did it prevent the growth of other molds and bacteria?   

I'm interested in methods for controlling or eliminating the growth of undesirable molds.  I know that brushing or washing with brine and/or vinegar and salt is somewhat effective.  I'm just wondering how effective alcohol would be for the same job.

[Aris]

The texture was semi-hard and the flavor has a hint of mild cheddar with a strong b. linens flavor . There was no whisky flavor at all, b. linens is simply overpowering and the color stayed the same. I think B. Linens prevented the molds from growing not the whisky. From my experience, if the cheese has a good growth of b. linens it will inhibit mold growth. I made a washed rind cheese before and i used 43% alcohol scotch whisky to wash the cheese to get rid of the blue mold on the rind but the blue mold just keeps growing. I ended up using a dry small tooth brush to brush off the mold every time it comes back.

[Sailor Con Queso]

You should keep in mind that whiskey is generally very acidic and can drastically change the balance of flora growing on the rind.

[Tomer1]

Is this volotile acidity from produced in the mash?   Because organic acids are left behind during distillation.

[Caseus]

You should keep in mind that whiskey is generally very acidic and can drastically change the balance of flora growing on the rind.

That was sort of the gist of my question to Aris.  I wouldn't want to drastically alter the balance of flora growing on a cheese that is supposed to have surface molds or bacteria growing on it, such as cheeses where white or blue molds or b. linens is intended to grow on the surface.  But if, say, Everclear could stop all molds from growing on the surface of a Gouda, or other cheeses where surface molds are not desired, without imparting any taste or texture defects to the cheese, it seems like it might be another option for controlling unwanted mold growth.  Perhaps better than a wash of salt brine or a mixture of salt and vinegar, etc.  Vinegar is even more acidic than whisky, is it not? 

I'm quite new to cheesemaking, so I'm probably way off base. 

[Sailor Con Queso]

I measured the pH of a Woodford Reserve yesterday at 4.15

[Caseus]

I think vinegar is about 2.5.  I measured Bulleit bourbon a couple of weeks ago.  I don't recall the exact number, but it was lower than any of my ales that I had on tap at the time, which all measured in the 4.2 to 4.4 range.