Brine, Saturated - Bacteria Survival > Morge Discussion

[george13]

I was wondering if I could re-use my 24% salinity brine which was previously used on a Morbier and Taleggio which both had b.linnen and GEO present.  I have since kept the brine at 38F still at 24% salinity.  I am now making a cheese that does not use the above rippening strains, and I don't want to cross-contaminate.  Is it safe to use?

[DeejayDebi]

B. linens are pretty salt tolerant up to I think 15% salt so I would think even at the rate 24% you may have some survive even if it is low.

[george13]

Thanks DeejayDebi, I guess I will now make a new brine for my cheese.

[Tomer1]

boil it.

[iratherfly]

Boil it??? 

24% is fully saturated and as sanitized as it will get. Likely the cultures won't survive much. I would not use it to draw cultures onto another cheese. But if you are asking because you are afraid it will infect another cheese, I wouldn't be too worried about it. Most cheeses have some form of B.Linen and Geo on them, even if you don't see it. Obviously this is too saturated for making a morge (wash)

[george13]

I actually dumpted it and made a new one, since it also had some ash particles from my Morbier.  But good to know for future procedures.

[Tomer1]

Morbier is brined aswell as dry salted (in the ash layer) ?

[iratherfly]

The ash layer of Morbier is not salted. The ash can be sprinkled of painted as a paste using a brush.
It is first brined to salt it and create the rind.  The dry salting is just a wash technique: They sprinkle some coarse salt on the surface of the cheese and then rub the wash with a rag that is soaked with morge. Turn the cheese, do other side.  Instead of dissolving salt in the morge, this scubbing action of the dry coarse flakes with the rag creates these microscopic scratches all over the rind. As the rind heals it becomes tougher and tougher every time. this salt also helps feed the rind flora and eliminate pathogens.  This technique is very common in big wheels with wash rinds of this French/Swiss alpine region

[Jen R]

HI
What is "morge"? You refer to using a rag soaked with morge when rubbing the rind of a morbier cheese.

[iratherfly]

So sorry for taking so long to reply, I totally missed this one. You probably found out all about morge by now!

Morge is just a cheese wash. Usually a light brine of 3%-6% salt with or without any combination of B.Linen, Geotrichum Candidum and yeasts. The base for morge can also be either water, wine, beer or liqueur. In some cases, morge can be made by pulverizing rind of another cheese in a blender with water and salt. You would do that either to replicate one cheese qualities as you apply them to another cheese, or to build up generations of succesive heirloom of your special cheese.