dark brown spots on taleggio

[Jen R]

I have made two batches of taleggio recently. Both of them developed dark brown spots within a few days of being made. I ditched the first batch after a few weeks  thinking that the spots were signs of contamination of some kind, although the cheese smelled right and the texture was good when I cut it open. My second batch, made this weekend has the same brown spots developing, this time within two days of being made. I'm now wondering whether this is the B linens developing in a rather spotty fashion. I added the mould and some geo at 90oF and let is soften for a few minutes before stirring it in and letting it ripen for 30 minutes and then adding rennet. Any ideas out there?

[Caseus]

Can you post a picture? 

Being a noob, I don't have experience to draw on and I can't offer advice worth listening to.  But from what I've read, B. linens takes quite a while to show.   I don't think you'd see it in two days.

The Taleggio I saw at the store recently had a distinctly brown rind, thin skin, with cracks and fissures at the surface only, and what apppeared to be soft  paste below.  I've never touched or tasted a Taleggio, so I can't say if that is normal.

[jizo63]

I know taleggio cheese well!
I live in Lecco, city near the Valsassina, where Taleggio and gorgonzola cheeses are aged.
Taleggio cheese is not a problematic cheese to made but really difficult to age.
Needs a special cave, high humidity and low temperatures and lot of cure, like all washed rim cheese.
Brown spot are not normal, did you salt enough?
It is mold or just color spots?
Did you use some dark wood to work or store in cheese ?
Mau

[Jen R]

In the end I contacted the supplier of the mould. She said that she also got dark brown spots when making taleggio so we have assumed that this is a characteristic of this version of the mould. I might try another supplier to see if there is a difference.

[george13]

There should not be any brown spots.  Perhaps you have a source of contamination in your fridge.  Wash the rind well, with your salt solution and BL.  In the future add a very smal amount of Geo in your mix, this will inhibit some of the other molds as it spreads, but then you could always control the geo by washing the cheese. Bottom line, a little white mold is much more acceptable than a brown or dark spot.