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GENERAL CHEESE MAKING BOARDS (Specific Cheese Making in Boards above) => STANDARD METHODS - Aging Cheese => Topic started by: Cormaggio on July 25, 2009, 04:48:13 PM

Title: Mycadore - Usage On Natural Rinds?
Post by: Cormaggio on July 25, 2009, 04:48:13 PM
Hello. My name is Corry. I'm a home Cheese maker from Southern California and new to this forum. I've read some great information in this forum! Does any body have any information regarding hard rind development using a mold culture called Mycodore?
Title: Re: Mycadore - Usage On Natural Rinds?
Post by: Cheese Head on July 25, 2009, 05:49:35 PM
Hi Corry, welcome to this forum!

Sorry never heard of Mycodore, bing'd it summary page (http://www.fromagex.com/product_info.php?products_id=937&language=en), data sheet (http://www.fromagex.com/images/datasheet_fr/FER-MYC2.pdf) but in french.

Search this forum and got this hit (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,573.msg12011.html#msg12011).

Good luck!
Title: Re: Mycadore - Usage On Natural Rinds?
Post by: Cormaggio on August 02, 2009, 05:23:59 AM
Hi John,
Sorry I took so long to reply. I'm new to this forum's software. Thanks for the reply. I purchased some mycodore and B. linens from Glengarry in Canada. Made a 3% brine with Geotricum, B. linens and mycodore as Margaret Morris explains in her book. Rubbed it 2 times a week for 6 weeks. Placed cheese in a plastic box that is about 93-97% RH. Nothing has grown. I'm not sure what I am doing wrong.
Actually, any kind of firm rind would do. So far my rinds have resembled plastic. I thought the mycodore would give it a nice leathery slicable texture. Any suggestions on rind development. Thanks
Title: Re: Mycadore - Usage On Natural Rinds?
Post by: DeejayDebi on August 03, 2009, 12:51:12 AM
Welcome to the forum Corry. I have not yet tried Margarete instruction on Geotricum, B. linens and mycodore but I love her book. I just wish it had an index. Wonderful woman though!
Title: Re: Mycadore - Usage On Natural Rinds?
Post by: Cormaggio on August 07, 2009, 06:27:18 PM
Yes Margaret is a wonderful person. I'm a bit concerned about how she ships her cultures. Mine took about 5 days in regular mail. Who knows what temperatures the cultures were exposed to. I'm suspicious the cultures were damaged in route. I can't get anything to grow! Margaret does not think there is a problem with the cultures. I think I'm going to give up on the Mycodore. Do you have any words of wisdom regarding natural rind developement? I'm hoping for a firm but slicable rustic looking rind I've seen on cheeses such as a french Cantal. Any suggestions would help. Love your website by the way!

Corry
Title: Re: Mycadore - Usage On Natural Rinds?
Post by: Cheese Head on August 07, 2009, 06:47:24 PM
Hi Corry, sorry but I have minimal poor experience with nat rind, hoping some of the more experienced people will reply.

Moved your post to where they may notice it better, hope OK. What type of washed rind cheese are you making?
Title: Re: Mycadore - Usage On Natural Rinds?
Post by: DeejayDebi on August 08, 2009, 03:27:35 AM
I find a good air drying for a few days until it dry to the touch, then depending on the cheese rubbing with a pice of cheese cloth in a brine solution of about 2 teaspoons of salt to 1 cup of water every other day makes a nice rind. 

You could also try rubbing with olive oil, then doing the brine rubbing.
Title: Re: Mycadore - Usage On Natural Rinds?
Post by: FRANCOIS on August 09, 2009, 08:13:24 PM
I have made many a cheese with mycodore/mycoderm.  I think the issue may be your plastic box.  A natural rinded cheese will not grow very well in a sealed environment.  I have never used your combination of mycodore, b. linen and geo but it should work in theory.  You should see geo (assuming it's 13) start in 3-5 days, with b.linens and 7 to 10.  Mycodore can start anytime after that.  Adding all of it to the milk will help this process.  After brining let the cheese air dry for 1-2 days, this will kick the geo into gear, then you can move into high humidity for the b. linens.  Once they have started I would move down to 85% to develop a good natural rind. 

If you rind isn't growing you may be srubbing them too much, there could be too much salt or the environment is wrong. 
Title: Re: Mycadore - Usage On Natural Rinds?
Post by: Cormaggio on August 19, 2009, 12:14:26 AM
Thanks so much for the suggestions! Can't wait to try them. I have a few questions:
About how much Geo 13, b. linens and mycodore would you add to 2 gallons milk? How often do you rub with brine? Do you add more of the cultures to the brine? I've been successful making camembert with a small plastic box with the lid slightly open. Do you have any suggestions on how to control the humidity in a refrigerator? Thank you again!
Title: Re: Mycadore - Usage On Natural Rinds?
Post by: DeejayDebi on August 19, 2009, 12:36:15 AM
I'm a big advocate of hanging a piece of wet cheese cloth with one end in a bowl of water to add humidity. Works great for me but I have a small dorm fridge.
Title: Re: Mycadore - Usage On Natural Rinds?
Post by: FRANCOIS on August 19, 2009, 12:53:31 AM
geo13 and b. linens are fine in 3% NaCl, mycodore won't tolerate it though.  That culture mix will give you sort of a comte rind.  white geo, b. linens thriving underneath with spotty mold.  If you age it long enough you should get a deep chocolate brown rind from the mold, b. linen interaction.   
Title: Re: Mycadore - Usage On Natural Rinds?
Post by: Cormaggio on August 19, 2009, 03:54:14 AM
Thanks Deejay. I'll try that in my smaller frig.

Francois, I think my problem was the % brine. I mixed what I think is 3% (30mg Kosher salt/ml H2O). What % will support all three: geo13, b.linens and especially mycodore? The "comte" spotty looking rind is what I'm looking for.

By the way, I'm not sure what kind of cheese I'm making. I tasted a cheese in Italy last summer with a natural moldy rind. Not sure the name. I'm using thermo-c and lipase for an Italian flavor.
Title: Re: Mycadore - Usage On Natural Rinds?
Post by: FRANCOIS on September 15, 2009, 08:41:48 PM
1 liter weights 1 kg, so 3% is 30 grams (0.03kg).  I'd still use the 2-3% and just make the washes infrequent after the first week. Be sure to add your cultures to the milk as well.
Title: Re: Mycadore - Usage On Natural Rinds?
Post by: Cormaggio on September 15, 2009, 09:24:37 PM
A week ago the geo appeared with b.linens following a few days later!! I've yet to see mycodore. Thanks for the guidance Francois.  :D