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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => ADJUNCT - Blue Mold (Penicillium roqueforti) Ripened => Topic started by: Dorchestercheese on October 24, 2017, 12:41:35 AM
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Hi I made blue cheese two weeks ago and after two week i see a couple tiny spots of blue mold on surface...i do see a good coating of white fuzz maybe it the blue mold..i used only 4 skewer tips of blue mold as Caldwell calls for in one of her recipes...It work fine last time I made it...what could be slowing the mold growth?
Does the salting on the outside slow the mold growth?
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Too little salt is the most likely thing to cause pc or geo to out grow blue mold.
At least 2.5 percent up to 3.5 percent by weight to the drained curd
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Check the temperature and humidity of your conditions. Penicillium needs air (which is why we want spaces within the paste), 11-13C and RH or 90%. When my cheeses grow blue slowly, it is usually because it is too cold.
The white mold is probably a contaminant and can inhibit Penicillium growth. You should brush or scrape it off.
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I even re-applied the blue to the outside still nothing growing and I'm about 80% sure the blue culture is ok
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A couple of notes of curiosity. This recipe I've made before but I did a couple changes..
Change one I added in about 1/4 gallon of cream from raw milk that set at RT overnight.
I did forget the one teaspoon of salt added to the curd before forming ..but did salt the outside twice per the recipe.
The cheese is in my blue cheese fridge/cave - 85-90% humidity and 50-55F
Possible too much milk fat?
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I don't know about to much fat, when I make my Stiltonesque cheese I throw in 1/2 gallon cream with 4 1/2 gallon of milk.
they always turn blue (although most of my cheese do, go figure :o) I use 3/32 ts PR/PV in my make.
you might want to air it for awhile every day if your not already doing that.
I'm guessin we'll see, tomorrow I will be starting one, can't believe it's over 3 years since the last one WOW!
Harold
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just when you think it won't grow, and put it with your non-moldy cheeses, guess what....been there, done that and even once I'd started paste waxing, there was blue under the paste wax on the underside of the cheese (where the humidity was higher).
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Thanks guys..
my last check is to make sure the mold culture is alive and just painted some bread with it..
I would be surprised if there was no blue inside....i'll let it be
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Did you color this cheese with annatto?
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No just getting yellow with time.. butter fat..
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No just getting yellow with time.. butter fat..
Linens...growing nicely. ;)
-Boofer-
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Linens...growing nicely. ;)
-Boofer-
Sure looks that way to me. ;)
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Not that yellow in person ..more like to color of butter..
if it linens what next? Scrap it off? Vinegar? Salt?
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If it is linens then just go with it . It will still be a good cheese, just maybe not what you were shooting for.
That is why making cheese is so much fun , even the mistakes are good to eat.
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Lol.. it was the chance I took letting Mother Nature to her mood.
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Okay, which PR did you use and did you allow the rind to dry and form prior to placing it in the cave?
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Perhaps I should test my blue mold culture.
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I have had my PR/PV for a very long time.
the one thing I do is put the required amount in 1/4 cup distilled water the night before my make,
I have seen that there is a difference in how fast the blue comes on if I mix it just before the make,
I always get blue it just comes on sooner if I prepare it the night before.
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Okay, which PR did you use and did you allow the rind to dry and form prior to placing it in the cave?
Which one is it and did you let it dry outside of the cave?
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I have had my PR/PV for a very long time.
the one thing I do is put the required amount in 1/4 cup distilled water the night before my make,
I have seen that there is a difference in how fast the blue comes on if I mix it just before the make,
I always get blue it just comes on sooner if I prepare it the night before.
Have you always done this? Where did you get this technique? Sounds like something other blues makers could implement.
-Boofer-
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Many of the recipes, and instructions that come with the PR, call for rehydrating 24 hours prior to use. I never found it necessary but never tried it either. Many of them call for rehydration in cool water 10 minutes prior to use. I usually rehydrate it in cool water when I place the milk in the pot and begin heating, about an hour before use but that is with the powder. I have also just placed the powdered form onto the milk at the beginning of the heating phase. They all worked fine. I suspect his PR is the issue. It doesn't sound like he may have used enough and I would like to know which one he used. As I'm sure you are aware, different PR cultures call for varying amounts.
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I have tried it all the different ways as you have Al, I believe I stared to do it with the overnight rehydration when I noticed the blue came on faster from reading my notes.
The overnighter came on in 3 to 4 days while the others took 5 or 6.
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Sounds about right. Mine usually show up on the fifth day when using the powder. The liquid, of course, is already hydrated. LOL
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The liquid, of course, is already hydrated. LOL
WOW the wonders of the modern age.
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The cheese set outside the cave for 5 days before moving it into the cave. No real moisture on the surface. I bought the PR from New England cheese and works just fine when sprinkled on a moist piece of bread. I believe other culture got a head start as I let the milk sit at room temp to collect the cream off the top. I added this cream to full cream raw milk. High cream content milk.
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I can't see any reason it wouldn't develop but it does sound like you used very little.
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Guess I'll wait and see. Caldwell in a few of her recipes call for 3-4 skewer tips it's worked before and on the bread. I'll let you know after it ages further.
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Guess I'll wait and see. Caldwell in a few of her recipes call for 3-4 skewer tips it's worked before and on the bread. I'll let you know after it ages further.
Yeah, not real big on "skewer tips". Sounds like an undefinable measure used to cover up for later mistakes of which, you will find many in cheese books. Karlin's book has a 3 1/2 page list of corrections to her one book. Most of the blue recipes I know of, and they range from 2 - 4 gallons of milk, call for 1/64 to 1/16 teaspoon of PR. I'm sure H-J-K can add to this but between us we have made a lot of blues. I, and if I were you, avoid any recipe that uses skewer tips and, if encountered, would use 1/64 teaspoon in their stead.
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I hate the whole "skewer tip" measurement, too, but aside from that, Caldwell's book and it's information and base recipes are invaluable.