Hello from Iowa

[meranyrae]

Hello, I'm in a small town just outside Des Moines, Iowa. My interest in making cheese is for personal consumption and possibly as gifts to close friends. I'm fascinated by the changes that are made from milk to a cheese product. I've been making cheese at home for about a year now and own several books on the subject. This is my first forum attempt.

merany

[meranyrae]

btw... I also make ricotta with the whey left over and then... I have found no better natural fertilizer for tomato's than the final whey product. It's amazing that you can get three benefits; a hard/soft cheese, then ricotta, and then a fertilizer out of one substance. I'm soooo hoping santa will bring me a dairy cow this year.

[linuxboy]

I can't tell what the rind coloration is underneath all the cheese mite residue. Can you brush it off or vacuum it off and take another pic? Most likely all that is visible are multiple mold species.

[meranyrae]

eek! I had no idea. Will research. Thank you.

[meranyrae]

I think I'm done cheesemaking

[linuxboy]

They're perfectly harmless. Vacuum them off and you'll be good to go.

[crazycacti]

Dont be put off some cheeses even want cheese mites - eg Mimolette: