Topical Blue Mold Application

[Milk Maid]

I am wondering if blue mold is ever applied through the spray method- as is sometimes done with white mold spores. I'm thinking of a Blue Log cheeses or one where blue is concentrated on the surface and less in the paste. Thanks.

[linuxboy]

Yes it is, for blue-covered lactic and semi-lactic logs.

[Tomer1]

Does it work better for lactic blues then adding to the milk?   I tried a lactic blue once and it tasted... weird.  a bit bitter too.  (It was likely a combination of the milk and too much moisture, not the use of PR)

[linuxboy]

Are you asking if you can add PR to the milk for lactics? Yes.  Question here is about topical, though. If you add it to milk, it's a bit of a waste when doing a log because there are no openings.

[Tomer1]

Well to connect to a different thread about a lactic blue fail I made (it was a 300 gr piece).  The blue only grew on the outside and didnt work on the paste really (perhaps a bit of blue aroma action going on) but there was a profound bitterness to the cheese. (I cant say of its the PR or the milk as I didnt repeat this expiriment since then)

Is the point of spraying the log cheese serves only to give it a blue\green coating? (as you said, theres no opening) or does it suppose to work from the outside in in some way? (this might work better within time management with a log shaped cheese as its very narrow)

[linuxboy]

If it was bitter, that's not the PR. Milk was off, or contaminated, or something similar.

Surface PR applications are a way to introduce some more aroma and presentation.... they do very little for flavor and texture. Some PR strains are a little proteolytic, but most are not and work primarily on fat. Plus, the amount of time and conditions for PR to grow for it to break down cheese are challenging to achieve on a surface application.

If you are doing a full lactic blue with openings, that's very much about starter strain selection, milk quality, and most importantly the curd handling. It's easier to do a semi-lactic, gives you more pH flexibility.

[Tomer1]

I see, a definite challenge. :)

[linuxboy]

Many people view an all-lactic open blue as a pinnacle of mastery. IMHO, by the time one is able to achieve it, the technique and application must be so precise, it becomes a different kind of art.

[Tomer1]

Any exampler cheeses which I should look at?   These lactic blues are not very common (based on google search).

If you are doing a full lactic blue with openings, that's very much about starter strain selection

Perhaps some gas producing yeast could help.  Also I can think of a technique in which the curds are predrained and pressed and once consolidated (as far as a lactic curds are able to "stick") are broken up and reformed.    essentially applying a cantal technique of sort.   
Is this is what your refering to are am I off target?