Cheese brushes

[Mermaid]

Howdy!

Currently trying to improve my cheese aging process and was wondering about what you all use to brush cheeses with?
I currently use a plastic bristled brush but I find the bristles are too long and not close together enough. Obviously I could buy a cheese brush from a supplier but they tend to be cost prohibitive .
I bet some of you have some good ideas! Maybe share pictures of your cheese brush? Would be very helpful! Thank you!

[Kern]

I don't have a photo of mine to post but you can go on Amazon and get a good horse hair shoe shine brush (soft or stiff) for under about $10.

[John@PC]

What size cheese do you make?  I've got a brush from Paul Smith (Arnaud Forester) but it's a "big 'un".  I would be glad to send it to you for postage only because it's too large for my needs.  By the way, I think it was a brush recommended by Alps, for what it's worth.

[Tiarella]

Lee Valley sells surgical scrub brushes that you can sanitize.  A dozen are pretty cheap.  I also like a rice bristle vegetable cleaning brush.   It has nice stiff bristles. 

[Andrew Marshallsay]

Like Kern, I use a shoe brush, but with plastic bristles.

[Boofer]

I have been using what was originally intended for dishwashing. I can be gentle or more forceful as the cleaning requires.

-Boofer-

[Tiarella]

Boofer, I have an idea!  What if you used one of those dish scrubbers with a soap reservoir and put something like PLA (did I remember that right?) and brine in it??   

[Boofer]

Boofer, I have an idea!  What if you used one of those dish scrubbers with a soap reservoir and put something like PLA (did I remember that right?) and brine in it??   

Too involved for me. I don't use a lot of brine and really rarely brush cheeses.

-Boofer-

[awakephd]

Hmmm ... I think Boofer just gave you the "brush off."



Okay, terrible, but I couldn't resist ...

[Mermaid]

Thank you all for your replies! All very good ideas!

John@PC:  My cheeses are large alpine cheeses- I'd love to see a photo of the brush or a description! I could really use several since I plan on maybe finding someone to train to help me!

[John@PC]

Mermaid:  The brush Paul sent me is at the lower-left of the attached picture.  To the right are 5" reblochon molds to give you an idea of size.  Here's the brush at Amazon with better pictures.  If you email me your address I'll send it to you for price of shipping only (I could only dream of making cheeses as big and your's and Paul's Abondance's).

He also sent me the large and TALL basket molds you see to the right.  I'm not sure what these are for, so if anyone can fill me in I'll know what to fill the molds with .