Wrapping choices for white mould cheeses

[RobJP]

Just getting into the wonders of white mould, and I would love to hear everyones experiences with the different wrapping mediums.

Successes, failures, good and not so good places to source etc.

I humbly await your sage advice..

[Alex]

There are special purpose papers for wrapping those cheeses.
I never used them, I use wrinkled alum foil for Camemberts and others.

[Tea]

Well I have tried a number of things, but wrapping in foil seems to be the best.  I did purchase the proper wrapping papers and have just wrapped one, so I will let you know what I think in a couple of weeks.

Alex what is wrinkled alum?

[RobJP]

Ok.

So aluminium foil is at the top of the list so far.
Has anyone tried greaseproof paper/ paraffin paper/ parchment paper?
Just trying to get some info on how the different papers have performed for different people.

My personal first experience using a foil/paper sandwich available in supermarkets here in Japan was.. interesting.

I use this Foil/paper to wrap fresh lactic acid cheeses with good results, but when I tried with the white mould, the mould attached beatifully to the inner paper layer leaving you trying to eat a cheese that had a perfect coating of  thin paper over it.

Anyone ever eat paper as a child?
The taste and texture hasn't changed since then if you were wondering.

but I digress.
I'd love to hear failure stories just as much as successes.

Your turn..

[Alex]

Tea,
I take a simple piece of foil and wrinkle it gently with my fingers, then spread it again. The purpose of wrinkling is, to enable some air to be trapped and so blooming will continue.

Rob,

The special papers have a special feature that enable the cheese breathing from inside out.

[Tea]

Alex, thankyou for that, I was wondering whether it was a pre-made product.

Rob I did try wrapping in silicone baking paper, then foil, but as Alex explained, the cheeses need to breath, and these couldn't, so were wet, and stinky when I finally checked them.  So now I just wrap in foil.

Actually the special papers that I just purchased were plastic on one side, paper on the other, with tiny perforations, and I was wondering whether freezer paper that is used for quilting could be used, as it is plastic on one side and paper on the other.  I might give this a go in the future.

[Alex]

Tea,

I tried baking paper too, it sticks to the cheese almost impossible to peel it of the cheese.
The alum foil wrapping should be opened occasionally to aerate the cheese, otherwise, some unpleasant ammonia may develop, especially with Camembert.

[Tea]

Ahh I wondered that.  So the smell, is part of the aging, as long as it doesn't over take everything.  So how do the commercial companies, wrap and sell without the smell?

[Baby Chee]

Good thread.  I'm taking my ultra-stink ammonia 10" Camembert across country in a week.  I'll probably wrinkle foil around a cake board, then wrap it all in another case of foil, the cheese on the foiled board.

[Tea]

Talking about the ultra stink, the brie's that I ashed, for the first time didn't have this smell.  Wondering if the ash filtered this smell. 

[Alex]

I don't know if ash filters the smell to develope.

[Laughingfrog]

I wrap my white moulded cheeses in the two-ply white paper that allows them to breathe, but also begins the ripening process that turns them into something magical. I have found that if I don't wrap the cheeses in a timely manner, and wait a little too long, they harden and don't ever get to the melty stage that we crave. They are still good, just not what we are after. I also use leaves to wrap them sometimes. Or both nettle leaves, which are meant to be eaten as part of the final cheese (the white mould somewhat covers the leaf)  and then finish it with paper to ripen it. I have had extremely good luck with these cheeses (chaource is my favorite), and I believe the cheese paper is the reason. It is important to unwrap them at least 1/2 hour before eating them and let them breathe and warm a bit. (Ha ha, good luck with that one! I literally need to go out of the room as soon as I unwrap them or that cheese is a gonner!)

[Tropit]

I like the paper that is made especially for mold ripened cheeses.  I think it's the same paper that kelley is referring to above.  I buy mine at Cheesemaking.com.  When I'm low on cash, I just use wax paper, wrapping it a little loose to allow for air circulation.  I am not an aluminum foil fan.

[Cheese Head]

When I was trying to make Camemberts , I also used the special purpose dual layer papers but with paper stickers to hold the flaps down while they were turned and as easy labelling location.

Here's some info on my not great wrapping method. After which I bought a small manufactured Brie to see how they wrapped it.

I used aluminum foil for wrapping a Stilton, couple members thought not a good idea as acid may leach it out into cheese.