Oiling Rinds (Starts with discussion on moldy under waxed cheddar)

[Alice in TX/MO]

I had done waxed cheeses at first, but now I'm only doing natural/olive oiled rinds.  Less mold.

[wharris]

I have resolved to only waxing right before anyone sees it.
Its only for aesthetics.

[DeejayDebi]

I used Olive oil. I tried grape seed oil and it was disgusting after a few months! Luckily the vinegar`washed it off with some heavy scrubbing! Don't use a lot just polish it on the surface to help build a firm sturdy rind. One you build a hard rind it's like a bowling ball nothing bothers it you can't wipe off.

[Tea]

Thankyou Gentlemen for this.  I made a romano again, and I have been following the procedure of oiling and salting.  2 1/2 months on, and no sign of mould anywhere.

[wharris]

I have a 22lb wheel of parm that is approaching 12 mon.....
killin me not to cut into it...

Followed this general prescription...
No mold in sight...

[Brentsbox]

I really love the idea of using ghee to rub down the cheese.  I have a Lancashire that I just moved to the cave yesterday and so far it is really a beautiful cheese.  Im shooting for a really creamy texture inside and I think the ghee would really compliment what im aiming for.  Still waiting on DeeJayDebi to get back to us on how to properly finish it though. (hint hint)   

I have had some cheeses crack and dont want that to happen with this one for sure. 

[OudeKaas]

I really love the idea of using ghee to rub down the cheese.  I have a Lancashire that I just moved to the cave yesterday and so far it is really a beautiful cheese.  Im shooting for a really creamy texture inside and I think the ghee would really compliment what im aiming for.  Still waiting on DeeJayDebi to get back to us on how to properly finish it though. (hint hint)   

I have had some cheeses crack and dont want that to happen with this one for sure.

I am curious about coating with ghee also as I bought some recently. I have two little 2 lb bandaged cheddars that I started with a lard coating, then stripped and scrubbed with vinegar and salt when green and yellow mold appeared under the bandage about 2 weeks later. Re-coated with lard and re-bandaged, but mold has re-appeared beneath the coating with a vengeance.

So I'm thinking about dispensing with the butter muslin 'bandage' and just re-coating with either lard or ghee. I see others have posted on this forum about success with similar bandage-less coatings.

[zenith1]

Whenever I go the route of oiling I use extra light olive oil. I too have tried grape seed oil and it was not satisfactory.

[OudeKaas]

I really love the idea of using ghee to rub down the cheese.  I have a Lancashire that I just moved to the cave yesterday and so far it is really a beautiful cheese.  Im shooting for a really creamy texture inside and I think the ghee would really compliment what im aiming for.  Still waiting on DeeJayDebi to get back to us on how to properly finish it though. (hint hint)   

I have had some cheeses crack and dont want that to happen with this one for sure.

Just wanted to report back on my own ghee experience. After having mold occur under a crisco/cheesecloth bandage layer and then one I replaced that with which was lard/cheesecloth, I decided to try using just ghee, figuring at least I wouldn't be wasting the effort on re-cutting and laboriously fitting another 'bandage' on the cheese each time.

I ended up slathering on a pretty heavy layer of the clarified butter, but after a couple of weeks, a quick peek revealed no mold beneath it and a fairly moist-looking cheese (I did accidentally slice into the cheese a little, as you can see from the pics) so I have just let it run like that. Looking forward to tasting this first cheddar attempt in another month or two . . .

[OudeKaas]

Here is an update on my ghee-covered cheddar, another 2.5 months later. I had opened the other cheese from this batch and been fairly happy with how it had matured under its coating. I'd been watching this one get moldier and moldier . . .





I finally could not stand the furriness, and there were a couple of areas where I was not sure if the coating had held up, so today I scraped it clean.



I was pretty pleased with the result, with just one little crack with some mold remaining in it. I covered it in new ghee and stowed it away again. It's at about 5.5 months total aging now, but I am trying to hold out as long as I can!




I realize that this is probably way too thick a coating of ghee, but it has worked out OK. Even the areas where it dried out pretty much entirely the mold just stayed on the surface of the cheese, and seems to have died and hardened itself also. I don't think I would go back to trying a cheesecloth bandage again in the near future, this has just worked out better for me.

[arkc]

I just said something like this in another post.

I age Cheddars for up to 1 1/2 years.  I have tried the bandaging but at this length of
time, they all got moldy.

The only thing that I found satisfactory, (thanks to Margaret Morris of Glengarry
Cheese) is coating them with a cream wax prior to the heavier wax.  This has
kept them mold free. The cream wax has something to inhibit mold.

I know that they will age faster with the bandage, but if they get moldy, so what?

annie

[Boofer]

Here is an update on my ghee-covered cheddar, another 2.5 months later. I had opened the other cheese from this batch and been fairly happy with how it had matured under its coating. I'd been watching this one get moldier and moldier . . .

Nice. What a surprise it must have been for you to have it be so clean under the ghee & mold. Well done.

A cheese comes your way for that experimental effort.

-Boofer-

[Tomer1]

I cant imagine dealing with all that greese,
May I offer some advice.

After coating my gouda with lard (did it 3 weeks post make after cloth larding failed and started to grow mold under) I put it in a zip bag,sucked the air out and sealed it.
Its easy to handle and not a hint of mold on top or under the coat.

So you can say Its a cross of two methods keeping mold out and moisture in.
Zip bag alone is not vaccum baging & mold would have quickly took over.
Larding alone is very messy and you would still have to maintain proper humidty in your cave.