I was making a Chaource a few days back and I noticed that the PC and Geo bloomed quite rapidly because of the longer room temperature treatment of the cheese. So I started searching for more empirical evidence of this and I found this paper (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168160516301398) that models the various factors affecting PC and PR germination time.
Quite a bit of this is knowledge most of you already have:
- Both molds germinate optimally at 99% RH;
- They also seem to be able to germinate at near freezing temperatures, although it will take some time;
- Optimal germination temperature is at 26°C;
- Comparatively, germination time at 15°C will take twice as long and at 10°C will take four times as long;
- Optimal pH is at about 5.5-5.6 but they still germinate quite quickly at pH greater than about 4.5
So what I'm wondering about at this point is this---considering that it takes much longer for the mold to germinate in the 10-15°C environment, is there any significant downsides to letting them germinate at room temperature (~25°C) and then putting them directly into the cold aging space immediately after they coat the cheese?
Nightsky, I haven't had a chance to look at the link -- did it distinguish between germination and growth? I think of the former as the spores "waking up" rather than necessarily covering the cheese with an obvious layer, but I may be misunderstanding the terminology. :(
Well, I'm not too sure if the paper can be publicly accessed as I'm using an academic IP. But anyway, the study explicitly focuses on the germination (i.e. the time for the spores to "sprout", creating the initial bloom) rather than growth. This is why I'm curious if such a speedup is feasible.
My quick thought is yes , it will speed it up to have them at room temps for longer.
I have also noticed a much faster sprouting time when making charouce or pc aged goat cheeses , as they sit out for a total of 2.5 to 3 days before going into the cave .
Have you noticed any downsides to doing that? I've read in various threads here that growing PC and Geo at warmer temperatures correspond to increased chances of slip skin and rapid ammonization. But does it necessarily have the same effects when only germination is done at a warmer temperature? If this process is possible, it might be useful for those who don't have a dedicated cheese cave (yet) as it will require only a warmer room and a regular fridge.
About the lactic cheeses, I initially thought it was the pH at work but after going through the paper, it looks like the temperature is the main factor for this rapid sprouting effect.
If I did not have a dedicated cheese cave I would find a way to use ice packs and a cooler to make a short term cheese cave for the first week at least to get a good growth started . Even if it only stayed around 60 degrees or so , that would really help.
Other wise one would need to adjust curd moisture level a little to help ward off slip skin