I made 2 caerphilly cheeses and am waxing one and aging the other in an aging box. I am using Mary Karlin's "Artisan Cheese Making at Home" and in the book indicates that you can get a softer cheese with a natural rind. Is that correct? how soft will it become - brie like? below is the excerpt from the book: "Place the cheese on a mat in a ripening box and ripen at 50 F to 55 F at 85% humidity, flipping daily. After 10 to 14 days a whitish gray mold will appear. Once this occurs, flip the cheese twice a week until a crust is formed. Brush the surface twice a week at the same time as you flip the cheese to encourage mold growth. . . . . After 3 weeks from the beginning of ripening, the cheese will begin to soften under the crust." Any idea what mold is forming?
Basically you will get whatever mould is in your house/cellar. Somewhat interestingly I have a really delicious wild blue mould in my area. I've made blue cheese from it numerous times (even on purpose a few times ;-) ). There is no guarantee what will happen. If you happen to get some penicillium candidum, then it may produce some ammonia and soften your cheese a bit. I don't think it will ever get runny, though. You keep rubbing and patting down the mould, so it doesn't go crazy.
Thanks