I made a pepper jack last week end, and I set it out at room temperature to air dry for 2 to 5 days like the recipe says. This is my 3rd pressed cheese, just so you know where I am. My first two cheeses dried nicely, but this one seems to be really moist and has started to mold. I made a brine this morning of salt and water, and I took a piece of cheese cloth and dipped it in the brine and wiped off all of the mold. Then I placed the cheese in my cheese refrigerator at 52 degrees and went to work.
Is this proper treatment to keep the mold down? The cheese is still very moist, and does not have a dry coating all over the outside yet. The edges are dry, but not all of it. I thought that the refrigerator would help keep the mold down, it is 70 degrees in my house now.
Should I leave it in the refrigerator to dry, or should I take it back out?
The recipe says that I can wax it or oil it. I have only waxed my cheese so far, I have never oiled one. What does that do for the cheese?