When I age bloomed cheese I make sure I open the container each day to refresh the air. Appears to work well and I have had no problems with ammonia smells. My washed rind cheese is just plonked on a shelf in the cheese fridge and washed down as it needs it.

I like that technical term, plonked! Good to hear, thank you.

Getting VEEEEERY nervous!!!!!

A couple of days ago it began to develop a little bit of surface mold. I dabbed it with vinegar, then decided that wouldn’t be adequate with all the nooks and crannies of the basket design, so I decided to rub salt all over it. Why not? -after all, I reason, it has already been soaked in brine for a day. Two days later it has developed what appears to be three different molds growing on the surface.

Thinking out loud: WHAT is that orange stuff at 11 o’clock?! I’m used to surfaces of blues and brie styles, but not this. Is this just the beginning of normal-for-this-cheese, or should I stop and eat it before it gets REALLY weird…?

Ciao,
Bobbie

Almost all washed rind cheese develops that orange mould. Don’t worry, it is perfectly edible. It can be controlled by judicious scraping and rubbing the cheese down with a clean cloth dampened with brine or brine-vinegar. As the cheese hardens you can rub a little more vigorously to smooth out the surface and polish it a little.
I would suggest your humidity may be too high in the container it is stored in. Blue mould needs high humidity to develop.

yup orange is normal for “Washed” cheese , its the grey black you want to avoid.

Thanks guys! No more worrying- life is too short.

I should review my terms- I didn’t realize brined cheeses were in the washed rind family too- I think of beer, wine, etc but brine? ok- good reminder. Some of the spots are rather grey black, but I think I’ll be able to control it with vigilant rubbing as suggested. I’ve taken some water out of the box as well- since I don’t have a precise way to gauge the humidity it’s a bit of a guessing game.

It’s still the handsomest cheese I’ve made- so excited! Photos when it’s ready!
Cheers,
Bobbie

Most unwaxed and non bloomed cheese is given the occasional rub down to prevent it getting too festy. Even if it is not technically a washed-rind cheese. It is important not to soak the cheese each time it is washed- wring the cloth out well. Allow time for the cheese to dry a little before it is next washed, don’t automatically wash each day as some recipes suggest.

yup i find recipes just a guideline. it changes so much depending on the country, UK is far more humid then the Prairies in Canada and then again different in California. When I did my first washes cheese I watched it for borderline dry and gave it a wipe. Was all excited to see the orange start appearing