Alpine cheese advice

[cheese.face]

I'm working on an alpine style wheel like something in the Gruyère/Comté family, and I've hit a few things I could use some advice on
First, the smell coming off the rind is intense, not quite off putting, but definitely stronger and funkier than what I was expecting this early (about 4 weeks into aging, is that typical for alpine style cheeses with washed rinds, or could I be cultivating the wrong kind of surface flora?, I'm also noticing some sporadic white and a bit of blue mold forming around the edges should I be brushing that off regularly, or letting it ride a bit?
And lastly, when I tested a core sample, the paste is still quite firm and slightly translucent, the smooth, supple interior you get in the classic alpine styles, does that develop more fully with age, or is there a make stage tweak I should be looking at next time?

 

[TheCheeseWhiz]

I can completely relate, I recently aged an alpine-style cheese wheel and noticed that same funky rind smell around week 4. That's pretty common for washed rinds once B. linens starts developing. The white mold you're seeing is probably Geotrichum, and it's actually beneficial, so just leave it be. The blue spots can easily be brushed off or wiped down with a bit of light brine. It's normal for the paste to be firm and translucent at first; it'll soften up as it matures. If it ends up staying too firm, you might want to adjust the moisture levels or cooking temperatures for your next batch.

 

[ILead]

if your rind already reeks at four weeks, you likely overwashed or under-salted, many hobbyists rush to mimic alpine styles without mastering basic moisture control, then blame molds instead of flawed aging environments or make-process errors

 

[Mufasa]

If the rind's already knocking you back at four weeks, you might be overdoing the wash or letting the wrong bugs party. Honestly, great Alpine cheeses flirt with funk, they don't drown in it