Homemade Pecorino trouble

[theagingwheel]

I made my first Pecorino a few weeks back, and I'm seeing some surface mold, reddish and bluish spots. Scrubbing with vinegar or brine didn't do the trick. Any ideas on what to do?

 

[MrsDairy]

Surface mold is super common on natural rinds. Don't worry, it should be manageable!

My first thought is that your humidity might be a little high. What's your cave setup like? For Pecorino, you're aiming for around 80-85% RH. High humidity makes it easy for those molds to grow. Also instead of just scrubbing, try a light brine wash made with 2-3% salt. I know some cheesemakers who even add a bit of Geotrichum candidum culture to the wash, which helps good molds colonize the rind and outcompete the unwanted ones. You can also carefully scrape off the spots with a knife before washing.

So as long as the mold isn't deep inside the cheese, it's okay! Just keep an eye on it, and maintain a regular washing schedule. Let us know how it goes!

 

[theblueveindre4m]

The reddish and bluish spots you see on your Pecorino are probably due to Penicillium or Geotrichum molds. To tackle this issue, try raising the humidity to about 85-90%. Gently brush off the spots, then sprinkle a thin layer of salt over the affected areas. It's important to keep the temperature steady and cool, ideally around 50-55°F. If the mold keeps coming back, you can use a diluted hydrogen peroxide solution to wash the cheese. However, if these methods don't work, the cheese might be too contaminated and you may need to throw it out.

 

[OhMyCheese]

@theagingwheel Those reddish and bluish spots do sound like a type of mold (like Brevibacterium or Penicillium) that thrives in specific conditions.
The good news is that these molds are usually just on the surface and won't harm the cheese if you clean them off. The fact that vinegar didn't work means you need a more aggressive cleaning method

 

[thecheesy1]

Surface mold is super common on natural rinds. Don't worry, it should be manageable!

My first thought is that your humidity might be a little high. What's your cave setup like? For Pecorino, you're aiming for around 80-85% RH. High humidity makes it easy for those molds to grow. Also instead of just scrubbing, try a light brine wash made with 2-3% salt. I know some cheesemakers who even add a bit of Geotrichum candidum culture to the wash, which helps good molds colonize the rind and outcompete the unwanted ones. You can also carefully scrape off the spots with a knife before washing.

So as long as the mold isn't deep inside the cheese, it's okay! Just keep an eye on it, and maintain a regular washing schedule. Let us know how it goes!

Thanks for the info! My sister's aging our first Pecorino in a wine fridge converted into a cave, and we've noticed some fuzzy spots showing up. Been wiping with brine, but didn't know about adding Geotrichum, does that change the flavor much? Also, how often do you check or wash the rind during those early weeks? This has been such a fun learning curve!

 

[vanillabeans]

Make sure that you have airflow in your aging space. Aside from having too much humidity, poor airflow in your aging space can also cause these molds to keep returning.