Cheese Mold & Micro Environments In My Cheese Cave

Why did blue mold grow only on the side of my Colby that faced down, and only in the middle? This is a real clue from my cheese cave, and the science behind it surprised me. My Colby sat on a rack about an inch above a plate. When I turned it over, the underside had blue mold clustered toward the center, with about an inch clear at the rim. In this video I follow the clue: still air under the cheese, why the rim stays drier, why the mold is blue, and a surprise about what a 3% brine wash really does. In researching this topic I not only learned about micro environments and why they matter but also that my brine wash had some wrong assumptions that I needed to update. Finally because of this I also realized that having a small fan in my cheese cave was necessary and not a "nice to have". Along the way: • A microenvironment is a small pocket with its own conditions, like the space between the bottom of a cheese and the plate. • Moist air under a cheese can only escape at the rim, and cheese dries from the outside in. • The blue is in the spores. A young mold colony starts out white. • A 3% brine wash helps mostly by wiping the blue away. Its salt holds back white Geotrichum more than most blue molds. • I added a small fan to my cave after learning this. So I learned a lot about micro environments and that they are important to my cheese's development. The references for this are in the video. Cheese Press Calculator: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/cheese-... https://joyofcheese.com/ Disclaimer This information is provided for educational purposes only. It describes the method I personally use in my own kitchen. It is not professional, medical, or food-safety advice, and it is not a recommendation that you follow this process, I am not telling anyone how they should make cheese. By using this information, you agree that the author accepts no liability for any illness, loss, or damage arising from its use. Joy of Cheese recipes and information are based on experiences and are shared with no guarantees. Results may vary. Use at your own risk. Content has not been evaluated by the FDA.