# Why is my cheese molding?



## delaware smoker (Dec 13, 2016)

Back in Oct.I smoked some cheese,to give out for Christmas gifts.I looked at them yesterday,and they all have mold on them.After I smoked the cheese,I let them sit in the fridge uncover for twenty four hours.After that,I wrapped them in wax paper,and put back in fridge.I smoked some cheese before and vacumed seal them.They also molded.I know that you can cut away the mold,and still eat the cheese.But I don't wanna do that for gifts.What can I do?I did read where you can put olive oil on the cheese and any mold will be on the oil not on the cheese.All you do is wipe the oil off.Anyone do this?

Thanks,Bill


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## SmokinAl (Dec 13, 2016)

I have had cheese in vac packs for almost 2 years in the fridge & have never had any mold.

I don't know what to tell you.

Hopefully someone with an answer will be along shortly!

Al


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## cmayna (Dec 13, 2016)

I also have cheese over 2 years of age vacuumed sealed, no oil,  no mold.  I question if your vacuum sealer is pulling all the air out?   Leak some where?


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## hillbillyrkstr (Dec 13, 2016)

Every now and then I'll get a little mold where the vacu bag creased when being sealed. It's very rare and i have always assumed it's because I have a cheap food saver vacu sealer. If ALL of your vacu sealed cheese is molding it's time for a new sealer because your old one is leaving air in your bags.


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## delaware smoker (Dec 13, 2016)

The cheese that are molding now,have not been vac sealed.I wraped them in wax paper.I read where you can wash the mold off with a brush and water.i'll try that.


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## bigtrain74 (Dec 13, 2016)

Hey man, you gotta get a vacuum sealer.

http://www.foodsaver.com/vacuum-sealers/remanufactured-vacuum-sealers/

plus get 10% off when you sign up for e-mails.

Enjoy man


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## daveomak (Dec 13, 2016)

Run your smoker up to 275 for an hour or 2 before you add anything to it to kill all bacteria, molds and pathogens...  When you slice the cheese, wear plastic gloves, place on clean racks, remove the same, place on clean racks to rest....  wrap in plastic wrap wearing gloves...  vac seal...

Dirty hands or food racks or a smoker that has been sitting have all sorts of stuff on them that will grow....


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## hoity toit (Dec 13, 2016)

DaveOmak said:


> Run your smoker up to 275 for an hour or 2 before you add anything to it to kill all bacteria, molds and pathogens...  When you slice the cheese, wear plastic gloves, place on clean racks, remove the same, place on clean racks to rest....  wrap in plastic wrap wearing gloves...  vac seal...
> 
> Dirty hands or food racks or a smoker that has been sitting have all sorts of stuff on them that will grow....


Good Point.,especially on the gloves, I use the grill mats from Todd to lay the cheese on, that way I don't have to worry too much about  dirty racks, but I will from now on do the burn off on the smoker like you said.

HT


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## oregon smoker (Dec 17, 2016)

Good Point Dave on the 225 degree burn off, Thank You.

Knock on wood but in all my cheeses i have not had a mold issue (vac sealed & now waxed as well) the only time is if we open a vac pac use some then reseal.

Tom


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## daveomak (Dec 17, 2016)

Oregon Smoker said:


> Good Point Dave on the 225 degree burn off, Thank You.
> 
> Knock on wood but in all my cheeses i have not had a mold issue (vac sealed & now waxed as well) the only time is if we open a vac pac use some then reseal.
> 
> Tom


Tom, afternoon.....   250 minimum to kill any botulism spores....   I set the smoker at max.  275 to be safe.....


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## oregon smoker (Dec 18, 2016)

Dave, thanks I will give that a try...it could not hurt to do this every so often?

Tom


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## daveomak (Dec 18, 2016)

Oregon Smoker said:


> Dave, thanks I will give that a try...it could not hurt to do this every so often?
> 
> Tom


I "bake" my smoker at the end of every cooking cycle and again at the start of the next cycle...    Just something I started doing...


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## oregon smoker (Dec 18, 2016)

Dave, that works for me, how long do you "bake" for??
Thanks, Tpm


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## daveomak (Dec 19, 2016)

Oregon Smoker said:


> Dave, that works for me, how long do you "bake" for??
> Thanks, Tpm


I usually bake the smoker for a couple hours...   What that does, from what I've found, it hardens and dries out any grease splatters etc... I end up with a dried cake on the walls and racks that I can scrape off every so often...   Before I started the baking process, the stuff on the walls stayed sort of soft and would grow mold very easily...    now I don't have mold if it's left unattended for any length of time...


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## oregon smoker (Dec 19, 2016)

Thanks Dave for the info! I will be implementing this process, can not hurt

Tom


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