Mold test

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hillbilly jim

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Apr 13, 2015
330
58
Floyd, VA
Yesterday (10 AUG), at 3:30 PM, I put a quarter of raw Sharp Cheddar and a quarter of Sharp Cheddar that has been smoked for 16 hours on a plastic food sheet and covered them with a glass bowl.

This test is to indicate which one will show mold first and how long it takes to develop.

I will report with a photo as soon as I see evidence.

 
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I'm sort of curious as to why you are doing this experiment.

Vac packed cheese will stay good without mold for a year or longer in the fridge.

Do you store your cheese un-refrigerated?

Just asking.

Al
 
My hypothesis is that the smoke will act as a retardant to the onset of mold.

I know the raw cheese is going to mold and I fully expect the smoked cheese to mold. The purpose of this test is to determine the time lag (if any) of the smoked cheese going to mold as compared to the raw cheese.

The raw cheese is simply acting as a 'base standard' against which the smoke cheese will be compared.  

No, I DON'T store my cheese unrefrigerated.
 
OK I understand now.

I think you may be right, that the smoke will inhibit mold growth.

Should be interesting.

Al
 
I'm curious, too. I coat my cheese with olive oil and vac pack and have yet to see any mold after months. I've had snack sticks develope mold after 3 or 4 weeks in the fridge in baggies. I think it's all about air & moisture, not smoke.
Points for sacrificing two hunks of cheese for science!! Thumbs Up
:popcorn
 
The smoke is a mold retardant and this experiment should prove it. Another proof is the known fact that cold smoking dry cured sausages/salamis after they develop the beneficial white mold will kill it.
 
Four days into the test and there's mold developing all over the raw cheese. None at all yet on the smoked cheese.
 
I've got smoked cheese that has been vac packed and going on 22 months old  in my snack fridge , there is no mold.
 
 
I've got smoked cheese that has been vac packed and going on 22 months old  in my snack fridge , there is no mold.
​The two cheeses in this test are neither packaged or refrigerated.

I just checked it again and there's still no mold on the smoked cheese. The raw cheese is past the point where most people would chuck it in the trash. 

I have noticed, however, that the color of the smoked cheese is darkening.
 
Excellent experiment, Hillbilly!
I think at this point we know smoking is a good thing (We all agree on that, anyway, right? [emoji]128512[/emoji])
I think now I would package the smoked one and slice the mold off the other one and eat it. Don't tell my wife that, though....
Dan

:points:
 
That's amazing so far!

Especially, as the smoked cheese is so close to un-smoked and under same bowl.  It certainly is exposed to mold spores and yet no signs of any growing.
 
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