156 THE BOOK' OF CHEESE 



salted again and piled in two's. After another day they 

 received the third salting and were piled in three's for 

 two days longer. A total of about 10 per cent by weight 

 of salt was used to secure an absorption of 4 per cent. 

 At the same time the water-content dropped to 40 to 

 43 per cent. After salting is completed, the cheeses 

 are brushed and punched with holes to permit oxygen 

 to enter. 1 They are then ready for ripening. 



170. Ripening of Roquefort. The ripening of ex- 

 perimental Roquefort has required four to six months 

 at a relative humidity of 85 to 90 per cent. This relative 

 humidity is just below the equilibrium relative humidity 

 of the cheese, hence permits a shrinkage of 2 to 4 per 

 cent in the water-content of the cheese. This makes it 

 possible to control the amount of surface slime developed. 



If the relative humidity goes too high, the surface slime 

 of bacteria and yeasts becomes very heavy, soft and 

 almost liquid, and follows the openings into the cheese 

 with resultant damage to appearance and flavor. Even 

 under the conditions at Roquefort, this slime must be 

 removed by rubbing or scraping several times to avoid 

 injury to the cheeses, together with the production of 

 bad odor and taste. If the humidity becomes too low, 

 the surface becomes dry, hard and cracks open, the 

 friable crumbly texture is injured, and there is consider- 

 able loss in weight. Salt forms about 4 per cent of the 

 cheese. This is in solution in the water present, which 

 is about 40 per cent, and makes a brine of about 10 per 

 cent strength. This strength of brine does not prevent 

 the growth of the Roquefort mold (Penicillium Roqueforti) 

 but does hinder the development of Oidium lactis in the 



1 Thorn, C., and Currie, J. N., The dominance of Roquefort 

 mold in cheese, Jour. Biol. Chem. 15 (1913), no. 2, pages 247-258. 



