Washed-rind · Mesophilic + smear
Cheese Culture for Washed-Rind Cheese (Munster, Taleggio & Époisses-Style)
A washed-rind cheese is two cultures deep: a mesophilic starter inside, B. linens on the surface — and the brine washing is what lets the orange smear win over every other microbe. Taleggio style is the mildest first make; munster is the classic; époisses is a protected name, so at home it is always 'époisses-style'.
At a glance
| Family | Washed-rind · Mesophilic + smear |
| Primary culture | MM 100 or Probat 222 class mesophilic |
| Adjuncts | Brevibacterium linens — plus brine washing on schedule |
| Temperature logic | Mesophilic make; ripened cool and humid with regular brine washes |
| pH notes | The smear raises surface pH as it ripens the paste from the outside in |
| Ageing | Taleggio style in about 4–6 weeks; munster 6–10 weeks |
The shopping list
Primary culture
Choozit MM 100 Mesophilic Culture
$14.95
New England Cheesemaking · checked October 23, 2026
Also needed
Brevibacterium linens SR3 — Washed-Rind Culture
$8.95
New England Cheesemaking · checked October 23, 2026
The make, in short
Mesophilic make; ripened cool and humid with regular brine washes. Taleggio style in about 4–6 weeks; munster 6–10 weeks.
The one pitfall
Adding B. linens and never washing. Without the wash, the smear never establishes — the wash IS the culture management.
Making a different cheese next?
The Culture Finder covers 27 cheeses and cultured staples — starter, adjuncts, temperature logic and pH gates for each.