Author Topic: Chilipepper's Cheese #015 - Stilton (R.I.P.)  (Read 10234 times)

chilipepper

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Chilipepper's Cheese #015 - Stilton (R.I.P.)
« on: February 12, 2009, 07:05:03 PM »
2/9/09 - Built a batch of Stilton.

Used 2 gallons of whole (store bought) milk plus 1 pint of 1/2 & 1/2 (ultra heat treated).  Brought to 89 degrees in water bath and added 1/2 tsp MM100, 1/8 tsp P. Roqueforti and allowed to ripen for 90 minutes. 

Added 1/2 tsp liquid veggie rennet diluted in 1/4 cup water and allowed to set for 1 hour.

Cut the curd (1/2 inch) which was very soft and allowed to cook for additional 1/2 hour.  I stirred occasionally and ended up with really soft and mush curd.  No 1/2 inch curd visible after stirring (somewhat concerning but pressed on)

I collected the curd in a cheesecloth lined colander and allowed to drain overnight with approximately 8 lbs of weight on it.

Next AM broke up curd and salted with 2 tbsp of salt.  Mixing salt in the curd was very sticky as noted by others in their posts.  Transferred to mold and turned every 15 minutes for the first 2 hours then about 3 times a day.

Now it is on day 2 of flipping and will go probably 6 days or so before removing from mold and smoothing. 


Follower of which I had a gallon of water resting on overnight


Broke up and Salted curd before putting in mold


After first hour of flipping every 15 minutes


After 2 days of turning.

« Last Edit: February 24, 2009, 03:34:34 AM by chilipepper »

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #015 - Stilton
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2009, 07:45:53 PM »
"Built a batch of Stilton" just sounds so cute...not you Chili I don't swing that way but I'm flattered.

P.S. Looks good.

Tea

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #015 - Stilton
« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2009, 08:48:32 PM »
I agree, that is looking good.  Ordered some blue spores yesterday, so one of these is going to be made soon, hopefully.

Cheese Head

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #015 - Stilton
« Reply #3 on: February 13, 2009, 12:37:38 AM »
Chilipepper, looks great, what's different to my last blue is you pressed overnight with light weight to help remove more whey.

Nice looking food grade polyethelene hoop, where did you get from?

Also, where are you aging your cheese still in the hoop and turning, in room temp or colder and if room temp when do you plan to cool?

Thx, John.


Likesspace

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #015 - Stilton
« Reply #4 on: February 13, 2009, 01:30:11 AM »
Chili, looking good. I'm so happy that there are others that are trying (going to try) this cheese.
It's pretty easy to make and a lot of fun as well. I hope you are very satisfied with your results.
One thing that I've noticed is that nobody seems to be pressing the curd in a "board sandwich".
The recipe I use calls for removing the curd from the pot.....using the cheesecloth as a bag and hanging to drain for several minutes.
Then it says to put the bag of curds between two boards and press with 10 lbs. of weight for 2 hours. By that time I have a curd that is really firm, really flat, and is easily broken up into walnut size pieces.
I then salt the pieces and load them into the mold.
I'm not saying this is the only, or best way to treat this cheese, I just find it interesting that there are so many different ways to make a Stilton style of cheese.
Looking forward to seeing how this one works out for you.

Dave

chilipepper

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #015 - Stilton
« Reply #5 on: February 13, 2009, 03:03:58 PM »
Thanks everyone! I too hope this will... how should I say it... age gracefully!

CH, I was watching your progress and was a little hesitant when I took off on a fairly similar recipe as yours.  My curd was very sticky too and so far has been sliding under its own weight in the hoop.  The hoop, by the way, is the small hard cheese mold that I purchased when I got the other things to gear up for hard cheese making.

Dave, this one was pressed overnight with about 8 lbs of weight.  I didn't use the board sandwich method but rather I just left it in my colander with a large follower on (see pict 1).  I pressed overnight which is longer than you did. 

The curd was a pretty good mass the next morning and yet broke easily.  It really smelled a lot of cream cheese and the consistency was pretty sticky but able to be crumbled easily.  When mixing the salt in the there was a pretty good coating of cheese on the bowl when I was done.  So from here it sounded a lot like John's experience and was a little concerned but it did mold well and seems to be falling under it's own weight when I turn it.  There is also still whey draining and it is compacting probably about 1/2 inch under its own weight.

I will update this when I pull it from the mold and smooth the surface.  I will also have to work out something for aging it in as it will be fairly tall and my only Tupperware that will accommodate the height also has a very large footprint.

Likesspace

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #015 - Stilton
« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2009, 02:01:52 AM »
Chili..
As for the aging, I use a tupperwarwe container that's made for either a loaf of bread or a box of saltines. My wife found that our local WalMart store.
I use this as I do pretty much all other tupperware: Lay the cheese on a sushi mat and then put the container (upside down) over the cheese.
That way the cheese can still breathe (VERY IMPORTANT FOR A STILTON) but it keeps the humidity high. To make the humidity a little bit higher I wet a paper towel and bunch it into a pyramid shape and put it under the container as well.
So far, I have not had the stickiness problem with my Stilton curd. They are all very dry after the 2 hours of pressing and really nice a dry feeling after the salting. Regardless of the feel, they do usually expel whey for at least 5 days, while the flipping is going on.
Well it looks like you are well on your way to a very nice cheese here.
I'll be looking forward to the updates.

Dave

chilipepper

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #015 - Stilton
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2009, 10:01:45 PM »
Well I went down to my cheeserie as Carter would call it.  This puppy was screeming "put me in coach"!!  There wasn't a spot of blue yesterday afternoon when I turned it.  The top and bottom had a nice blue going on and so I smoothed the sides and put it in the aging container.  Now from what I'm reading on the other Stilton posts... I should jsut let it blue over for about 4-6 weeks then only poke the holes??  Should I really do anything other than flip it daily in the mean time?


Offline Cartierusm

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #015 - Stilton
« Reply #8 on: February 14, 2009, 10:09:06 PM »
Thanks for the props. I don't do anything except flip it daily and then pierce 6 weeks in, but you can pierce sooner, Dave does, he also eats it sooner. I also age it after piercing for another 4 months. It's looking good, did you get all excited when you saw the mold, I do. Oh if you still get whey leaking out, I don't on Stiltons as I flip them in the mold at room temp for 4-6 days on blues I still get whey leaking out, I put them on a board as you have it and put somthing under it to angle in and a drip pan underneath to catch so it's not all over the place. I just don't like the bottoms wet.

Likesspace

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #015 - Stilton
« Reply #9 on: February 14, 2009, 10:22:05 PM »
Chili, like Carter said, I do nothing but flip it daily and then give it a good poking at the four week mark.
You should start seeing the rind beginning to wrinkle at the two - three week mark and rind should begin to brown at about 3 - 4 weeks.
I've been cracking mine open at 8 weeks and the flavor and texture seem perfect to me. I'm sure that if I ever made one of Carter's monsters I would go a minimum of 4 months and probably more like 6.
I also get a major thrill when I see the blue mold forming. No matter how often I make this cheese I get quite a kick out of the process.
Again, keep us updated.

Dave

chilipepper

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #015 - Stilton
« Reply #10 on: February 14, 2009, 10:26:42 PM »
Hell yeah it was exciting! You know with the Camemberts the mold is pretty incognito but this is very in your face (bam you have mold).  I certainly agree how beautiful the color is as well!

I will keep an eye on the leakage and try and keep it under control... I would assume the leakage would start molding as well if left unattended?

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #015 - Stilton
« Reply #11 on: February 14, 2009, 10:28:15 PM »
Don't know I always clean it up but as I said stilton doesn't really leak Blue does, I just thought I'd mention it.

Likesspace

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #015 - Stilton
« Reply #12 on: February 15, 2009, 12:16:32 AM »
I agree, Carter...
I don't know that I've ever seen even a drop of whey after putting a Stilton in the aging cave. I'd never given this a thought until you "said" something about it.

Dave

chilipepper

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #015 - Stilton
« Reply #13 on: February 22, 2009, 09:49:52 PM »
My Stilton is weeping!  It sure smells good but why is it doing this and/or is this normal?

Possibilities: maybe too much whey still in the cheese and so it kind of congregated at the ends.  The ends are pretty mushroomed when you look from the side.




Cheese Head

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #015 - Stilton
« Reply #14 on: February 22, 2009, 11:10:55 PM »
Ryan, that is a beautiful looking cheese, but sadly not how the Stilton's in the video look.

It almost looks like a Camembert skin with soft inside, for a Stilton that means there is definitely something wrong under that skin.

In order for it to deform in shape like that it must be high moisture content, when I look back at your curds and picture of your cheese after it's initial turn, it looks much moister than the milled curds in the video.

Also, I think the rind after 2 weeks should have hardened up by now, you could try reducing the humidity, but frankly it looks a little late.

How about cutting it open down the middle twice in two parallel lines, like in the video where they cut Stilton with a wire, and eating the slice, might give some clues. You could then sandwich it back together, but sadly I don't think this one is going to make it all the way.

Not trying to be negative, just my 2 cents and ideas . . . John.