Vaca al Vino - result

[iratherfly]

I don't like Tim Smith's recipes, I find them very inaccurate.

I make it like a classic Tomme and it is pressed under its own weight so Mary's advice of 5 Lbs is great if you go that route.

I add salt and calcium to the wine. I don't do it in order to salt the cheese - I do it to prevent the cheese I just brined having its salt running out to the wine and turn un-salty. (The principle of chemical equilibrium).  I don't know if you have followed my post on the subject, but I brine in the wine for short period, dry the cheese, brine it again, dry the cheese, brine it for a third time, dry it again and then vacuum it. It's 3 nice layers that intensify the color and wine qualities.

[linuxboy]

In Spain, the cabra al vino is done as a basic tomme, aged out a tad, and then the wine is soaked in for the rind color, and a bit of aroma and some flavor nuances. It's a very old and traditional approach. I age the wheel longer than you, 3-5 weeks, before doing the wine soak, and I also raise pH of the wine to 4.8. My goal is exactly the same though: nuance... I want the cheese to shine through, not the wine. My tommes are usually classic 3x floc, but depends on the milk. And I find same as you, the final cheese is a remarkably close clone.

[iratherfly]

I also do 3x floc but mind you, the cheese I am talking about is cow and not goat. I divide this to 3 short soakings so I get the wine in 3 small coats instead of later doing 1 heavier coat. It is a hinted aroma and flavor. The milk and cheese are still the center (you know how I feel about adding flavorants to cheese).
What you are saying though makes a lot of sense to me when I think of how dry the Cabra al Vino is

My Syrah wine brine by the way is 5pH so I am not too far.

[linuxboy]

Eh, goat, cow, to a hungry peasant, it's all the same ;).

[iratherfly]

 O0

[Tiarella]

I don't like Tim Smith's recipes, I find them very inaccurate.

I make it like a classic Tomme and it is pressed under its own weight so Mary's advice of 5 Lbs is great if you go that route.

I add salt and calcium to the wine. I don't do it in order to salt the cheese - I do it to prevent the cheese I just brined having its salt running out to the wine and turn un-salty. (The principle of chemical equilibrium).  I don't know if you have followed my post on the subject, but I brine in the wine for short period, dry the cheese, brine it again, dry the cheese, brine it for a third time, dry it again and then vacuum it. It's 3 nice layers that intensify the color and wine qualities.

Yoav,  you say the salt in the brine is to prevent salt migration from cheese to brine but when does the salt get added to the cheese???  is there a salt brine soak right after pressing?

[iratherfly]

Yes. First you properly brine the cheese and let it dry for 2-3 days so the cheese will be salty. Then you do a wine soak and put salt in the wine so it won't dilute your salted cheese. Dry it for another 2-3 days. Do one last wine soak. (you can preserve and reuse the same wine soak). Dry it again for 2-3 days. Now (day 9-12 or so) it is ready for vacuum pack.

[knipknup]

I pulled this one out of the cave today at two years old. It is mild and creamy with that slight wine taste.
I cut it in half and smoked a half for fun.
I attached a pic. The other is a muenster that is 18 months old. It was sharp but tasty.

[JeffHamm]

A cheese to you for such a nice looking outcome!  (and for the patience to wait it out).  I've never heard of an 18 month old muenster.  Nice to hear it ages well.  Must try my hands at another one.

- Jeff