Author Topic: My 2nd Tomme  (Read 25251 times)

JeffHamm

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Re: My 2nd Tomme
« Reply #30 on: October 04, 2012, 05:30:10 AM »
Hi,

Here's a photo update after the 3rd wash.  Not sure if it shows up in the photos, but there is just the hint of discolouration starting to show on this.  The left side bottom to about the middle of the bottom then up the side sort of looks "patchy", with a beige haze in places.  I figure I'll wash it every other day through to the end of next week, and see how it's comming along then.

- Jeff

Offline Tiarella

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Re: My 2nd Tomme
« Reply #31 on: October 04, 2012, 11:51:36 AM »
I really appreciate that you post your progress and include photos!!  Thank you!   :D. It's how I learn best.  I'm waiting for a couple of cheese books to arrive in the mail and hoping that they educate me and fill in some of the holes in my knowledge.  (there are SO many holes I just hope for a little help from reading). I'm going to try a Tomme again soon......but I know that I have to be able to stay on top of the affinage stage better than I have. 
Thanks for showing the way........

edited later on because I had no idea the auto-speller was having such fun with my post!
« Last Edit: October 04, 2012, 03:17:06 PM by Tiarella »

bbracken677

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Re: My 2nd Tomme
« Reply #32 on: October 04, 2012, 12:27:29 PM »
Looks very nice! Probably best that about 10 days in that you don't have massive growth, but rather just the beginnings of some!  I would think that slow accumulation of flora would be preferred.
On the other hand...I don't believe I have ever tasted a tomme of any kind and have never made one.  It is on my list to make, but not the short one as I am focusing on mastering cheddars. I will occasionally deviate with a blue until I get those down as well.
My most recent recipe development will be my next make, and gives me hope that, perhaps, if I get my processes under control I will be able to make some outstanding cheddars! Also...given the rind treatment for the tomme...I wonder what a cheddar would be like with a little flora growing on it   :o

JeffHamm

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Re: My 2nd Tomme
« Reply #33 on: October 04, 2012, 05:46:34 PM »
Hi Tiarella,

I'm glad these are of some use to you.  I also found I learned most when people posted updates and progress reports, so I sort of got into the habit of it.  It helps my own memory when I decide to go back and try something again.  Sometimes I have things in the thread that I forgot to record in my records.

My first tomme split during affinage, and although I've rarely had that problem before, from what I've been reading I expect my humidity was too low.  So, I've got the box lid less open for this one and the humidity is definately higher.  Of course, the make went a bit differently and I used better milk this time as well, oh and I think the integrity of the cheese is better as a result.  So, if it doesn't split this time, I won't know what I changed to make the difference, but I'll still be happy. 

Anyway, my plan, subject to the whims of time, is to get a bit of a b.linens undergrowth, then let geo and other moulds grow wild.  We'll see how that goes.

- Jeff

JeffHamm

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Re: My 2nd Tomme
« Reply #34 on: October 04, 2012, 05:50:44 PM »
Hi bbracken677,

Yah, not too crazy early on is probably best.  It does take a while for b.linens to get going, but from my experience by the end of next week it should be definately visible.  Once it shows up I'll stop the washings (or just use brine to smear it around) but it will still develop for a while.

Cheddars often are quite mouldy, but the rind is cut off.  Wensleydale is also made as a blue cheese, so given your interests, you could try a blue wensleydale.

- Jeff

bbracken677

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Re: My 2nd Tomme
« Reply #35 on: October 04, 2012, 06:54:01 PM »
Interesting...I will think about that. Seems like a pretty good idea for a future experiment   ;)

Offline Boofer

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Re: My 2nd Tomme
« Reply #36 on: October 07, 2012, 03:51:33 PM »
I wonder what a cheddar would be like with a little flora growing on it   :o
Umm, moldy?  :o

Or Blacksticks....

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iratherfly

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Re: My 2nd Tomme
« Reply #37 on: October 07, 2012, 05:48:17 PM »
I wonder what a cheddar would be like with a little flora growing on it   :o


Cheddar IS a moldy cheese!  Vaccum pack and convenient waxing are modern day inventions intended for mass storage with no affinage work and to eliminate any wild or strong flavor and create a consistent moldless supermarket product. Traditional and artisan cheddars (especially the clothbound examples) are moldy!

Quicke's Traditional (UK):


Cabot Clothbound (US):


Montgomery's Cheddar (UK):


Grafton Cheddar (US):

bbracken677

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Re: My 2nd Tomme
« Reply #38 on: October 07, 2012, 05:59:20 PM »
Nice! I will have to take one of my existing cheddars and blue it  :)


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Re: My 2nd Tomme
« Reply #39 on: October 07, 2012, 07:24:11 PM »
Cheddar IS a moldy cheese!
Yeah, that's what I meant to say.  ::)

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iratherfly

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Re: My 2nd Tomme
« Reply #40 on: October 07, 2012, 07:43:27 PM »
Nice! I will have to take one of my existing cheddars and blue it  :)
Eh... you mean Stilton?  :P

The blue looking mold in these rustic Cheddars isn't really blue. This is what happens in areas where the curd was cold and didn't knot well. It's really a sort of a rind growth in pockets inside the paste. Very common in these as well as their moldy rustic French cousin, the Cantal (AKA Cantalet).

JeffHamm

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Re: My 2nd Tomme
« Reply #41 on: October 09, 2012, 05:08:58 PM »
Just updating.

Have continued to wash on the 6th, 8th, and today, the 10th.  There is a definate "slime" feel to the cheese now, so mission accomplished.  Will stop the wash regime and let the linens just "ripen" and for the surface mould to now start to move in.  This make is not slumping the way the first one did, and it has a much firmer feel to it than the first one. 

That being said, the first one is a huge success. A friend of mine (who quite likes their cheese) rated it as his favorite of mine so far.  I'm quite enjoying it as well, and Vanessa and Genesta are both favorably disposed towards it, and all my tasters at work have given it the thumbs up.  Sadly, I'm not quite sure what I did to end up with such a fluid retentive cheese.  I've got decent notes, so I should be able to reproduce it, but we'll see how this next one turns out first.

- Jeff

JeffHamm

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Re: My 2nd Tomme
« Reply #42 on: October 15, 2012, 10:20:20 PM »
Was going to discontinue the wash, but some blue took up residence.  So, gave it one more wash yesterday (Oct 15th) and got a good smear going.  Now, I'm bringing the humidity down a wee bit to get the rind to firm up and then see if we can get some non-blue mold action.  At the moment the rind is a bit wet and tacky, so I can't really brush back the mold and get the wild rind going.  But, don't want it too dry either.  Will see how it goes. 

- Jeff

Alpkäserei

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Re: My 2nd Tomme
« Reply #43 on: October 16, 2012, 01:00:37 AM »
keep it turned often, that will help the smear to dry off and the rind to firm up, and help keep mold from growing. Even though you are no longer washing the cheese itself, it may be a good idea to continue to wash whatever surface it is on, maybe even with vinegar or some other mold-suppressing agent. Don't know where you are keeping it, but keep it as dark as you can manage.

JeffHamm

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Re: My 2nd Tomme
« Reply #44 on: October 16, 2012, 02:16:38 AM »
Thanks.  I turn it morning and evening.  It's in a ripening box in my "cave", which is a wine fridge that maintains 10 C.  I want moulds to grow, but not blue.  Once the smear firms up and I can brush it, then I can brush it to keep the blue in check, but while it's still moist the b.linens will just come off too easily.  Should be good in a day or two, and this last wipe and smear was just a final touch.  I want to develop a wild mould rind on it, so I'm not trying to prevent all growth, but rather just steer it towards non-blue.

- Jeff