Wayne's Cheese: Parm021309

[Likesspace]

Well crap..
Now I'm wondering just what type of cheese I have sitting in my cave.
No lipase, no LH100.....Looks like another proper parmesan is in my future.
Thanks for the information Wayne.
Let me know when you break down and crack yours and I'll do the same with mine. Maybe we can then compare the results.

Dave

[wharris]

The thing is,  it smells great.

I dunno.

[CBBaron]

Wayne...
No LH100 in mine either...only TA Thermophilic and a touch of Italian Starter from Leeners.
So what does this mean?
Why would you not go ahead and age it the full time?

Dave

I am interested in a parm cheese also and was looking through the various webstores. According to Leeners store their Italian starter contains "Lactobacillus helveticus, lactis". So it looks like you are covered.

This is good to know because Leeners is my local store.

Craig

[wharris]

I do not use Leeners for cultures.  All my  clultures come from DairyConnection. 

I'm pretty sure that the one wheel here that I was referring to did hot have any Lactobacillus helveticus in it.

But I would have to go bacl and check

[DeejayDebi]

Wayne your parms looks great! I wouldn't worry about the cheese browning to much until after about 18 months. Mine usually change about then. but by then there are just tiny pieces left anyway I grate as a go and it doesn't affect the taste.

[wharris]

This wheel has developed a reddish mold on its surface.

The surface of the wheel is a bit softer to the touch where it has turned red.
I cut this wheel in half and the cheese on the inside is pristine. the surface was the only affected area.

It has a strong parm smell with a side of "funk".  Having never smelled a 5 month old parm before, i don't know what to expect.   I hope, but am not sure if that funk will go away in time.

Anyway, what I have done is to use a cheese plane to remove the entire rind and place back into the cave.


I have notice a ting of red on the other parm wheels. 

Should i be worried?

[Cartierusm]

Does it have that "sweat sock" smell if so then it's probably bac. Linens? The kind of linens you get at Bed Bath and Beyond.

[DeejayDebi]

A good aged parmesan should smell like stinky feet and have a little dry after bite to it but melt in your soup like mozzarella. Yummm!

[wharris]

I am just concerned about the red stuff.  I've never seen it before.

Should I disinfect?

[DeejayDebi]

If you are concerned you could cut it off. I have never seen red on my parmesans just deep yellowish brown.

It may be just a bit on the suface. Try shaving it then wipe it with a damp cloth dipped in vinegar and brine solution.

[wharris]

Thanks I have done that,  it was only surface mold.  But I never saw a red mold before.

[shoelessone]

Long time no talk all

I had a dark yellow brownish mold on my parms, but I cut them off when I was ready to eat the parm and it worked out great.  I'm not dead yet.

Also, personally I did a few things with my last parms that I think ended up great (taste wise).  I realize you're much more of a perfectionist/good cheese maker then me, and I do realize there are reasons to use a cheese cave, but after about 2 months in a cheese cave at 55 degrees and 80ish percent humidity I moved a few parms to a refrigerator.  I have to say, 3 months later they tasted awesome.  Maybe I just got lucky though, I've got a few new parms in my cave and I'm probably gng to dot he same thing.  I just find it much easier to keep things in the fridge.  The cave requires me switching out frozen bottles every morning/night.

Also, from now on I'm going to not just coat, but soak my parms in olive oil.  I did that with two of my last parms and it helped to keep them from drying out too much in the low humidity fridge.

[DeejayDebi]

A normal fridge seems to age them faster once they get past the first few months.