Author Topic: Chabichou  (Read 7803 times)

jerryg

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Chabichou
« on: October 13, 2012, 12:17:24 PM »
A first try at a Chabichou.

Basic lactic coagulated goat, but with no PC.
M100 starter with Geo 13 for classic cream-colored, wormy looking rind.
Instead I got lot's of undesirable activity, multiple patches of white and blue fuzz.
I'm thinking I didn't dry them out enough before caving.

iratherfly

  • Guest
Re: Chabichou
« Reply #1 on: October 22, 2012, 05:13:53 PM »
Not bad actually!
The brainy/wormy look has to do with lots of moisture and the strain of Geo used. I bet you Geo 17 will make it look more wormy.  If you want that look you may be able to get it with geo 13 but actually you should drain the cheese less; not more.

As for the blue spotting; in most home cheesemaking cases this is a yeast contamination (could be from bread yeast. I know you work in a baking environment Jerry, this could be even spores coming from your clothes!) but the truth of the matter is that very often Chabichou have blue spotting on it - which are not considered defects. The French people buy them and eat them like that.  The spotting is usually an indication of an older Chabichou, perhaps nearing its 3rd week rather than the 2nd week of aging.

Having said that, not all those blue contamination are the same. Unfortunately in the case of bread yeasts, it may give off a strange dusty flavor.  One way of reducing it or controlling it is to create more acidity in the curd (wait longer for coagulation). Another way is to play with salting amounts.  You want to fine-tune it to the point where the conditions are optimal for Geo growth but less than optimal for the Saccharomyces cerevisiae (bread yeasts). Some acidic conditions may inhibit it (which is also why you can use vinegar to blot the spot and kill/halt it). Some salinity conditions may do the same (which is why you would toss on the spot after you treat it with vinegar). However be careful with salt because it can also inhibit the growth of Geo. You want the Geo to survive and out-compete the bread yeast.

Here are some photos of great Chabicou cheeses - notice the blue spotting?






Tomer1

  • Guest
Re: Chabichou
« Reply #2 on: October 22, 2012, 05:47:03 PM »
The last one looks amazing, is it a longer aged variation?

jerryg

  • Guest
Re: Chabichou
« Reply #3 on: October 23, 2012, 12:55:42 PM »
Not bad actually!
The brainy/wormy look has to do with lots of moisture and the strain of Geo used. I bet you Geo 17 will make it look more wormy.  If you want that look you may be able to get it with geo 13 but actually you should drain the cheese less; not more.


Those are beauties. Do you think it's possible to get close to that result in a home setting?
Geo 17 with no PC? Or just cut way back on PC in relation to the Geo? Any other suggestions for the make?

iratherfly

  • Guest
Re: Chabichou
« Reply #4 on: October 23, 2012, 08:57:49 PM »
You certainly can do that in home setting!  You need tons of moisture.  I will take a photo later of what I have aging right now in my fridge. I made it from cow's milk but it's the same idea exactly!

iratherfly

  • Guest
Re: Chabichou
« Reply #5 on: October 24, 2012, 12:25:04 AM »
Here they are

jerryg

  • Guest
Re: Chabichou
« Reply #6 on: October 24, 2012, 01:13:32 AM »
Whoa, fantastic. Would you share recipe & method?

iratherfly

  • Guest
Re: Chabichou
« Reply #7 on: October 24, 2012, 02:18:41 AM »
It's really the same recipe as Chabichou, only I use cow's milk. The method is simply to age it in high humidity. Also, I sprayed culture on it (ARN, a mixture of Geo, B.Linen and yeast) -instead of putting it in the milk. This allows me to wait for the PC as long as I want and spray it later instead of running a battleground between PC and Geo. (or, I don't have to spray it at all).

In this particular case, I mixed the spray morge with this incredible Maplejack liqueur from Upstate NY, it's basically an apple brandy with a touch of maple syrup. Doesn't make the cheese taste like apple or maple, just give it fruity sugary hint and enriches the yeasts with the brandy yeasts.  Just a fun little project.

jerryg

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Re: Chabichou
« Reply #8 on: October 24, 2012, 12:17:29 PM »
Is there a Chabichou recipe posted on the forum? I haven't found one.

iratherfly

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Re: Chabichou
« Reply #9 on: November 11, 2012, 07:20:24 AM »
Sorry Jerry, I was so caught up with the carnage of that hurricane here, this is my first visit to the forum since.  Did you survive the storm okay?  I hope all is well.

All of those lactic cheeses have roughly the same exact recipe. Just play with the pre-draining (or not), geo, aging humidity and form factor. With Chabichou I would do a classic semi lactic formula (go 72°F for 24 hours until it's very acidic, like 4.5pH). DO NOT use any PC (just Geo).  Better not to pre-drain it; use the classic Chèvre mould and when it's stiff enough, turn it in the form so the truncated shape of it will now form both the top and bottom to give you that signature barrel-like shape.  Age it at 55°F. If you didn't pre-drain, your environment can be 80%-85% RH. If you pre-drained, make it wetter, like 90%-92% RH. turn them over daily very carefully. Not only will they be very soft but also the geo will form a thin, creamy, sleek, slimy, gooey rind which is gentle and easy to destroy with your hand (or have the cheese escape your hand because it's so darn sleek). Watch those brainy looking folds form. Geo should show up around day 4-5 so let it age for 7-10 days and then move to the fridge for another week in the aging container. Don't wrap these guys. That's all there's to it!

jerryg

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Re: Chabichou
« Reply #10 on: November 11, 2012, 09:12:12 PM »
Thanks Yoav, I'll give it another try this week.

Glad you made it through the storm- I'd guess your power went down and you had to suffer all that ensued. Not least the loss of aging cheese.
Don't know if you saw this thread- http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10364.0.html
Folks were concerned about you.