Author Topic: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make  (Read 15133 times)

bbracken677

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Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
« on: November 15, 2012, 06:14:04 PM »
This is my first make for a Fourme d'Ambert, which I have been chomping at the bit to make for some time ever since I tasted one.  Will post pics tomorrow. Such a delicious aroma!

Fourme d’ Ambert

Targets:
Starting milk pH: 6.7
P/F ratio: .89
Rennet:  6.6 pH
Drain: 6.2
Brine or salt: 4.5 - 4.7
Flocc multiplier: 4.5

Ingredients:
2 gallon whole milk, pasteurized at 145F, non-homogenized.
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4th   tsp.  Flora Danica
1/16th tsp. PRB 6
3/8th   tsp. CACL (if pasteurized)
1/4th  tsp. liquid veal rennet (18 drops)

Heat milk to 90°F, stir in cultures.  Let ripen, maintaining temperature, for an hour or until pH drops by .1
Stir in CACL and then rennet.
Flocculation time: 20 minutes...seems the difference between raw and the creamline I am using results in a flocc difference of about 5 minutes. I typically get 15 min. with raw.
Using a 4.5x factor, calculate amount of time to wait before cutting: 90 mins.

Cut curds to ½ inch. Curds seemed a bit delicate, so I cut them to 1 inch initially, and while stirring reduced them in size.
Maintain 90°F, occasionally stirring gently for 1 hour 20 minutes until curds are small and firm and pH reaches 6.2. Took about an hour...slightly less
 
Remove whey down to surface of curds, reserving  1 gallon whey for brine.
Ladle curds into a prepared sterilized mold.
Mold sits on a small needlepoint mat which is placed in a small kettle for pressing. Pressing will be done in the kettle using the Dutch press at 2 psi.  Once all curds are in the mold, press for 1 hour, redress, and press for 8 additional hours.
 
After pressing, remove the cheese from the mold and brine it for 4 hours, flip it, and brine for 4 more hours. Or, alternatively, weigh sufficient salt to provide 50 g of salt per kg of cheese. Salt the cheese by rubbing the salt on all surfaces.
Dry the cheese at 85% RH and 75F for 24 hours, or place the cheese on plastic mats in plastic tubs with the lids partially open to allow some drying off of the cheese, and store at 75F for 24 hr. Had to put mine in a mini cave to get the appropriate RH.

Pierce it with a skewer (I use a wooden one, about 3/16” diameter) every inch or so. I will be piercing less for a milder blue flavor.

Affinage:
Store the cheese at 90- 95% RH and 50F for 6 - 8 weeks in ripening containers. Turn every day for several days and then turn once a week. The pH should increase to 6.0 - 6.25 after 8 weeks.





« Last Edit: November 26, 2012, 03:15:02 PM by bbracken677 »

bbracken677

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Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2012, 07:10:39 PM »
Here are some cheese porn pics:

Missed taking pics at a couple of stages, but the final one is as they are now, just beginning to show some blue growth.
« Last Edit: November 26, 2012, 03:15:17 PM by bbracken677 »

Offline Boofer

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Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
« Reply #2 on: November 26, 2012, 01:04:08 AM »
Alright! Good to see you've finally got this Fourme d'Ambert style going.

They look a little thin though...you're not really making Cambazolas, are you? :)

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bbracken677

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Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2012, 01:49:19 AM »
For my first make, I wanted to make 2 smaller ones...the next go round will make one larger one. This is, more or less, a test run.  This way I can try one earlier and let the other one age longer just so I can get a feel for what's going on...blues kinda scare me still  lol 

I am considering making cambozola tho...but for right now I am going to just focus on getting the forme and stilton down first. 
« Last Edit: November 26, 2012, 03:15:35 PM by bbracken677 »

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Re: Forme d'Ambert, First Make
« Reply #4 on: November 26, 2012, 02:51:23 PM »
IMHO, one of the problems with this "test run" is the form factor. Fourme d'Ambert is a taller cheese from what you have made.

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bbracken677

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Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
« Reply #5 on: November 26, 2012, 03:14:24 PM »
Understood (regarding the form factor), I could have put them in cam forms for a slightly more traditional form.  For a single 2 lb cheese I really don't have an appropriate form though....

Ahem...fourme...will fix.  lol  Thanks for the hint   haha   :)

Oh! and I am getting some nice blue growth on them now...more on one than on the other.
« Last Edit: November 26, 2012, 03:30:54 PM by bbracken677 »

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Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
« Reply #6 on: November 26, 2012, 03:29:14 PM »
Understood (regarding the form factor), I could have put them in cam forms for a slightly more traditional form.  For a single 2 lb cheese I really don't have an appropriate form though....

Ahem...fourme...will fix.  lol  Thanks for the hint   haha   :)

Oh! and I am getting some nice blue growth on them now...more on one than on the other.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Was I too subtle?  ;)

I'll be watching this make with some interest.

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bbracken677

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Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
« Reply #7 on: November 26, 2012, 03:39:19 PM »
LOL too subtle? naaah   haha

My thoughts were they would ripen much the way a cam would, but bluish (see pics I added in my previous post) and would require less piercing, and hence produce a lesser bite. The Fourme I sampled was quite good...had a moderate amount of marbling and just the right amount of blue flavor. The cut did come from a larger form, of course...

In a few weeks I will make a larger single fourme...I also want to include some raw milk in my next adventure into blue, perhaps 1/2 raw and 1/2 not homogenized pasteurized milk. I found an organic milk that is pasteurized at 145F.

I am conflicted in that not being sure how much space will naturally occur inside the cheese with how much piercing to do to get my moderate marbling..

Offline Boofer

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Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
« Reply #8 on: November 27, 2012, 12:56:46 AM »
My thoughts were they would ripen much the way a cam would, but bluish (see pics I added in my previous post) and would require less piercing, and hence produce a lesser bite.
Yep, Cambozola! ;)

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bbracken677

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Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
« Reply #9 on: November 30, 2012, 02:58:43 PM »
Update on the bamboozlas   :)  or whatever...

blue developing nicely, I will be giving them a poke or 3 in a couple of days and will get my first look at the interiors.



Mighty Mouse

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Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
« Reply #10 on: November 30, 2012, 04:45:52 PM »
Jesus Christ bbracken677,
You have been bitten by the cheese making bug haven't you! How many do you have going right now?

Offline Schnecken Slayer

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Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
« Reply #11 on: November 30, 2012, 04:59:16 PM »
They look like the crust is fairly dry. Are you concerned they might dry out too much with such a large surface area?
-Bill
One day I will add something here...

bbracken677

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Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
« Reply #12 on: November 30, 2012, 05:06:09 PM »
They look like the crust is fairly dry. Are you concerned they might dry out too much with such a large surface area?

Not at all...I keep them in a "mini-cave" at 95-99% RH...they may look dry in the pic, but they are not and are "springy" when pressed with a finger.  I am keeping them under the same conditions as my cams, which do not dry out and the form is of a similar surface area.

bbracken677

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Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
« Reply #13 on: November 30, 2012, 05:11:43 PM »
Jesus Christ bbracken677,
You have been bitten by the cheese making bug haven't you! How many do you have going right now?

I have 6 cheddars, a cheshire, 3 cams (same make), a tellegio, 2 small fourmes d'ambert (same make), a stilton approximation, some fetta, a gouda and.....

a partridge in a pear tree! 

Resting comfortably in my cave....    >:D

ps: I normally try to make one cheese a week, however that isnt always possible. Today I had the time but couldnt make up my mind what to make...nothing was talking to me.

Offline H-K-J

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Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
« Reply #14 on: November 30, 2012, 05:31:11 PM »
Isn't that funny, I want to make a cheese this weekend and nothing is talkin to me either, I do think I hear a Caerphilly whispering in the background :o
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