Author Topic: My 1st Wensleydale  (Read 9000 times)

Offline H-K-J

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: South East Idaho
  • Posts: 1,776
  • Cheeses: 145
  • Act as if it were impossible to fail.
    • Cookin with uh dash dogs hair
Re: My 1st Wensleydale
« Reply #15 on: January 10, 2013, 11:30:43 PM »
Al, what size is your mold, also, the weight's you have in the recipe are these at the plunger on the follower?
Never hit a man with glasses, use a baseball bat!
http://cocker-spanial-hair-in-my-food.blogspot.com/

Offline Al Lewis

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Port Orchard Washington
  • Posts: 3,285
  • Cheeses: 179
    • Lou's Food & Drink
Re: My 1st Wensleydale
« Reply #16 on: January 11, 2013, 12:21:03 AM »
The mold is 6" in diameter and 5.5" high.  It was an effort to pack that much curd into it.  The weight I used was at the follower.  The press my wife got me has a 4:1 advantage with a maximum pressing weight of 200 pounds at the follower with 50 pounds hanging on the arm.
« Last Edit: January 11, 2013, 06:01:45 AM by Al Lewis »
Making the World a Safer Place, One Cheese at a Time! My Food Blog and Videos

JeffHamm

  • Guest
Re: My 1st Wensleydale
« Reply #17 on: January 11, 2013, 12:32:11 AM »
Hi Al,

Looks good.  I've had some tall ones do that too.  In my experience giving the cheese a month or two before waxing seems to be best if the curds are really moist (moisture will release under the wax, and the cheese surface gets weird).  Since it sounds like this is a wet one it may take quite some time to shed the excess moisture.  I go with the notion that 10 litres will provide 1 kilo, so if I have more than that, I know it is just moisture, and I leave them unwaxed until down around the 1100 or so grams.  But, you will know your milk and curds better than I, so go with your own experience if it tells you something different.

- Jeff

Offline Al Lewis

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Port Orchard Washington
  • Posts: 3,285
  • Cheeses: 179
    • Lou's Food & Drink
Re: My 1st Wensleydale
« Reply #18 on: January 11, 2013, 05:39:56 AM »
Yeah Jeff, I have experienced that with a Colby I did.  Just too moist inside to wax.  Ended up having to take the wax off and dry it some more before re-waxing it.  Now I check all of my cheeses regularly to make sure the wax is tightly adhered and that the excess moisture is not collecting under the wax.  I'm in no hurry to wax this one as there is plenty of room in the cave right now.  Need to make a few more cheeses and fill that puppy back up!  ;D
Making the World a Safer Place, One Cheese at a Time! My Food Blog and Videos

Offline Al Lewis

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Port Orchard Washington
  • Posts: 3,285
  • Cheeses: 179
    • Lou's Food & Drink
Re: My 1st Wensleydale
« Reply #19 on: January 20, 2013, 03:21:33 PM »
Well I finally got around to waxing the Wensleydale.  Had to let it form a bit of a rind first to get enough moisture out to wax it.
Making the World a Safer Place, One Cheese at a Time! My Food Blog and Videos

JeffHamm

  • Guest
Re: My 1st Wensleydale
« Reply #20 on: January 20, 2013, 05:32:28 PM »
Nice.  Now, time to age it out a while.  I've got one that's getting close to cutting.  Will post an update on that one soon.

- Jeff

Offline Al Lewis

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Port Orchard Washington
  • Posts: 3,285
  • Cheeses: 179
    • Lou's Food & Drink
Re: My 1st Wensleydale
« Reply #21 on: January 20, 2013, 09:46:36 PM »
Great Jeff.  I now have 24 pounds of cheese aging that is waxed.  Can't wait for some of it to come of age.  :P
Making the World a Safer Place, One Cheese at a Time! My Food Blog and Videos

drifterdon

  • Guest
Re: My 1st Wensleydale
« Reply #22 on: January 21, 2013, 05:21:58 PM »
That is a great looking cheese.
I too like the shape.

Offline Al Lewis

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Port Orchard Washington
  • Posts: 3,285
  • Cheeses: 179
    • Lou's Food & Drink
Re: My 1st Wensleydale
« Reply #23 on: January 23, 2013, 02:33:41 AM »
Checked this today and it is rock solid in the wax so the moisture is not coming to the surface.  Should age just fine this way. :D
Making the World a Safer Place, One Cheese at a Time! My Food Blog and Videos

Offline Al Lewis

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Port Orchard Washington
  • Posts: 3,285
  • Cheeses: 179
    • Lou's Food & Drink
Re: My 1st Wensleydale
« Reply #24 on: February 17, 2013, 06:24:33 PM »
Well I aged mine a bit more than the three weeks that they age Yorkshire Wensleydale but it certainly came out white and crumbly.  Taste seems to be spot on based on the descriptions I've read.  Been a long time since I had any of the real stuff.  All in all I'm very pleased with the results.
Making the World a Safer Place, One Cheese at a Time! My Food Blog and Videos

bbracken677

  • Guest
Re: My 1st Wensleydale
« Reply #25 on: February 17, 2013, 06:29:44 PM »
I noticed that you used whole milk, plus a quart of heavy cream. Is the Wensleydale supposed to be so fat heavy?  I am curious...considering what my next make will be, and this is a definite option.

Offline Al Lewis

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Port Orchard Washington
  • Posts: 3,285
  • Cheeses: 179
    • Lou's Food & Drink
Re: My 1st Wensleydale
« Reply #26 on: February 17, 2013, 06:45:17 PM »
You may want to ask JeffHamm that question as I attempted to approximate his recipe.  What research I did on the cheese says that its made in Yorkshire and the original is only aged 3 weeks.  There are three other versions however, a blue, a aged one, and a smoked one.  This one is creamy and very crumbly.  The taste profile matches those described in the articles I read.

« Last Edit: February 17, 2013, 07:43:13 PM by Al Lewis »
Making the World a Safer Place, One Cheese at a Time! My Food Blog and Videos

JeffHamm

  • Guest
Re: My 1st Wensleydale
« Reply #27 on: February 17, 2013, 07:11:17 PM »
Hi Al,

Yes, the real stuff is very crumbly.  Mine never comes out crumbly though, but you've got it right on.  Nice.  I don't add the extra cream, the blue top milk I use is usually 3.3g fat / 100ml and 3.1g/ 100 ml protein (at least the most recent bottles were, I think they keep those ratio's constant through the year but I should check on that).  I've seen reference to very young versions, but I prefer mine aged out to 3 or 4 months.  Might be worth trying one early, but I tend to make caerphilly to fill that niche.  My 4th Wensleydale become contaminated with b.linens and moulds and has turned into quite a different beast.  Must make another one and age it properly.  A cheese to you for your successful outcome.

- Jeff

Offline Al Lewis

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Port Orchard Washington
  • Posts: 3,285
  • Cheeses: 179
    • Lou's Food & Drink
Re: My 1st Wensleydale
« Reply #28 on: February 17, 2013, 07:44:17 PM »
Thank you Jeff.  Bottom line is I made this one for the British wife and she likes it.  Have to keep the other half happy!!
« Last Edit: February 17, 2013, 07:57:45 PM by Al Lewis »
Making the World a Safer Place, One Cheese at a Time! My Food Blog and Videos

Eileen

  • Guest
Re: My 1st Wensleydale
« Reply #29 on: February 20, 2013, 08:37:01 PM »
I think it looks really good this shape too.

I have visited the Wensleydale cheese factory in North Yorkshire and can highly recommend the visit if any one is in the area. Naturally I bought some of their cheeses too  :D