Author Topic: Coriander Ale-Washed Trappist  (Read 1463 times)

High Altitude

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Coriander Ale-Washed Trappist
« on: October 01, 2013, 03:47:04 PM »
Opened the trappist yesterday (a week early) so I could send half in a care package to my folks.  I bagged each half right away, so only got a crumb to taste.  It's tiny, just a pound or so, so I'll double the batch on the next make. This was a good "tester or gift" size, however.

It seemed dense and had a (luscious) creamy paste.  Surprisingly, excellent flavor throughout of the Belgian White Ale I used to wash.  The center has a light layer of crushed coriander seed and dried orange peel, and both flavors came out in the teeny sample taste.  I'm excited to have a real sample when I open it again at Thanksgiving (for company).

I need to use a better knife for cutting because the bottom half appears crumbly (it's not, really).

This one is definitely worth a remake (Karlin's book)!

Spellogue

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Re: Coriander Ale-Washed Trappist
« Reply #1 on: October 01, 2013, 07:13:34 PM »
Looks and sounds wonderful. Making some sort of a beer washed rind is on my short list. Glad to know yours is coming along nicely.  Here's a cheese to you for your craftsmanship.  The orange and coriander layer is a nice touch with the Belgian Wit.

How did you prep the wash?  Did you add salt to the beer?  Did you add any b.l. to the wash or the milk?  Did you make a point of including or eliminating the bottle conditioning yeast if there was any?  Did you simmer or otherwise treat the coriander and orange peel that you layered into the curd?

High Altitude

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Re: Coriander Ale-Washed Trappist
« Reply #2 on: October 01, 2013, 08:12:05 PM »
Thanks for the cheese, Spell!

Ale-wash: 1/2 cup each beer and water, with a teaspoon kosher salt.  Changed out the wash every week (or you could go 2 weeks).
No b.linens added.  I definitely "shook" the beer (very carefully, and then opened over the sink) to incorporate all the coriander/orange yeasty sediment...made all the difference flavor-wise, I think.

Used whole coriander seeds (that I crushed with flat side of a knife) and dried orange peel (Penskey's, from a jar).  Some of each were added to a quart of milk and steeped. This "flavored" milk was then strained and added to the rest of the milk. (proceed with recipe)

Half the curds went into the mold and were sprinkled with a layer of both the crushed coriander seeds and dried orange peel (not treated, but "as is" straight from the jar). The remaining curds were added and the cheese pressed. 

The recipe process was a bit time-consuming, with cheddaring, two pressings (a 6 hr & 8 hr), and 2 ale-soakings with a 12 hour drying period in between...you need to dedicate a day or two of babysitting  :o.  But I thought the end result was well worth it!