Author Topic: First Lancashire  (Read 5938 times)

JeffHamm

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Re: First Lancashire
« Reply #15 on: February 27, 2014, 07:11:03 AM »
That looks like a great knit!  Nicely done.  Yes, give it a few days air drying then into the cave.  Use your judgement though, as it's been in the press for 3 days already.  Sometimes the mould retains moisture, so the surface will be wet but once it dries off you may find the rind forms up pretty quick.  I would age this out to three months I think.  The small size of the cut curd will have helped get rid of whey, as with the stirring and hanging in the bag, so it should be suitable for aging as long as you can stand it - if you can do it, 6 to 8 months would probably be ideal.  The Mrs. KK version of Lancashire (the one in my make notes) is the one that is designed for quicker turn around (2 to 3 months type thing).  You could go for 2 to 3 months with this, but I think this looks like an ideal candidate for a bit of distance.  Caerphilly can be made for a quick fix, try a few different lancashire makes for mid range aging, and maybe make a cheshire thinking about Christmas.  Also, for Christmas, a montasio might be a good one to use some of that lipase in and age it out as a grating cheese (1/4 tsp in your typical make size would be good).  A nice aged cheddar and a sharp grating cheese would be nice to have at that time of year.

- Jeff

Flound

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Re: First Lancashire
« Reply #16 on: February 28, 2014, 12:58:57 AM »
Gwah!?! 6 months?

Crushing. I had expectations of two months. Not 3, 4, 6 or (gasp) 8. Aye caramba!

All kidding aside, I'm okay with 6-8 months. Once you mentioned that they are other Lanc makes, I planned on trying a few of those, even if just to get practice with cheddaring. (n.b., I'm very practiced at eating. I've yet to find an emotion I couldn't wrap my lips around. With all this cheese, it's going to come in handy.)

Because I'm a raging noob, fully aware that I'm probably getting ahead of myself, I'd like to tackle grating cheeses, gouda, bleus and cams. I'm thinking of a Montasio/Romano/Parm after my next Lancashire, just so it can start aging. Then intersperse the others between various cheddars over the course of the next few months. Mostly so I can have a selection ready by next November and the holiday season.

Heck, I've even got an order for a Caerphilly.

A photographer friend will spot me the milk for the wheel and is offering a photo shoot and prints in return. While the idea of a photo shoot isn't that high on my list, it turns out a triple coincidences of wants plays perfectly in my hands.

Fred wants a set of pictures of our greyhound, Gerome (you don't have to say it, I know. But mine is not to question...) She had planned on going to a pet photographer and spending, to me at least, a silly amount of money, but rather than do that, she's going to take the photo shoot.

So at this point, I'm imagining you're wondering what I'm getting out of this, the missing third coincidence is this barter transaction. Fret not, good sir, as I suggested to her that I'd be very amenable to a bottle of Kirk & Sweeney 12 year old rum for my efforts. Which she, the kind and gracious soul she is, happily agreed to.

It would appear that I've sold, in essence, a wheel of cheese for a bottle of boutique rum. I have to confess, I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself right about now.

Indeed, at the risk of being a bit flip, I'm encroaching on some pretty divine territory. I mean sure, water into wine is a neat trick, but let's face it, that's exchanging one beverage for another. Transmuting a Welsh cheese into a Dominican rum; that's gotta count for something.

(Apologies for going a bit far afield, but the tale begged to be shared....)

As for this Lancashire, I have to say that aesthetically, it's the prettiest of the lot. And I owe you a great deal of thanks, Snags. Your assistance has been invaluable, amigo. A cheese for you!









« Last Edit: February 28, 2014, 01:11:51 AM by Flound »

JeffHamm

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Re: First Lancashire
« Reply #17 on: February 28, 2014, 06:51:55 AM »
Milk into rum!  I salute you sir.  A fine transition indeed. 

But seriously, you've got caerphilly down nicely.  That's a 3 week cheese.  You can make that any time, and it is a good tasty treat, you can't get in the store, that is ideal for helping other cheeses age.  Cheddaring isn't tricky.  It's just laying the slab of curds down, keeping them warm, and waiting.  Not a skill, just a step.  Stirring is a skill, because you can break up the curds, or not stirr enough, etc, cheddaring is just waiting.  But stirring is in most makes, so you always get to practice that. :)

And yes, try a few different lancashire makes.  The Mrs. KK one (again, see my make notes, of cheeses I've actually made, not of the recipes I've put in my recipe "box") is good in 2 to 3 months.  There are two wensleydale makes, one by "Gavin" and one that I found on the web.  Both are good, and produce a nice young cheddar type in 2 to 3 months as well.  Butterkase is a nice washed curd (not washed rind - i.e. Gouda not Limburger) and is very nice in 6 ot 8 weeks.  (note, these do improve if you leave them to age out, but they are good in a couple months).  The Dunlop is good in 2 months too, though it does age nicely.  The Cheshire I've only had when well aged, when it was so nice that that it would be a sin to age it less.

The montasio is fantastic as a grating cheese.  Parm and Romano, from what I've heard are both excellent when homemade (honest, you'll never buy parm again once you make any of these lipase grating cheeses, they put anything you get in the store to shame) - my romano is now over 3 years old, but I've got my montasio to finish off before cracking that one. 

Gouda is one that a lot of people start with too, though I prefer aged gouda (over a year) and find young gouda too bland.  But, done properly, it is a nice cheese so worth learning how to get it to turn out well. 

Cam and Brie can be tricky.  You need to get the moisture levels just right, after which they can be divine.  Otherwise, they turn to puddles of cheese, which is messy, though tasty (pour over hot potatoes, or broccoli, etc).  Get one to ripen to the core, without going runny, just soft and slumpy, and you'll find no reason to put it back in the cave. 

The stinky cheeses are quite nice too.  They have their own character, and can fight back, but they do work well over potatoes, or on crackers.  I'm hoping this munster has worked as well as the feel of it suggests.  Will find out tomorrow or the next day.  Fingers crossed.

Finally, swiss cheeses require some Prop. Shermi (sp?), which is an additional culture that other cheeses don't use.  I've nver been a big swiss cheese fan, but I did make one Beaufort, and I will be making it agian.  I'm wondering why I haven't actually?  Homemade swiss cheeses are a much better cheese than the mass produced ones.  So, if you like swiss cheese, you'll love what you can make yourself, and if you don't, well, give one a go because you'll probably change your mind.  They are very good.

Anyway, there are lots of experts in various styles of cheese on the board.  You'll learn a lot from them just by reading through the threads ; I know I have.

- Jeff

Flound

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Re: First Lancashire
« Reply #18 on: March 07, 2014, 04:11:07 AM »
10 days from the make, and 6 days in the cave.

I'm not sure what this is, as it's the only cheese that's had this.


JeffHamm

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Re: First Lancashire
« Reply #19 on: March 07, 2014, 05:40:43 AM »
Welcome to the world of the wild rind!  (note the alliteration! :) )  As you age more and more cheese, your cave will develop an ecosystem of moulds, bacteria, and yeast.  This is just the first one you've noticed, but your caerphilly may have a white gritty feel on the surface.  That's not salt, that's geotrichum candidum (affectionately known as geo to its friends).  Anyway, use a brush to keep the rind clean looking, more or less, but mould and stuff will grow.  You kind of have to get used to it.

- Jeff

Flound

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Re: First Lancashire
« Reply #20 on: May 06, 2014, 07:04:34 PM »
Okay. Been busy, but here's a breakdown;

Waxed it about 4 weeks or so ago. Went well.

But during a tasting of my cheeses this Sunday, I said 'let's cut into it' because it'd been over 2 months.

So I did.

Lots of mechanical holes that more weight would fix next time. But flavour-wise, bang on. Its a wee bit young, but amazing cheddar mouthfeel and flavour. Creamy notes, good balance between salt and acidity. Best part is the closer to the rind is more of an 'aged' cheddar and the interior paste is like a cheddary Gouda, in a sense. Two cheeses in one!

JeffHamm

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Re: First Lancashire
« Reply #21 on: May 06, 2014, 08:26:32 PM »
Nice!  A cheese to you!  You can wax over the cut edges and continue to age it.  I would suggest aging at least half of it, or cut it into 3 pieces, and age each wedge out, saving one for the 4, one for the 6, and one for the 8th month mark.  You can fill in the time with caerphilly, butterkase, brie, and since this lanc is good at 2 months, another one of these sounds ideal.

- Jeff

Spoons

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Re: First Lancashire
« Reply #22 on: May 06, 2014, 10:46:40 PM »
Well, this is the thread that finally convinces me to make a Lancashire. It`s been on my to-make list, but now I`ll make one.

Congrats on that wonderful cheese! A cheese for you!

Flound

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Re: First Lancashire
« Reply #23 on: May 07, 2014, 11:51:44 AM »
Nice!  A cheese to you!  You can wax over the cut edges and continue to age it.  I would suggest aging at least half of it, or cut it into 3 pieces, and age each wedge out, saving one for the 4, one for the 6, and one for the 8th month mark.  You can fill in the time with caerphilly, butterkase, brie, and since this lanc is good at 2 months, another one of these sounds ideal. - Jeff

Thanks for the advice, amigo, but I don't think this one is going to make it the end of May. About a third of the wheel is gone already. Some at the tasting (maybe an 1/8th wedge) - the rest disappeared down my gullet on Monday and Tuesday.

I've had some with apples and water crackers, then I made mashed new potato with Lancashire, then had more with apples, grapes and some walnuts.

This is some tasty fromage....

Well, this is the thread that finally convinces me to make a Lancashire. It`s been on my to-make list, but now I`ll make one. Congrats on that wonderful cheese! A cheese for you!

Well, you won't hear me advising against it, Spoons. I'm going to crank out another Lanky this weekend. I have to have this on my shelf for consumption.