Author Topic: Study of Beaufort on two different altitudes of alpine pastures  (Read 4631 times)

Offline ArnaudForestier

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Some may find this interesting.  My French study out of Lille on Beaufort AOC continues to yield cool stuff.  One, a study made of the sensory effects of Beauforts made on "average" altitude pastures, and Beauforts made on high mountain pastures. 

They found a very diverse flora on "average" altitude pastures (probably their autumn and early spring valley meadows), with no significant domination by any one or more species. 

Contrarily, on the high pasture used in this particular study, there was a more limited diversity marked by a definite dominance of two species.

The high pastures resulted in a Beaufort that was more earthy, spicy and acidic relative to the "moyenne" pastures.  The aroma, similarly - more intense, more piquant.

Begs the question - what two species?  And the possibility that one can get a cheese with this more forward character by managing a pasture for a more limited variety, with dominance by key species of flora.

Might be interesting for folks with managed grazing, or access to milk from grazed pastures.
- Paul

Spoons

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Re: Study of Beaufort on two different altitudes of alpine pastures
« Reply #1 on: May 17, 2014, 01:04:44 AM »
Interesting! is this study available online?

And the possibility that one can get a cheese with this more forward character by managing a pasture for a more limited variety, with dominance by key species of flora.

Kind of reminds me of how annatto was introduced to cheesemaking: All British cheeses were once white, but one cheese producer had a cheddar that came out yellow. This was was very popular and other cheese producers couldn't figure out what the yellow cheddar producer was doing. So the other cheese producers heard about a yellow/orange colourant that was used in carabean dishes. So they "cheated" and started using this carabean plant for colouring. Today we know that as Annatto. But the original "yellow" cheese, was in fact from "yellow" milk. There was a high concentration of carotene in those pastures. Who's to know what other effect carotene had on the cheddar's development and why it was so popular other than the different colour.

The high pastures resulted in a Beaufort that was more earthy, spicy and acidic relative to the "moyenne" pastures.  The aroma, similarly - more intense, more piquant.

Just want to make sure I understand: were both cheeses made at one facility (one recipe) but using two different milk sources, or were both tested cheese made by two different cheese producers each with their own milk source?

Alpkäserei

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Re: Study of Beaufort on two different altitudes of alpine pastures
« Reply #2 on: May 17, 2014, 05:49:12 AM »
i noticed something of this on the pastures in a single alp. the pastures above the tree line were vastly different. if you walked down to the tree line, there was a very strong fragrance and a strong diversity of herbs and flowers. a wonderful thing. up higher, where the cows were, the forage was not nearly so diverse. this trend i found repeated throughout the region.

the primary herb was clover, mostly golden clover, but also some variety of red. some variety of parsley was very dominant (perhaps your earthy tone?) as well as a few other herbs, like a sort of lemon-balm like plant, and a certain thyme.

i have always liked cows milk that grazed on clover, it is a good note. i personally have found it to give much of the spiciness i desire.

Alpkäserei

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Re: Study of Beaufort on two different altitudes of alpine pastures
« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2014, 05:50:12 AM »
i always tell people who might supply me, if you are going to seed for forage, seed clover. never alfalfa.

Sailor Con Queso

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Re: Study of Beaufort on two different altitudes of alpine pastures
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2014, 08:05:21 PM »
...and yet you say

"The high pastures resulted in a Beaufort that was more earthy, spicy and acidic relative to the "moyenne" pastures.  The aroma, similarly - more intense, more piquant. "

I would think that it would be just the opposite since the lower altitude pastures have a higher diversity of herbs and flowers. ???

Offline ArnaudForestier

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Re: Study of Beaufort on two different altitudes of alpine pastures
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2014, 08:44:31 PM »
Spoons, it's available online.  However I actually only found out yesterday, Pav had kindly posted a link to this study (and a bunch of others, also out of Lille), in the library section.  Check it out here

The study was of one producer, and two different pastures. Here's the relevant French:

Quote
Un essai a eu lieu au cours de la période estivale chez un producteur de Beaufort. Le
même troupeau a pâturé successivement deux quartiers d'un alpage caractérisés par une
composition botanique des pelouses très différente. Les pelouses d’altitude moyenne
présentent de nombreuses espèces sans dominance vraiment marquée, tandis que les
pelouses « alpines » ont une moindre diversité avec une très forte dominance de deux
espèces.

Dans cet essai, les différences concernent essentiellement la flaveur. Les Beaufort des
pelouses alpines ont été plus salés, plus piquants et plus acides que ceux des pelouses
moyennes. Ils ont présenté des arômes plus intenses et plus épicés.


Which completely goes against what most of us think (and Sailor, relevant to your post), which is that greater biodiversity leads to a more flavorful milk/cheese.  And perhaps that still holds.  This study merely showed that two (climax?) species predominated on the higher pastures, and whatever those species are, this led to a more intense, earthy, spicy finished cheese, when compared with the cheese made by identical methods on lower, my biodiverse pastures.  All qualities desired in a Beaufort.  Interesting stuff.  I would like to contact the authors, to find out what species they found.

Alp, thanks for the direct experience notes.  Are you saying you saw those clovers above the treeline, or below? 

I'd like to explore other clovers, as well.  Just need to make sure about bloat, on clover-heavy paddocks.  I think you avoid it by disallowing your cows to hit dewy, morning clover, right?  And perhaps giving them hay?

« Last Edit: May 17, 2014, 09:18:41 PM by ArnaudForestier »
- Paul

Spoons

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Re: Study of Beaufort on two different altitudes of alpine pastures
« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2014, 02:42:01 AM »
Thanks for the link, Paul. I don't think I've ever seen such a detailed study on a single cheese type. That is one fantastic -must read- document!

How funny is this: I'm French Canadian but I learned everything about cheesemaking in English on these boards. After flying through that french document, I realize I don't even know a single french cheesemaking term.   :o

elkato

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Re: Study of Beaufort on two different altitudes of alpine pastures
« Reply #7 on: May 18, 2014, 02:17:07 PM »
I attached a photo of my herd grazing a pasture with a mix of clover and grass, I hope that the outcome will be remotely similar to the Alpine pastures (or at least good in its own way)
best regards
Luis.

Offline ArnaudForestier

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Re: Study of Beaufort on two different altitudes of alpine pastures
« Reply #8 on: May 18, 2014, 04:01:07 PM »
Spoons, you're one step ahead of me at least - been a long while since I was fluent.  I'm more attitude than masterful, in my French anymore. ;D

Luis, thank you for the photo.  Nothing more beautiful to me than seeing grazing animals doing what they do really, really well.  That's quite a paddock you've got there.  Wonderful, thanks buddy.
- Paul

Alpkäserei

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Re: Study of Beaufort on two different altitudes of alpine pastures
« Reply #9 on: May 18, 2014, 04:21:30 PM »
Yes keep the cows off the dew.
We would keep them tied in the stall until after the cheese had been made -11 or 12- then clean the stall out after lunch.


elkato

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Re: Study of Beaufort on two different altitudes of alpine pastures
« Reply #10 on: May 18, 2014, 05:12:39 PM »
Thank you Paul.
 Thank you Alp, Yes the cows stay in their corral with dry chopped hay until mid day, I already had an accident with the clover early in the morning!
best regards
Luis.

Offline ArnaudForestier

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Re: Study of Beaufort on two different altitudes of alpine pastures
« Reply #11 on: May 18, 2014, 05:25:04 PM »
Luis, can I ask, was the accident a case of bloating?
- Paul

elkato

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Re: Study of Beaufort on two different altitudes of alpine pastures
« Reply #12 on: May 18, 2014, 07:05:41 PM »
Yes Paul, the danger of feeding cows in pasture is that some forages like clover can be toxic(cause bloat) if there is a frost, or if they eat too early when there is dew. in most cases you can save the cow with medicine, but in extreme cases or if you are too late it can be fatal.

Offline ArnaudForestier

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Re: Study of Beaufort on two different altitudes of alpine pastures
« Reply #13 on: May 18, 2014, 08:14:32 PM »
Just wondering if you guys ever feed dry hay first, then send them out to pasture. In other words, still send them out on morning pasture, but make sure they fill up quite a bit before sending them out to a clover-heavy or other legume-heavy pasture. 
- Paul

Alpkäserei

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Re: Study of Beaufort on two different altitudes of alpine pastures
« Reply #14 on: May 18, 2014, 10:02:01 PM »
They will get all the grass they need in the afternoon hours. They get used to the cycle pretty easily.

Remember that a cow chews its food several times, chews the grass, swallows, then spits it up and chews it again and swallows into the next compartment of the stomach, etc. So during the evening and morning they have food to be chewing on. They need a time to do that, and you help them by defining a schedule for them.

So what the schedule is:
Tied up in the morning till around noon, let out on the pasture till milking time (about 6 in the Alps, it will be earlier in the US so you will probably want to let your cows out a little earlier too) then brought in and left in the stall. Nothing is given in the stall except mineral and vitamin supplements for them to consume, or maybe some times just a little bit of hay (but not much)

What will happen, then, is the cows will make sure and get their daily ration during the 6 hours they are on pasture, then just work on that throughout the morning. That ensures they are eating the grass when it is the most fit to eat.