Author Topic: 3rd Stilton (and testing some new stuff)  (Read 12756 times)

Offline Boofer

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Re: 3rd Stilton (and testing some new stuff)
« Reply #15 on: July 13, 2014, 02:53:26 AM »
I have a cheese I'll have to cut tomorrow. I'll need to put the electric chainsaw to work. ::)

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Offline Andrew Marshallsay

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Re: 3rd Stilton (and testing some new stuff)
« Reply #16 on: July 13, 2014, 03:01:32 AM »
I like the drill idea. I have a 15cm long, 1/8" diam. bit that I might use on my next blue. That would reduce the chances of the holes closing up.
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Re: 3rd Stilton (and testing some new stuff)
« Reply #17 on: July 13, 2014, 03:40:15 AM »
The drill is a great idea, John! Where did you buy the cheese bit for the drill? I asked at Home Depot and they looked at me funny  :o ;)

Offline H-K-J

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Re: 3rd Stilton (and testing some new stuff)
« Reply #18 on: July 13, 2014, 02:16:54 PM »
I have a cheese I'll have to cut tomorrow. I'll need to put the electric chainsaw to work. ::)

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I have found that my DeWalt sawzall with a fine toothed metal blade works well :o
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Offline awakephd

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Re: 3rd Stilton (and testing some new stuff)
« Reply #19 on: July 15, 2014, 05:49:56 PM »
The saws will work fine for softer cheeses, but be aware that for hard cheeses (especially a well-aged cheddar or even more a parm) you really need a plasma torch.
-- Andy

Offline H-K-J

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Re: 3rd Stilton (and testing some new stuff)
« Reply #20 on: July 15, 2014, 06:26:52 PM »
the plasma torch helps with heating the cheese up to room temp also 8)
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Offline Boofer

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Re: 3rd Stilton (and testing some new stuff)
« Reply #21 on: July 16, 2014, 01:16:20 PM »
the plasma torch helps with heating the cheese up to room temp also 8)
And for heating your Raclette. ;)

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John@PC

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Re: 3rd Stilton (and testing some new stuff)
« Reply #22 on: July 22, 2014, 11:23:41 AM »
I like the drill idea. I have a 15cm long, 1/8" diam. bit that I might use on my next blue. That would reduce the chances of the holes closing up.
I just used the regular skewer I use which is a plastic (acetal) rod with the tip sharpened.   I didn't use a drill bit because I was afraid it would remove too much cheese.  The "spinning" does help keep the skewer from sticking and the hole from closing.  The suggestion to let the cheese come to room temp first sounds like a good one as well (and which I'll try for the second "drilling" later this week.  I would think you could use any type of sterilized skewer or knitting needle (4 or 5mm??).

Offline awakephd

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Re: 3rd Stilton (and testing some new stuff)
« Reply #23 on: July 22, 2014, 03:14:27 PM »
Since this thread has gone off on a technical tangent, I'll give you the exact recommended dimensions. You will get the best results if your skewer is exactly 4.37225 mm. Please note that the commonly available 4.37228 mm skewer is NOT an acceptable substitute.
-- Andy

JeffHamm

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Re: 3rd Stilton (and testing some new stuff)
« Reply #24 on: July 22, 2014, 08:26:10 PM »
Please provide an objective definition of best, and avoid using subjective terms. ;)

- Jeff

Offline H-K-J

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Re: 3rd Stilton (and testing some new stuff)
« Reply #25 on: July 23, 2014, 01:47:49 AM »
Since this thread has gone off on a technical tangent, I'll give you the exact recommended dimensions. You will get the best results if your skewer is exactly 4.37225 mm. Please note that the commonly available 4.37228 mm skewer is NOT an acceptable substitute.
well so much for us home cheese makers, I know I don't care what my skewer size is as long as I get some veining in the cheese  ;D
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Offline awakephd

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Re: 3rd Stilton (and testing some new stuff)
« Reply #26 on: July 23, 2014, 04:40:31 PM »
Please provide an objective definition of best, and avoid using subjective terms. ;)

- Jeff

No problem at all. Best is whatever is produced in a given cheese by the methods used by yours truly. As in, "Daddy, this cheese doesn't taste right." "Sorry, you just don't know how it is supposed to taste. What you have here is actually the best [fill in the blank type of cheese] that you have ever tasted."

:)
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JeffHamm

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Re: 3rd Stilton (and testing some new stuff)
« Reply #27 on: July 23, 2014, 07:09:09 PM »
Hm, ok, backed up with appropriate citations and you're done.

- Jeff

MooKit

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Re: 3rd Stilton (and testing some new stuff)
« Reply #28 on: August 10, 2014, 12:41:09 AM »
Look at that, what I'm assuming is a blue cheese, size!   Nice work,  but hey I'm compelled to know why you are drilling into that lovely cheese where it has color all throughout it?  When you moulded and dried your curds, they had a lot of air space between and seemed to set up really well and the colors!  but you pierce the cheese still?   It is gorgeous!  but I guess I'll have to wait for more images to see your mastery.  I'm excited for you to see what happens in weeks to come when you finalize this awesome cheese. 

  simply blown away,  Blue cheese is my favorite.

John@PC

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Re: 3rd Stilton (and testing some new stuff)
« Reply #29 on: August 15, 2014, 02:01:39 PM »
Thanks MooKit.  Yes, the recipe calls for piercing several times during aging.  Blue cheese mold requires air to grow, and all of those nice crevices you see during molding tend to close up and hence the need to "aerate" the cheese to help get the blue throughout.  I've added a picture I took of the cheese after 45 days; it had a bit of fuzzy white mold that I brushed off.  I plan to peirce once more (with a smaller dia. skewer this time) and it should be ready in a couple of more weeks.  I was thinking about cutting this in half (crosswise) and continue aging one half.  Any thoughts as if this is an ok thing to do? ????