My husband has been requesting this for some time. Now that I have 2 caves, I can use the smaller old one for trying something different, and I no longer have the worry (excuse) of cross contamination.
I decided to compare 2 blue cheese recipes, which are rather similar. From Karlin’s book “Coastal Blue”, and from Caldwell’s book, “Rindless Blue Cheese”. I milked twice this week, so the makes are only 3 days apart. I will open them in a couple of months to see how they are – if all goes as planned… In both cases I used a slurry made from Point Reyes Original Blue, rather than buying some PR.
I followed Caldwell’s recipe pretty closely, though the make never did really get to the suggested 4.8. I left it at room temp (68 degrees) for 2 days without reaching it, then salted, and 2 more days at room temp per her instructions. The cheese before salting, was 2# 7oz from not quite 3 gallons. Cheese sat at room temp for 2 days after salting. Knit is lumpy and bumpy, cheese is rather firm. It is now in the cave.
Karlin’s recipe I did modify the amount of starter and the rennet, since in the past I have found her recipes to over-acidify. Also since I am using raw milk, I thought I would not need quite as much. Directions were for salting after 12 hours. The room was quite chilly, so I went 24 hours then salted, again the terminal pH was above 4.8 at 4.92. Final cheese weight before salting was 4# 6oz from 3.75 gallons. Knit is smooth, body of cheese is very soft. Cheese will be on the counter until 11-17-14.
I have no idea why the yield was so much more on one recipe compared to the other: almost 2# more cheese from not quite 1 gallon more milk… Same milk, slightly different temperature, same starter, different ripening times, same coagulation time, smaller curd on the second larger make and more stirring, draining at 6.35 in both cases. Makes no sense to me. The primary difference was a small amount of salt added to the first make before going into the form. Perhaps this caused the whey to leave the curd and made the final cheese more firm and smaller.