4 gorgonzolas

[Trumpeteer]

On the 9th I started my first blue, a Gorgonzola Picante using a combination of Jim Wallace's recipe and LoftyNotions November make, found here, http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,13773.0.html, also as well as this being my first blue it is also my largest make to date.

DAY 1
5 Gal. Whole Milk
1 tsp CaCl.
3.2 Oz (95 mL) Yogurt as a Starter (0.5%), Or
1 tsp. Flora Danica culture
3.5 mL rennet
1/8 tsp P. Roquferti , reconstituted in ½ cup of milk for several hours before make.

Heat milk to 87F, add culture and let ripen for 30 min.
Add reconstituted P.Roquferti culture.
Add rennet and let set for 60-90 minutes
Cut in ½-3/4” cubes and let rest for 5 minutes then stir for 1 hr.
Remove whey to curd level and transfer to drain in a bag overnight for acid to develop @68F – pH ~ 4.8

DAY 2
5 Gal Whole Milk
1 tsp CaCl
3.2-6.4 Oz (95-190 mL) Yogurt as a Starter (0.5-1.0%) OR,
1 Tsp Flora Danica Culture
3.5 mL rennet

Heat milk to 87F, add  culture and let ripen for 30 min.
Add rennet and let set for 60-90 minutes
Cut in ½-3/4” cubes and let rest for 5 minutes then stir intermittently for 1-2 hr.
Remove whey to curd level.


MOLDING
1/3 soft curd on bottom,
1/3 soft curd around sides of center filled with harder curd milled to thumbnail size,
Final third of soft curd to top mold.

Flip every 30 min to set surfaces and continue flipping through the next day every 1-2 hours 

Starting day 4 salt using the following schedule
with the total amount of salt being 4% of the starting weight

Day   Side 1 (Morning)   Side 2 (Evening)
4   25% of total       25% of total
5   15% of total       15% of total
6   10% of total       10% of total

Day 7 place cheese in cave at 53F and 85-90% humidity

Punch top side on day 15 and the bottom on day 19
re-punching top on day 22 and bottom on day 26

continuing to age for 2-3 months



Starting with 10 Gal. of milk made quite a bit more than would fit in my intended mold for this so I ended up making a few mini-gorgs in some cam molds
I am currently on day one of salting.  I am still really bad about taking any pictures during the make so all I actually have are from once they have been molded.

[Trumpeteer]

Just a quick update with a couple more photos, I have finished the salting and the cheeses are now residing in my cave. Some of the cheeses are already showing specks of mold growth. One question, should I be smoothing the surfaces of these cheeses or leaving them rough? Also if I should be at what point should I add that step in?

-Aaron

[Trumpeteer]

So here we are 11 days in and there is already some good blue development on the rind. I will probably start piercing it in the next day or two and will post pictures after that process as well.

[Trumpeteer]

Today I pierced the cheeses,, While piercing the largest of them I noticed a bit of heaving almost as if the two curds never came together and I just have a shell that will separate after I cut into the wheel,, is this something anyone else has noticed and should I be worried?

-Aaron

[John@PC]

Looks great to me Aaron and a cheese for your effort.  I'm not sure what heaving describes but sounds like there seemed to be some extra air space between the curds?  For a blue that may be a harbinger of good blue development with ample open areas.  These will be interesting to follow.

[Trumpeteer]

When I say heaving,, it is just that it feels that the part of the cheese made from the day two curd (softer curd that surrounds the inoculated core) is lifting off the inner core when I was removing the needle used to pierce each hole as if the two curds never really came together.

[John@PC]

When I say heaving,, it is just that it feels that the part of the cheese made from the day two curd (softer curd that surrounds the inoculated core) is lifting off the inner core when I was removing the needle used to pierce each hole as if the two curds never really came together.

Sorry, I didn't look at the recipe and understand now.  Thanks.

[Trumpeteer]

Today I finally cut into the Big Cheese, after quickly eating two of the smaller wheels, It is creamy salty and definitely a blue. The only really odd thing is i noticed in a few spots after splitting the wheel an almost magenta-y pink colour,, even to the point that it kinda looked dyed. I have included a couple pictures that show it although more faintly than it really is. I just want to be sure it is okay. I only tried a small piece from the not pink areas. I am sorta suspecting it is something akin to B.linens, I just wonder because it did not appear in either of the two (smaller) wheels. (although those did age for a shorter amount of time.) But Overall very pleased with the results.

[Gregore]

Could be the red mat they were sitting on . 

[Trumpeteer]

I doubt it as the pinkish hue is in patches through the paste while not appearing in the rind.