Author Topic: Smooth rind Taleggio (#5) --- Cheese #100  (Read 3347 times)

Offline Boofer

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Smooth rind Taleggio (#5) --- Cheese #100
« on: November 07, 2015, 01:26:42 PM »
Okay, so I had tossed around a number of cheese styles I wanted to do to mark my 100th cheese. I decided on another pass at a smooth rind Taleggio in an effort to fine-tune my process. I still ended up with pits and divits so I guess there will be a #6 somewhere down the road to further tweak the smoothness. :)

This cheese was the first of two I did before noon yesterday. The other cheese was a Castle Blue fashioned after the 200 Easy Cheeses recipe.

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Offline Boofer

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Re: Smooth rind Taleggio (#5) --- Cheese #100
« Reply #1 on: November 27, 2015, 06:09:25 PM »
This cheese has been a little reluctant to exhibit linens or Geo growth. Growth has been very slight but it is softening very nicely.

There were three tiny starts of blue in some deep pockets. I applied some vinegar & salt with a clean toothpick to discourage them and then wrapped the cheese. The cheese will continue to develop slowly and should be ready to cut for the holidays in 3-4 weeks.

Now that the minicave (ripening box) is empty and available once again, I am anxious to refill it with another Taleggio attempt. It seems that this cheese has a tendency to disappear too quickly. I don't like running out.  ;)

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Offline scasnerkay

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Re: Smooth rind Taleggio (#5) --- Cheese #100
« Reply #2 on: November 27, 2015, 09:33:20 PM »
Looks wonderful boofer! Do you put it in the house frig now? Any extra protection, or just the paper?
Susan

Offline OzzieCheese

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Re: Smooth rind Taleggio (#5) --- Cheese #100
« Reply #3 on: November 28, 2015, 12:20:06 AM »
Yummm,  you are piquing my interest in this wonderfully square cheese.  In pongwise - where would you place in on the pungency scale 1 being not and 10 being 'Hot'.
I'm considering starting another Epoisses but maybe a Taleggio might be more of a socially acceptable Christmas soft cheese :)

-- Mal
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Offline Boofer

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Re: Smooth rind Taleggio (#5) --- Cheese #100
« Reply #4 on: November 28, 2015, 03:54:21 AM »
Looks wonderful boofer! Do you put it in the house frig now? Any extra protection, or just the paper?
It's in the big fridge now. The paper allows gas exchanges and the deeper cooling (37F/3C) of the big fridge allows the ripening to proceed to the innermost paste evenly.

Yummm,  you are piquing my interest in this wonderfully square cheese.  In pongwise - where would you place in on the pungency scale 1 being not and 10 being 'Hot'.
I'm considering starting another Epoisses but maybe a Taleggio might be more of a socially acceptable Christmas soft cheese :)
At room temperature this cheese is soft & creamy and just short of going gooey. You can smear/spread it or gently slice it on bread or crackers.

"pongwise" ? If you're cryptically referring to the stink factor, my estimation would be no more than a 2. Hey, wait a minute...is that something REAL? The pong scale? Pungency: 1=cool, 10=hot?

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Offline Boofer

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Re: Smooth rind Taleggio (#5) --- Cheese #100
« Reply #5 on: December 26, 2015, 07:35:08 AM »
The cheese is at the 49th day, seven weeks. Time to cut. Optimal aging is from 40-60 days.

Upon opening the cheese paper, there is slight linens and Geo showing along with several small spots of opportunistic blue. I dabbed and cleaned some of the blue off. The vacuum sealing will stop the blue development.

The cheese is soft and sticky at room temperature, but not oozy. This is good. Sliceable and smearable. The salt level is slightly higher than I would have wanted which is surprising since I cut back on the brine time and didn't excessively salt the moist shroud that covered the cheese in the minicave. Still, the overall product is pretty much on target and very tasty.  ;)

I'm thinking about Crescenza now. Much creamier, moister, and prone to ooze.

I do love this cheese style. :)

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john H

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Re: Smooth rind Taleggio (#5) --- Cheese #100
« Reply #6 on: December 26, 2015, 02:48:48 PM »
Looks great Boofer I have not tried making Taleggio I think I will have to give it a go.

Stinky

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Re: Smooth rind Taleggio (#5) --- Cheese #100
« Reply #7 on: December 27, 2015, 02:00:43 AM »
How would you compare this to your Tilsiters?

Offline Boofer

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Re: Smooth rind Taleggio (#5) --- Cheese #100
« Reply #8 on: December 27, 2015, 04:06:57 PM »
This is softer and stickier. It can be sliced while chilled but then softens when warmer...and is then spreadable/smearable. Yum! :D

I need to find the patience to let this age out longer. Before that, I need to eliminate the tendency to permit blues coming in. Still working towards the smooth skin rind too (no divits, nooks, or crannies).

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.