It seemed like an okay time to cut into this cheese. The rind is pliable and gives to light pressure. Friday marks the sixth week.
Cutting into the cheese across the cylinder as per the style, I quickly surmised that the knife was not the most effective tool to use. The cheese paste was creamy and stuck to the knife, causing it to pull against the blade. I found my little-used cheese wire and did a better sectioning job.
The rind was of a tougher, more leather-like texture than other soft cheeses. This is because of the brined rind.
The blue development was minimal. I would like to grow the blue a little more but don't know how to grow it when the paste is soft and creamy. Then again, I don't want it too over-developed...so I guess what I have is just fine.
I have sectioned the cheese, wrapped each wedge in plastic wrap and then vacuum-sealed each wrapped wedge. The cheese wedges are then moved to the big, colder fridge to finish development. This wrapping/sealing has worked for me in the past and I take guidance from the cheese purveyors who do this. If I wrapped the wedges in cheese paper, the blue would continue to develop. It's development is curbed with the vacuum-sealing. Why wrap the wedge in plastic wrap before vacuum-sealing? It helps to contain the cheese in the vacuum bag so you can remove it from the bag cleanly and then sample it.
-Boofer-
