Author Topic: Port du Salut  (Read 4133 times)

Offline Andrew Marshallsay

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Port du Salut
« on: April 25, 2016, 10:05:58 AM »
Port du Salut (or, if you prefer, Port Salut or St. Paulin) has been on my to-do list for a while but I was encouraged by Jeff Hamm's recent post to bring it to the top of the list.
I compared several recipes, including those from Jeff, Linuxboy, Boofer and Cheesemaking.com.
The first big decision was which cultures to use, thermo or meso. I decided that for the cheese that I had in mind, Flora Danica would be the way to go.
The make from there on went as follows:

Prepare a brine of 2L of water  containing 3g (½tsp) of salt.
Warmed 10L of milk to 32C (6L of Fleurieu full cream, unhomogenised and 4L of Fleurieu Jersey; Target P:F = 0.82- 0.86 ; Actual = 0.79)
Sprinkled on ½ tsp (3 tads) Epicurean Flora Danica and ¼tsp (3 dashes)  of B. Linens. Allowed to rehydrate for 2 min and then stirred in for 2 min.
Ripened for 30 min.
Stirred in 3ml of CaCl2 in 60ml of water.
Left for 10 min.
Stirred in 2.5ml of 140 IMCU rennet in 50ml of water.
Allowed to set. Flocculation occurred at 14 min. Using a multiplier of 3.5 gave a coagulation time of 49 min. 
Cut to 6mm slowly over 10 min. Rested for 15min.
Removed 4L of whey and gradually  replace with the brine (now at 36C) over 10 min. Heated with stirring to 38C over a further 20  min.
Settled for 10 min.
Removed most of the whey and formed the curds into a consolidated mass under the remaining whey. Pressed lightly (1 kg) under whey for 10-15 min
Pressed the curd mass into a lined mould. Pressed with a very light weight (2kg; 0.12 PSI) under whey for 15 min.
Removed from whey, flipped and pressed at 0.12 PSI for 40 min. Kept warm (~26C).
Flipped and pressed at  0.14   PSI kg for 1 hour.
Flipped and pressed at 0.22 PSI for 2 hours.
Flipped and pressed at 0.33 PSI for 2  hours.
Flipped and pressed at 0.33 PSI for 3  hours (Goal pH = 5.2-5.3).
pH ~5.1. Flipped and returned to press naked at 0.08 PSI. Left in a warm place overnight.
Soaked in heavy brine for 5 hours. (pH by paper at start of brining = 4.9-5.0)
Air dried at room temp. for 2 hours, then moved to a closed box at ~13C.

I was a little nervous as my only previous attempt at a washed curd was an early blower so I was relieved that this one floated at the correct level in the brine.
- Andrew

JeffHamm

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Re: Port du Salut
« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2016, 10:43:23 PM »
Hi Andrew,

Nice.  My first make was a similar dimension, and it turned out very nice.  My 2nd one was more "disk" profile, which is more typical for Port du Salut.  It also turned out very nice.  I used a half-brie mould (about 8 inches in diameter), which takes the curds from a 10-11 litre make just right for this cheese.  The b.linens may not show up hugely during the washing phase, but don't panic, they will develop as it ripens and ages.  Mine, just about all eaten up now, really took off after I started eating it, so it's been interesting to taste as time goes on.  It's been good all the way through and I suspect you'll find the same.  Nicely done.


Offline Andrew Marshallsay

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Re: Port du Salut
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2016, 10:12:52 AM »
Hi Jeff
Thanks for the encouragement and the information.
I was a little concerned earlier that the BL was slow to develop but all seems to be going well. It's comforting to know that your experiences were similar. The choice of mould was made on the basis of what was to hand.
My notes for the make since day1 are:
28/4 First washing with 3% brine.
30/4 washed. No sign of BL so I added BL and Geo to the wash.
1/5 Washed. Geo appearing and a hint if grey mould.
3/5 Washed. Geo flourishing but no sign of BL yet
4/5 Washed and moved to a larger container.
6/5 Washed. Some Geo. Not slimy and no real smell but a suggestion of softening of the surface.
8/5 Washed. Geo but also a pink tinge. Some smell developing. Then every 2-3 days for 2 weeks.
10/5 Washed. Paste distinctly softening below the surface.
- Andrew

Offline Al Lewis

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Re: Port du Salut
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2016, 12:44:24 PM »
A beautiful cheese Andrew!  AC4U! I look forward to seeing how this ages out.  Are you taking any measures to keep the b. linens from spreading in your cave?
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Offline Andrew Marshallsay

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Re: Port du Salut
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2016, 05:01:24 AM »
Are you taking any measures to keep the b. linens from spreading in your cave?
Too late!
Actually, this one is in an aging container but that is for reasons of humidity control rather than quarantine. I already have BL in there.
Thanks for the cheese.
- Andrew

Offline Andrew Marshallsay

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Re: Port du Salut
« Reply #5 on: May 15, 2016, 03:46:12 AM »
Not really much to report on this one but I just pulled it out and it looked so good that I just had to take a photo and post it.
Anyway, I've just washed it and I am letting it dry before I wrap it and allow it to age for a few weeks.
- Andrew

Offline H-K-J

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Re: Port du Salut
« Reply #6 on: May 15, 2016, 03:18:57 PM »
That looks so good :P
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Offline Al Lewis

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Re: Port du Salut
« Reply #7 on: May 15, 2016, 03:59:17 PM »
Not really much to report on this one but I just pulled it out and it looked so good that I just had to take a photo and post it.
Anyway, I've just washed it and I am letting it dry before I wrap it and allow it to age for a few weeks.

Some days are just like that.  ;D
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Offline Boofer

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Re: Port du Salut
« Reply #8 on: May 16, 2016, 03:13:35 PM »
I have attempted Saint Paulin a few times in the past but have just recently discovered that I was doing it wrong. :o

Mine never turned out like the commercial sample I am enjoying now. I can recall commercial Port du Salut having the same very soft, spreadable consistency as this Saint Paulin. There's some elusive affinage detail that I'm overlooking. This Saint Paulin has an annatto rind treatment rather than relying on B. linens for the color.

Waiting to see how yours turns out.

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Offline Gregore

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Re: Port du Salut
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2016, 01:05:28 PM »
It could be that this commercial version destined for the American market has been blended to give that texture , or treated in the same manner as processed cheese slices  :-\

I have had it many times and never gave that texture much thought , next time I am at the cheese store I will ask about this .

Offline Boofer

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Re: Port du Salut
« Reply #10 on: May 18, 2016, 02:11:16 AM »
You might be right or the purveyor might just hold the cheeses from shipping until they're very mature. :-\

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Offline Gregore

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Re: Port du Salut
« Reply #11 on: May 18, 2016, 04:52:14 AM »
Some how it seems too perfect from edge to edge .....  where did the rind go ?

Offline Al Lewis

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Re: Port du Salut
« Reply #12 on: May 18, 2016, 01:06:42 PM »
It certainly appears to be a processed product with a "sprayed on?" coating to simulate b linens?  Just a bit too perfect to be a "true" aged cheese, whatever that is.
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Offline Andrew Marshallsay

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Re: Port du Salut
« Reply #13 on: June 10, 2016, 08:31:13 AM »
Well, here it is. It's turned out pretty well on the whole.
The sloppy bit around the outside is the best part. The centre is a bit chalky.
I've cut most of it into wedges and vacuum bagged them. Hopefully those enzymes will continue to work their magic.
It certainly looks a bit different to the spray painted examples.
- Andrew

JeffHamm

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Re: Port du Salut
« Reply #14 on: June 25, 2016, 08:58:29 AM »
The rind looks really good, well done (a cheese to you for that)!  The centre hasn't ripened yet, which is probably due to the thickness, but the rest looks very nice.  If you make this again, you could split the curds into two moulds of that size if you don't have an 8 inch diameter one.