Beer washed cheese?

[Bernardsmith]

I am interested in making a beer washed cheese. Where can I read up about the best techniques and procedures for such a wash? Thanks.

[awakephd]

Are you thinking more about a washed rind cheese that uses beer, or a beer-infused cheese? Either way, there are numerous threads in this forum where folks have experimented. Here's a couple to get you started:

A beer-washed and hop-leaves-wrapped cheese: http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,14078.0.html

A beer-infused cheddar style: http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,817.0.html

[Bernardsmith]

Thanks Andy, I am looking for a protocol for the washing (not so much infusing).. Do you wash the cheese with beer only once or weekly or daily? Do you wash with brine and beer? Is beer washing only for soft cheese or does it make sense to wash say, a cheddar?

[Andrew Marshallsay]

Hi Bernard.
I have done ale washed rinds a couple of times using the Pholia Farm recipe from Caldwell's "Mastering Artisan Cheese Making".
That recipe calls for washing twice weekly for 4-6 weeks with 2 tsp of slat in 12 oz. ale. I washed more frequently than that at (opposite sides on opposite days), reducing the frequency as the rind developed. With one of them I had some grey mould appear and I washed daily for a while to knock that out. Both turned out well.
You can wash harder cheeses. I am currently in the process of washing a Gruyere that I made a couple of weeks ago. I don't know what would happen with a cheddar but it could be interesting.

[Bernardsmith]

Aha! Thank you Andrew. I have that title. Will check out that section. Many thanks  - and thanks for your process.

[Sully]

So one thing I am not clear on from the few books I have.  What constitutes a good candidate for ale washing?  The most common I see is Tomme, but is there any reason not to ale wash a Manchego, Asiago, Gruyere, etc?  Is it just tradition?