Tomme Cheese Making Recipe

[Tomer1]

Making some raw milk tomme tomorrow washed with strawberry-peach wine lees. 
 

[linuxboy]

Nice one, Tomer. With lees, my experience is that less is more (granted mine were lees from rice wine). Add salt to it to get to 3%, and paint it on, then let it grow out. Just what worked best for me. Curious what your results will be.

[Tomer1]

So your suggesting air drying the cheese for a few days and then do a single application and just let it become slimey and grow what ever comes?

[linuxboy]

What I did is use it as a thick paint 1x/week, both to inoculate, and to knock down. I would let the previous layer dry out before I painted again, and kept humidity in low 90s because I didn't want b linens, was going for molds.

[Tomer1]

Got it.  I'l be happy to document and share the process for future generations
 

[linuxboy]

Awesome. I think you need to decide the point of using the lees. Is it as perfume, to get that slight funk? Is it as food for other flora? Is it to introduce flora? Is it to change the pH or other parameter, to encourage the selective growth of some species? Because that shapes the treatment you should give. For example, if you wanted to use it as a perfume, you wouldn't dilute it into a morge and wash it like a gruyere. I was after using it as a substrate and to add natural flora, while sticking to a mold approach. So that's what my schedule and approach did. Definitely not the only way to go.

[Tomer1]

I want to use it to to encourage yeast growth (contributing to aroma modification). 
I dont want to dilute it.  (any fruity perfum will likely be lost to oxidation anyhow)

The pH of the lees is roughly 3.8 so Im acidifying the rind (rather then deacifying as most morge do to preper the rind for growth), how will this likely to influence the whole situation?  I dont want to end up with a cheese which just tastes yeasty and nothing more. 

Also should I target a high moisture or not? (cutting size and fluc factor), with high moisture I can expect to get some paste\texture modification, right?

[linuxboy]

The lees pH is an important consideration. It will inhibit b linens and some molds production. But, if you leave it alone, the native flora should be able to increase pH enough over 3-4 days to support mold growth. 

Do not do a high moisture, you risk runaway fermented flavors. This needs a run-of-the-mill tomme, 3x floc. If you do moderate moisture, it might work, so long as you don't do too many applications and keep the humidity in the moderate range to slow everything down.

[Tomer1]

I'm right after the second washing.  I did Floc X3.   The curds feel ready for draining but I'l continue working them to expell some more moisture as the pH is still fairly high (about 6.43) and I got room\time to work with untill I reach low end of draining pH.

Edit:
I messed up.  Over acidifying to 5.25. I stacked two mould and apearently It wasnt centered properly and got this bulge and the netting got in between. arrrrrr.      Its not my day.  I might buy some milk again next week and re do. 

The offsided wheel is continuing to dry for a few more days (rised humidity to 85% and lowered temp to 12-13c) before Lees application.

The second (freakishly looking one) is having a bath in a Choclate raspberry port (with 3% salt and CaCl2 added) for 36 hr,  will be dried up , bathed again and baged.

[linuxboy]

5.25 not the end of the world. It's alright, especially if you hit the rennet and drain. Good luck!

[iratherfly]

If it's too acidic, age it moist to prevent it from drying and move it to cool temp aging quicker (2-4 weeks). Age it in refrigeration for a month longer. I am sure it will be great!

[Tomer1]

The yeast are growing well with a very fruity aroma (im washing every third day with the Lees-brine) , and I'm not getting a bready smell which is good.
Humidity is 85-90%.  Unfortunatlly my fridge is acting up (keeps building ice) and I cant get it below 14c.

As yeast can be anaerobic, will they continue to "work their magic" aroma wise if I vacuum bag without drying up the rind again?

[iratherfly]

The cold period should be in a normal fridge, not cave temp.

[Tomer1]

So the month longer of aging is to sort of compensate for the decrease (slowed) in chemical reactions?

[iratherfly]

It will give enzymatic activity more time to process the texture and flavors to the point where they would otherwise be a month earlier should your acidity have been perfect.