Author Topic: First Epoisses  (Read 4018 times)

Offline Andrew Marshallsay

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First Epoisses
« on: March 19, 2017, 11:34:18 AM »
Epoisses is one of my favourite cheeses but not one that I have attempted before. I did, inadvertently, make something similar last year. I made some Robiola and decided to try one of them as a washed rind cheese. The result turned out very well but it was only afterwards that I discovered that the process was very similar to that for Epoisses.
Anyway, I started the day before yesterday. The main sources of information I used were here and here, together with my Robiola experience. The process to date is as follows:

4 Litres of milk: 2L Fleurieu Full Cream (P 3.3%, F3.8%) and 2L Fleurieu Jersey (P 3.3%, 4.8%).Total P 3.3%, F4.3%, P:F = 0.77:1     (Target P:F ~ 0.71)
1⁄7  teaspoon (2 pinches) of M235 culture
Approx. 1/4 drop(0.015g) Geotrichum Candidum
1/44 tsp  (2 smidgens)  B. Linens
  3 drops of 200 IMCU rennet (in 20ml H2O)
1ml CaCl2 in 20ml water

Heated milk to 31 °C
Stirred in the culture.
Left for 2 hours 10 min
Stirred in the CaCl2 and left 5 minutes.
Stirred in the rennet and left overnight - 12½  hours lactic ripening (goal pH 4.5 - measured pH~4.3). Temperature fell to 21C during this time.
Cut curds in 5 cm cubes.
Put into lined moulds
Drained. Flipped 3 times in 3¼hrs. Third time, stacked and added a small (~½ kg) weight. 
Drained 9 hours, occasionally swapping stack and flipping in moulds.
Unwrapped and returned to moulds.
After 10½ hours, flipped cheeses in moulds and salted one side with ½ tsp of salt. Cheese weights 345 and361g. (goal pH 4.3 - measured pH~4.3)
Left 3 hours and then turned and salted other side. Salt content ~ 1.7%
After a further 3 hours, moved to an aging container at ~13C.

For the next few weeks i will be washing the cheeses with a weak brine containing an increasing proportion of brandy.

- Andrew

Offline Andrew Marshallsay

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Re: First Epoisses
« Reply #1 on: March 27, 2017, 12:54:39 AM »
So far, so good.
I started washing with light brine and am now slowly adding brandy to the wash. I turn the cheeses and wash alternate sides daily.
Various moulds turned up on the surface quite quickly but they have been just as quickly brought under control by the washing. In the last couple of days the surface has become slimy, as expected and it is just starting to develop a slight pinkish tinge.
- Andrew

Offline Gregore

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Re: First Epoisses
« Reply #2 on: March 27, 2017, 03:57:45 AM »
Yum , looking forward to the outcome.

Offline Andrew Marshallsay

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Re: First Epoisses
« Reply #3 on: May 21, 2017, 12:27:25 PM »
After washing this for about two months with light brine laced with increasing amounts of brandy, I stopped the washing last week and opened the aging box to let the rind dry a bit.
Today I opened the first of them. A nice cheese: creamy and tangy with the complexity expected from a washed rind. Not really an Epoisses, I think, but then it is some time since I had the genuine article.
There was not as much proteolysis as I would have expected given the time since it was made, but the rind had developed fairly slowly. I suspect that if I had left it much longer it would have started to go downhill.
All in all, quite a satisfactory outcome, if not quite what I had expected.
- Andrew

Duntov

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Re: First Epoisses
« Reply #4 on: May 21, 2017, 04:19:57 PM »
Congratulations Andrew and have a cheese on me.  I soon will be trying a stinky.  My cultures have arrived so this will be next on my list.

Offline Andrew Marshallsay

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Re: First Epoisses
« Reply #5 on: May 22, 2017, 10:00:40 AM »
Thanks for the cheese, John.
Best of luck with your smelly cheese. I will look forward to your reports.
- Andrew

AnnDee

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Re: First Epoisses
« Reply #6 on: May 22, 2017, 01:58:43 PM »
Looks good Andrew!  Another cheese for you :)

John@PC

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Re: First Epoisses
« Reply #7 on: May 23, 2017, 02:01:40 PM »
Nice result Andrew.  Definitely worth another cheese to-go. 

Offline Al Lewis

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Re: First Epoisses
« Reply #8 on: May 23, 2017, 03:56:17 PM »
Very nice cheese!  AC4U!
Making the World a Safer Place, One Cheese at a Time! My Food Blog and Videos

Offline Andrew Marshallsay

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Re: First Epoisses
« Reply #9 on: May 24, 2017, 06:17:22 AM »
Thanks Ann, John, Al
- Andrew