Author Topic: A Munster Gerome attempt  (Read 1164 times)

LantGladstone

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A Munster Gerome attempt
« on: March 22, 2017, 02:44:41 AM »
This is my first washed rind cheese.  I think there were issues and am looking for some advice and troubleshooting strategies.  Thanks!

It was somewhat soft but crumbly.  There was really no difference in the paste when tasting (or visually inspecting) from the centre or near the rind making me think that no ripening was happening from the rind.  It smells like it should (feet) and tastes close to oversalted and VERY umami (no ammonia but faintly like oysters or Thai fish sauce).

This is what I did (mostly followed Gavin's Petite Munster):

4 L Milk (H and P)
1/8 tsp Mesophillic DS from cheesemaking.com
1/16 tsp b. linens
1/32 tsp geo
1/4 tsp CaCl2 in 1/4 c H2O (boiled and cooled)
1/4 tsp liquid rennet in 1.4 c H2O

heated milk to 90 °F with no ripening added CaCl2 and rennet.  After 1 h cut into 1/2 inch cubes, allowed to heal 5 mins, and stirred 5 mins.  Allowed curd to settle 30 m and collected in a cheese cloth and drained 10 m.  Added to molds and drained around 36 h turning regularly.  Placed in cave for 3 days and washed with sat. brine soln. and  then washed with light brine (0.6 oz NaCl in 1/2 boiled and cooled H2O) every other day for 9.5 weeks.  Early on (after about a week) during this time, white fuzz started to bloom and I increased washing and a pink slimy layer developed.  It was difficult to flip without leaving finger prints and it peeled off in some places (it was still peely when I cut it and you can see it in the picture with the knife). Did I simply not wait long enough?  What does one usually do with the white bloom?

Offline Gregore

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Re: A Munster Gerome attempt
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2017, 04:02:17 AM »
Okay first thing this cheees got way to acid , so shorten that time up to about 12 hrs in the mold an de it should have about its own weight on top of it .

Next you did not mention if you salted or brined , or did the salt all come from washing ?

Next the washing was way too long  it should be more like 2 maybe 3  weeks , then only when blues or other stuff shows up .

Third it was way too acid for b linens to be happy so pc showed up instead

Forth you would be better of finding a recipe on here, I think a few have been mentioned in the last few months, 

What you really made was a lactic acid set sort of but washed .

LantGladstone

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Re: A Munster Gerome attempt
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2017, 10:36:40 AM »
Thanks...it makes perfect sense that it was way too acid and is very consistent with my observations it is was a "lactic set". I wonder why his recipe had that long ripening time.  (I know a lot more now than I did when I made the cheese)

The salt came from the washing....I'm guessing that you are going to say that because salt turns off the lactic activity, the lack of salting would also make it way too acid?

Another question....I added the geo because it as mentioned in the cheesemaking.com recipe.  Why do you think they included it?  What was it supposed to do?

Thanks again!

Offline awakephd

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Re: A Munster Gerome attempt
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2017, 12:36:10 PM »
I find that I keep saying this, but I'm in agreement with Gregore. (Hopefully this is "great minds thinking alike," and not that I am de-valuing Gregore's advice by adding the dubious imprimatur of my agreement!)

In theory, geo goes to work first on the surface, lowering the pH there so that other molds can get a foothold. The "pink slimy layer" sounds like you got some linens going, but in the pictures it looks like mostly geo and PC. Of course, these should also result in a softening of the cheese, and these should be able to handle the high acid. The cheese looks a bit "tall" for the diameter, but still in 9.5 weeks I would expect some significant softening around the edges.

The lack of salt is interesting - you definitely are not going to get the right taste without salting the cheese, but I don't know enough about how the salt may work with the molds/linens to know how it would affect the softening.
-- Andy

Offline Boofer

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Re: A Munster Gerome attempt
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2017, 02:14:56 PM »
I would agree with Andy...the cheese is a bit tall. Form factor matters when you're trying to ripen from the outside in.

You can use the SEARCH function to get a lot of answers. Here's a result of searching on "schmier".  ;)

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Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

Offline Gregore

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Re: A Munster Gerome attempt
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2017, 02:24:42 PM »
The geo is certainly there to raise ph up enough to allow b linens to take over , but that will never happen with a cheese that is too low in acid .

And yes waiting to turn off the acid by salt washing the surface is going to give an even more acid of a cheese

And being too tall also does not help .

I would say you were just very lucky to not get slip skin , big cheeses that are washed too often usually suffer from this . So you did good on that .

Go ahead and enjoy this cheese for what it is , a very large lactic set cheese . It should go good with jam on a cracker or bread .

And follow boofers link , there is some good reading to be had

LantGladstone

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Re: A Munster Gerome attempt
« Reply #6 on: March 24, 2017, 12:03:54 AM »
thanks everyone!  and my apologies for newbie questions...I'll definitely read more.

Offline Gregore

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Re: A Munster Gerome attempt
« Reply #7 on: March 24, 2017, 02:35:52 AM »
No worries on the newbie questions , if not for all the newbies we some what more knowledgeable makers would be twitteling our thumbs most of the time .

So thank you ... keep them coming .