Help Please. My first blue melted

[Karlosus]

So I made my first ever blue,  a Gorgonzola,  from the book 'Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking'.

Everything went perfectly. Hit the correct ph levels. Went into the aging fridge at 12c and 95% humidity. After the first week it grew a nice coat of blue mould. I punched holes in it with a 4mm knitting needle and it was nice and firm. Waited a week then flipped it and punched holes in the other side as per the recipe.

I then proceeded to flip it every week for the last few couple of weeks and it was still fairly firm. However I had to go away for a week and I have just returned home to find my cheese has sunken into a blob and cracked open. I tasted it and it tastes of blue but also very bitter and ammonia flavoured. It's inedible.

This was after a total of five weeks. The recipe says to age it between 8-10 weeks. And judging by the photos in the book it should be quite a firm cheese, not a gooey mess. Especially after only five weeks.

The recipe does not mention to move it to a colder area however I'm wondering if I should have moved it to a 4c fridge after the first couple of weeks,  as I do with my brie.

Any ideas would be appreciated. Here is the recipe I used:

- 4gal/15L pasturised/non homogenised milk.
- 1/4 tsp of flora Danica
- 1/16 tsp ST 50
- 1/16 tsp P. Roqueforti (I used PRB 6)
- 4 ml calcium chloride
- 3 ml rennet (I used liquid vegetable rennet)
- 3% salt by weight.

Below are photos of what it looks like and what it should look like. 

Thanks

[Andrew Marshallsay]

Looks to me like quite a nice, ripe blue brie but if it has a strong ammonia taste you'd have to say that its an overripe blue brie.
I would say that you've had very strong Geotrichum growth which had led to rapid proteolysis. A lower temperature would probably helped but I suspect that high humidity was probably the main culprit.

[Karlosus]

Looks to me like quite a nice, ripe blue brie but if it has a strong ammonia taste you'd have to say that its an overripe blue brie.
I would say that you've had very strong Geotrichum growth which had led to rapid proteolysis. A lower temperature would probably helped but I suspect that high humidity was probably the main culprit.

Since I didn't add Geo to the make do you think it's jumped from the Brie I have in the cave. What humidity would you recommend? 90%?

[Dorchestercheese]

Reminds me of my first attempt at Blue.  I put away too wet.  Now I try to take it out of the fridge an hour or so every other day.  I tried to keep the surface dry now.  I just put up some blue and am away scared I May come home to a blob.  I also leave it at RT for about 5 days or more to get a drier rind but don't let it crust.
See my meltdown below 

[Gregore]

For sure geo made it runny , and geo is everywhere .  Let it air out  and taste it again I suspect it will mellow , or vacuum bag it for 2 weeks ,

Cooking with a ammonia cheese can mellow the sharpness quite a bit

I always try every thing possible to save any failed cheese , out of respect for the cow and because I am cheap.

[Karlosus]

Thanks everyone, I'll have to try those tips.

So what humidity and temperature does everyone age their blues at? Is there any other ways to keep the Geo in check?

[Gregore]

Geo can go crazy like that on the surface if there is too much moisture in the curd or if the ph did not get low enough.

the surface should be reasonably dry a day or 2 after salting if not use a fan to help dry it off.

[Andrew Marshallsay]

Since I didn't add Geo to the make do you think it's jumped from the Brie I have in the cave. What humidity would you recommend? 90%?

I get Geo on a lot of cheeses without adding it. It usually is not a problem.
Caldwell recommends around 90% RH for blues so your 95% was probably a bit high.
I am not very experienced with blues but I find with Camemberts that I need to move them from 13C to about 6-8C after about a week to stop them ripening too fast.