DeejayDebi's FIRST Goats Cheese and Soft Cheese Crottin de Chavignol

[mtncheesemaker]

Those are nice looking cheeses, Alex! Did you use Francois' recipe?
I'm going to try this cheese again, first time was before I understood the critical draining/humidity issue.
Pam

[Alex]

No Pam,
Those cheeses are based upon a basic lactic type cheese recipe. There is an entire family of very similar cheeses with different names according to the place of make.
BTW, I make them ash coated and with wallnuts and washed.

[mtncheesemaker]

Thanks, they look yummy.

[DeejayDebi]

I really like the looks of the last too with nuts in them. They look very tastey.

[iratherfly]

Alex, it looks as if your ashed rind is washed or brined. At what point do you wash it? What sort of brine, time and technique do you use to do that?
Also, are you using PLA culture? or just Geo and PC? (I assume Buttermilk is your starter)

[Alex]

Those cheeses were inoculated with PC only. They are washed with a 18-22% salt brine twice a week starting after a full blooming through the ash coating.
You may want to try washing with brandy, sweet white wine, beer, cider, etc. Those are the "brines" I use to wash cheeses. For how long? Well, that dipends on your patience. I'll suggest 2-3 weeks minimum. You'll be nicely rewarded after 8 weeks

[Brie]

Humbolt Fog Recipe
I love this goat cheese that is made by Cypress Grove, and have a decent replica using goat milk from Trader Joe's:
1 gallon goat milk
1.4 tsp. CaCh
1/4 tsp. Flora Danica (C11)
Charcoal Ash
1/4 tsp. liquid rennet (or equivalent)
P. Candidum/Geo Combo
Method:
Heat milk to 78 (FH), add CaCh & flora. Let sit 2 minute and stir gently to incorporate. Ripen for 30 minutes. Add rennet and allow 60-70 minute for firm curd to form.
Scoop half the curds into two Camembert Molds and lightly dust with Ash. Pack rest of curds into molds and prepare sandwich mold for each. Flip molds at regular intervals for 25 hours, until whey is no longer visible. Mix 2 tsp. cheese salt with 1/4 cup ash. Dust all parts of cheese with mixture. Spray cheese with atomized P. Candidum/Geo and store at 50 degrees and 80 RH.  Re-spray at day 3.  White mold should develop within 5-10 days--flip when it develops on one side to allow it develop on other side. When white furry friends are prevalent, wrap and age for 2 weeks and enjoy!

[iratherfly]

Alex,

I'll suggest 2-3 weeks minimum. You'll be nicely rewarded after 8 weeks

That's pretty long Isn't it? I mean, traditional Crottin is considered "affiné" by day 21 (tiny 60g to 160g cheese).
Do you mix the 18%-22% salt in the brandy or beer? do you re-use such brine a couple of times or always make a fresh one?

Brie, thanks so much! Going to try it, though I don't have an atomizer. Perhaps I'll just add the PC/GC to the milk like traditional Camembert! As for Trader Joe's, they rely on local suppliers wherever it operates. I am in NYC and what they sell here is UHT- Pasteurized so making cheese with it is difficult to say the least, moreover so with lactic cheeses!
While not a big fan of Whole Foods and their boutique $8/Lb tomato pricing, I did find a fantastic wholesome milk from a Pennsylvania farmer.  I emailed him to ask about the feed/hormones/antibiotics and I couldn't believe how detailed and passionate that guy was in responding. I am sold

[Alex]

That's pretty long Isn't it? I mean, traditional Crottin is considered "affiné" by day 21 (tiny 60g to 160g cheese).
Do you mix the 18%-22% salt in the brandy or beer? do you re-use such brine a couple of times or always make a fresh one?

Crottin de Pays is a 50-60 gr cheese with affinage of arround 2 weeks.
Crottin de Chavignol is a 60-110 gr cheese. Within the AOC Regulation, affinage should last at least 10 days, but 2-4 weeks is allowed as well, therefore 3 weeks is OK for me.
So, 8 weeks sounds to long, but, as this is far of being a "legal" Crottin, I do wait for this period for the washed ones. And BTW, those cheeses I've show, are made from cow milk, not goat milk.
I do not mix any of the washing liquids, and I use them separately on each cheese, small amount of liquid at a time, refeeling the same container, all kept in the fridge.

[FRANCOIS]

While that recipe may give a passable copy I would still argue that Humboldt Fog is a lactic curd and that a rennet coagulated recipe, while it may look and smell close, won't aaccurately capture the flavor and texture.  It has all the hallmark flintiness and acidity that can only be achieved by lactic curd.   

And now I will get off my high horse....  have you considered using something besides FD?  To get the high acidity levels I would have first tried 4001 or even an RA series.  This would give you a deep pH drop in a short amount of time and reduce the rennet needed.  With the same process you used the result would be more along the lines of a lactic curd.  A further improvement would be to ladle the curd, this again will give you more acidity in the final cheese and a denser structure after ripening.  Predraining may or may not be needed.  I would also add the CaCl just before the rennet, not with the culture.  it gives it less time to get rebound and will be more effective.  Just my 2 cents.

[Brie]

Thanks, Francois--always room for improvement--I'll try with your suggestions next time! Here's my latest batch--ready to be wrapped...

[Missy Greene]

 I have noticed that some crottin recipes just salt the cheeses and some brine them.  I have a batch going that I brined and it seems to have a much more even coating of mold growth that those that I salted. It also was much firmer when it went into the aging box. Comments???

[Alex]

Sorry, never heard about salt brining a lactic cheese, that doesn't mean it's not correct. I salt the lactics with a salt shaker, the salting comes out very even.

[FRANCOIS]

Brining is always preferable for ripened cheeses, it gives you a better pH profile and more uniform distribution for ripening.  Personally I prefer brine to dry salt in most instances unless I'm looking for a really varied rind.

[Missy Greene]

thanks for that info. i will let you all know how they come out, I have friend who is into cheese and we will sample one this weekend.=
 on another note, I am trying a the Humbolt Fog recipe with Francoise's suggestions, but I realize that I don't have any instructions, even in the books, on the proportions for mixing up the spray solution sooooo......help Please!! and thanks!