Author Topic: Alex's Limburger Cheese  (Read 9161 times)

Alex

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Alex's Limburger Cheese
« on: October 05, 2009, 05:11:01 PM »
Three months ago I made my first Limburger. It started out fine. It's made of unpasteurized raw cow's milk, 10 liters batch.
The first two pics show the cheese and a slice of it, after two months of ageing. I've seen some contamination sort of mould spots on the rind,which I tried to remove by washing with a brush dipped in salt brine. Then I decided to keep ageing it for an additional month wrapped in aluminum foil. Today, the month is over, I unwrapped the cheese, as can be seen on the third pic, it looks real fine. BUT, as I cut a slice (fourth pic), I was deeply disappointed to find out that the unwanted mould penetrated into the cheese's body and developed like in a blue cheese. Two years I make cheese, never made a blue one, sorry, I don't like it.
NOW, the taste is yummy (although I don't like blues), the texture is soft and creamy like a medium ripe Camembert, the aroma and flavor are mushroomy, sharp and tangy. Despite the blue mould, I am very pleased.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Alex's Limburger Cheese
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2009, 01:15:50 AM »
I have never had limburger but I have been very tempting to try making it so I can find out wha all the fuss is about. I have never even seem this cheese in a store. It looks lovely Alex! Is the blue only in the outter slcie or all over?

Alex

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Re: Alex's Limburger Cheese
« Reply #2 on: October 07, 2009, 05:32:19 AM »
Debby, you HAVE TO make a Limburger. to my opinion, do everything you can in order to avoid contamination and get the real stuff.
As for the blue, unfortunately it is all over the inside but much less then near the previous cut.

zenith1

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Re: Alex's Limburger Cheese
« Reply #3 on: October 07, 2009, 01:27:57 PM »
I can hear my dear old Dad moaning right now! It is his favorite. Nice job :D

Alex

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Re: Alex's Limburger Cheese
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2009, 02:34:24 PM »
Thanks Zenith,

Make him one without the unwanted mold.

clherestian

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Re: Alex's Limburger Cheese
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2009, 06:50:58 PM »
Alex, what was your washing schedule?

Alex

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Re: Alex's Limburger Cheese
« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2009, 09:08:38 PM »
During the first two months, twice a week with a light salt brine and fliping each time. The last month only wraped in aluminum foil.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Alex's Limburger Cheese
« Reply #7 on: October 19, 2009, 06:26:57 AM »
I found some limburger in Wisconsin but didn't buy it. I got to many what are you crazy? comments from the family.  :-X

I wish they had a smaller block for trying I didn't want to buy a big 3 pound block and not like it. It was wrapped in a waxed foil of some sort so you couldn't even smell it.

Alex

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Re: Alex's Limburger Cheese
« Reply #8 on: October 19, 2009, 11:37:40 AM »
Debi,
Surprise yourself, try to make a small one, let's say - 1 gallon of milk.

Baby Chee

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Re: Alex's Limburger Cheese
« Reply #9 on: October 19, 2009, 01:06:37 PM »
Well, you convinced me.  I'll try a 2 gallon Limburger next month, since it can fit into the Camembert cave.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Alex's Limburger Cheese
« Reply #10 on: October 19, 2009, 05:05:46 PM »
I just might do that Alex. One gallon will be small enough to try and still not waste to much. I wonder if the boys at work like limburger? I work with a crew of engineers that will eat almost anything I think!

Alex

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Re: Alex's Limburger Cheese
« Reply #11 on: October 19, 2009, 07:05:06 PM »
Good Luck and keep us informed

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Re: Alex's Limburger Cheese
« Reply #12 on: October 19, 2009, 07:45:26 PM »
I will do that Alex. BTW - What recipe do you use for limburger? I think I have one from online somewhere but I would prefer to make one that you have approved of as you know what this cheese is supposed to be.

Alex

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Re: Alex's Limburger Cheese
« Reply #13 on: October 20, 2009, 02:34:01 AM »
Mine is also some online one:

Limburger Cheese Making Recipe
Limburger is famously stinky but delicious tasting; detailed information is available on the Limburger Cheese type webpage.
Ingredients – Metric:

Makes ~0.45 kg of Limburger Cheese:
    4 liters fresh whole cow's milk.
    Optional: Calcium Chloride if using store bought pasteurized milk, amount as per manufacturer’s directions or your experience.
    60 ml of homemade or your choice of manufactured Mesophilic Starter Culture, amount as per directions.
    Optional: Annatto Cheese Colorant, amount as per directions or your experience, diluted in ~50 ml water.
    Brevibacterium linens.
    Optional: Penicillium candidum or a piece of rind from a Camembert cheese as an inoculant. If spraying on P candidum, 16 hours before use, melt 0.6 ml salt and 0.6 ml sugar in 250 ml water then dilute in 0.6 ml P candidum, pour into atomizer, and place in fridge to reactivate before use.
    Rennet, your choice of type, amount as per your experience or package directions, diluted in ~125 ml cool water.
    Salt
    
Directions:

Making:

1.   Pour milk into stockpot, warm to 30-33°C.
2.   Optional, if adding Calcium Chloride, do so here and stir in.
3.   Add lactic starter culture and thoroughly stir in.
4.   Optional, if adding Brevibacterium linens directly to milk do so here by stirring in.
5.   Optional, if adding Penicillium candidum directly to milk, do so here by stirring in.
6.   Optional, if adding diluted colorant, do so now and thoroughly stir in.
7.   Add diluted rennet, whisk in for 1 minute, cover and set aside for curd to set.
8.   After ~45-60 minutes, check for clean break, if not good, wait another ~15 minutes and check again. If good, cut curd into 1.25 cm cubes.
9.   Stir gently for ~10 minutes.
10.   Increase temperature slowly to 33°C over 15 minutes, and then stir slowly for another 20 min at 33°C until sufficiently firm.
11.   Let curds settle for 5 minutes then drain off whey.
12.   Optional, wash cut curds with weak brine to lower curd's acidity.
13.   Place 2 small preferably square or rectangular cheese hoops (round Camembert hoops will work) on mats on draining board beside sink, then gently ladle cut curds into hoops.
14.   To create same height cheeses, ensure curd height is same in each hoop.
15.   Turn hoops while gravity draining until firm enough to retain shape. Note, a light weight board can be used as a light weight.
16.   Remove cheeses from hoops and cut to desired rectangular brick size.
17.   Salt the cheeses either by rolling in salt, or rubbing with salt, or by bathing in brine.
18.   Optional, if applying Brevibacterium linens here to surface, dilute in water and spray/mist onto all surfaces.
19.   Optional, if applying Penicillium candidum here to surface, dilute in water and spray/mist onto all surfaces.



Aging:

1.   Age the cheese at 10-15°C and relative humidity of 90% for ~2-3 weeks. As the cheeses cure, slime forms on the surface and the rind acquires a reddish-yellow color. For first 10 days, every other day turn cheeses and gently wash with light brine and brush to smear the bacteria. For second 10 days smear every 3-4 days. Note, in factories, the older Limburgers are rubbed or washed before the younger thereby innoculating the younger cheeses.
2.   After 2-3 weeks, wrap Limburgers in parchment or waxed paper, then in foil.
3.   Age for another 3+ weeks at 4-10°C.

Consuming:

1.   Less than 1 month age the cheese is firm, crumbly, and salty with an acidic flavor similar to Feta Cheese.
2.   At 1.5 months age, the cheese is a "Beginner Limburger" or "affiné" (refined) and is firm with crumbly center and soft outer edge as the bacteria works from rind to inside and has an acidic flavor.
3.   At 1.5-2 months the cheese is "à point" and is soft almost to center, and has a slightly sweet and earthy flavor.
4.   At 2-3 months the cheese soft and spreadable, the salt has blended in, and the cheese is sweet strong flavor.
5.   At 3+ months the cheese is only for die-hard Limburger-lovers with an intense very strong and pungent almost bitter aroma/flavor.

Tricks:

    If curds stick to mats, use thin blade knife to separate.

Traps:

    If using Penicillium candidum, there are some special safety concerns especially if using raw milk because the acidity decreases (pH increases) dramatically due to the white mould which can allow pathogens to survive and then grow when the pH increases during ripening. To mitigate this, curing rooms must be cleaned and sanitized regularly.

My notes:

Didn't use colorant.
Didn't add CaCl because I used raw fresh and non-pasteurized milk and aged more than 60 days.
Starter Culture=Buttermilk, 1 ts/1 liter of milk.
Inoculated the milk with B.linens and P.Candidum.
As I made a 9-10 liters batch, I used a Brie hoop and of-course didn't cut the wheel in cubes as Limburger should be.
It looks like I fell in the trap described. May be I wasn't aware with the cleaning of my work space/area that caused the unwanted mold contamination as seen in my pics.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Alex's Limburger Cheese
« Reply #14 on: October 20, 2009, 03:11:55 AM »
Thanks hon I will give it a shot in a few weeks. I don't think I have any more b. linens.