ASH - Using In Cheesemaking

[Tea]

Well  finally bought myself some ash.  12oz is a lot of ash.  So I was wondering how it was applied to a cheese.  I am wanting to do an ash brie.  The instructions say to just rub the cheese with a mix of salt and ash.  But this cheese has already been brined, so should I add extra salt to the ash, or can the ash be applied without adding more salt?  Hope this makes sense.

[Cheese Head]

Tea, member Alex is a big Ash user, just in case you didn't notice, he posted about his Semi-Lactic Cheese with P candidum and Ash here.

[Bella]

Hi Tea
I recall us discussing this topic some time ago.  I have made a number of batches of ash brie since then (bought the ash from NECM) and it is to die for. I find it hard to go back to plain brie now!!

This is my procedure, but who knows if it is correct or not. In any case, the result is great.

Make the brie up to and including the brining step (I actually have some in the brine as I type!). I then let the cheese dry a little, but retain a little dampness so that the ash will adhere. I then roll the edges in the ash which is leveled on a flat plate. I then dip one flat surface into the ash, turn up the unashed side and sprinkle it with a shaker filled with ash.

They are then placed to ripen as a normal brie, but I have found that they ripen a little quicker (perhaps 3-4 days) than the normal white mould brie. The mould will start to grow through the ash after a few days, and from then on it's easy peasy.

Make sure you turn them regularly, because if you don't, the mould surface will attach itself to the plastic draining mat.

You WILL enjoy them!

Here are a couple of pics of my first batch..
B

[Bella]

Oops - posted the wrong pic
Here's one of the cut cheese

[Tea]

Many thanks Bella.  I have some new white mould spores ordered, and as soon as they arrive, I am going to give this a go.

[Bella]

Hi there Tea
Did you get your ash in Australia or did you have to go overseas?

I recall you were looking at sources here a few months ago
B

[Tea]

I could only get 7.5kg here.  As the dollar is doing better at the moment, I decided that it was now or never if I was going to buy over seas.  But 12oz is a big bottle, so leaves me wondering what size the 7.5kg bag would have been.
But... on arrival it is medicinal ash used for poltices etc, so if anyone had a great health shop/chemist near them, they could probably source it from there.

Did you end up making your own?

[Bella]

Hi Tea
No, but I did get a 4L tin to do so. There was a lot of doubt in my mind about making it that way and then putting it onto a cheese without first trying the commercially-available ash. So I bought some in from Ricki Carroll and when I saw how fine it was, I doubted that anything I could produce in a tin can would be that fine. Because I have been so happy with the result, I think I will probably continue down that route.

I was discussing it with my hairdresser the other day and she told me her husband uses charcoal in his distilling processes, so I called a local home brew shop. He doesn't have anything that fine, but said if I brought mine in to show him, he may be able to source it for me - I'll let you know if anything transpires. I have used probably half of the can that I have (I have also made several Morbier cheeses which use ash) so will be needing some more in the not-too-distant future.

Did you get yours in Australia? Yes, 7.5 kg would translate to a VERY large amount of cheese!!
B

[Tea]

No from Ricki also.

[Cheese Head]

I searched on medicinal ash for poutices and can't find anything to buy.

Could one of you please post a picture of the ash you both received from CheeseMaking.com in US, label might make it easier to source the manufacturer and a retailer. Thanks!

[Tea]

Hoping to make an ash brie today, so fingers crossed.  My 2nd DD is going to help.  She has the cheese bug at the moment.

[Bella]

Hi John
These photos aren't all that informative - my camera is very old and doesn't do close-ups very well. The company listed on the label is:
NewLifestyle Health Products
30 Uchee Pines Road, Ste 15
Seale, AL 36875 USA
(334) 855-4708

[Tea]

Bella we must have posted at the same time.  Here is what I think you were trying to show. I forgot that there was this on the bottle.

[Bella]

Yeah - thanks Tea. You have obviously got a better quality camera than I have!!!!

Am off now to do all the preparations for a raclette lunch - the cheese tastes great!!
B

[DeejayDebi]

Okay I gotta ask ... what does ash taste like on cheese? I mean other than burnt marshmellows and toast on occasion I can't remember wanting ash on anything. Does it do something to the cheese?