Author Topic: My first Blue, Should I pierce?  (Read 1419 times)

vogironface

  • Guest
My first Blue, Should I pierce?
« on: March 12, 2010, 07:02:26 AM »
I started a stilton style blue 12 days ago and am curious if everything looks good.  There is not a lot of blue, there is lots of white mold and some brown.  The white does not feel like a camembert but is that color.  In reading some other posts I may have salted to early.  I salted before going to bed and did not let it age over night.  So my questions are if things are looking ok and if this is ready to pierce. 

Thanks.

P.S. per linuxboy's recommendation I think I shall read all of sailors blue posts.  Thanks sailor for being our resident blue expert.

Sailor Con Queso

  • Guest
Re: My first Blue, Should I pierce?
« Reply #1 on: March 12, 2010, 04:44:27 PM »
The cheese looks really nice and will probably taste great. Two observations:

The smooth surface indicates the cheese was pressed. Yes? Stilton is not pressed in the final stages.

Salting early stalled the acidification needed to create the ideal environment for the blue mold. While you are getting some blue, it is not what I would expect after 12 days. Since the blue is not being very aggressive, it may allow the "competition" to move in. As I said in another post, an acidic brine wash might help, but I can't say for sure from experience. If your cheese is not COVERED with blue in another couple of days, I would try the brine wash and see what happens. I would not pierce until you have better coverage. Otherwise you are just going to push contaminants into the cheese. Rubbing with salt right now might help control the other molds, but again, I have not had to do that.

After it ages for 60 days, you are welcome to send me a big chunk for sampling. ;) >:D 8)

Alex

  • Guest
Re: My first Blue, Should I pierce?
« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2010, 05:29:47 PM »
What an acidic brine should be?

vogironface

  • Guest
Re: My first Blue, Should I pierce?
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2010, 06:43:31 PM »
Sailor,

Thanks for the advice.  I dud press under very slight weight ( a glass of water) but the sides are smooth because of smoothing the curds after demolding.  I had the same question of alex.  I am assuming a mixture of vinegar and water.  How do we make and apply this and how long do we soak the cheese?  Should I spray with blue mold after the bath to give it a better chance?

Sailor Con Queso

  • Guest
Re: My first Blue, Should I pierce?
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2010, 09:36:04 PM »
This is new territory for me, so I don't know how to advise you "properly" It would be helpful if you you could test the pH on the surface of your cheese.

However, that being said, I would start off with 1 gallon of saturated brine solution and add 2 tablespoons of vinegar. You could use Citric Acid but it's harder to control. You could also use an acidic whey if you have another cheese going. Wipe the surface, don't soak. Don't dry. Just let it sit. Spray or wipe the surface the next day with blue mold. I would repeat every other day for a week and see what happens.

This may fail miserably, but if your blue isn't working it's worth a shot.