Author Topic: Gorgonzola Pic  (Read 6187 times)

Tomer1

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Re: Gorgonzola Pic
« Reply #15 on: October 20, 2012, 09:34:09 PM »
The paste looks a bit liqufied , even spreadable.  are you happy with the results?

dirigoma

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Re: Gorgonzola Pic
« Reply #16 on: October 21, 2012, 03:07:21 AM »
It's quite gooey --  looks good, but the taste today (fully aged per recipe) was way overripe and ammonia-like, even after airing for a bit.  Still have one cheese left but threw this one to my chickens today (they loved it!)

Last week it was better, but flavor was more like Camembert than Blue???

Can this be from curds being too wet?

Thanks for any thoughts!

FRANCOIS

  • Guest
Re: Gorgonzola Pic
« Reply #17 on: October 22, 2012, 11:28:15 PM »
If you were going for gorganzola, you are correct in your assertion that the curds were too large and too soft.  The trick with most blues is to have a long set to grab as much mositure as you can, then cut the curd relatively small and stir until they seem almost too firm.  This allows you to have small, relatively hard curd that will knit but still allow growth areas for the mould and still be higher moisture.  1" or even 1/2" is way to big for any blue but a blue brie, which looks like what you made.  The high moisture also created your slip skin problems and accelerated ripening.  That amount of salt shouldn't have affected the blue growth.  It really struggles over 3%.  The time for growth is very dependent on the strain of blue you used.

dirigoma

  • Guest
Re: Gorgonzola Pic
« Reply #18 on: October 24, 2012, 01:11:50 PM »
Thank you Francois.  This was the 200 cheeses Castle Blue Recipe, 6 qts raw goat milk and 2 cups heavy cream.  I used PV Roquefort culture from www.thecheesemaker.com and Flora Danica for the Mesophilic, calf rennet reg. strength.

Recipe called for 1" curds and I may have hurried the curd shrinking at stirring, resulting in curds that were too moist, or could have had too high a humidity in the ripening box though I wiped it dry daily. 

The cheese set up beautifully, first piercing went fine.  Blue mold didn't appear by day 10 per recipe, but greying started about day 13.  I added a wine refrigerator to my setup and had difficulty getting 50 degrees (it was too cool).  Second piercing was a little sticky and rind was tan/grey.

From there the skin slipping started and the interior felt way too soft.  Cut a week prior to ripening time and had soft camembert style interior with little blue flavor.

Want to try this cheese again, and would appreciate input on culture refinement?

Sailor Con Queso

  • Guest
Re: Gorgonzola Pic
« Reply #19 on: October 24, 2012, 02:18:37 PM »
I would look at your moisture content and environmental conditions before I looked at a different culture. The slipping was because of too much moisture, either in the cheese or humidity that was too high.