Ok, time to give this another try!
Armed with basically no knowledge about cheese chemistry, making or natural rind maintenance, no pH meter, a dodgy meat thermometer and a very unstable stack of weights, my first try was pretty much a failure. Well I don't really like that word since the final cheese melted well and was used in a quiche. More like happy accident...ha!
I used buttermilk as a starter as well as yogurt. Of course can't remember the amounts (another fault, didn't keep a record!). After only 4 weeks of aging I cut into the cheese. It was very dry, chalky both symptoms of a rapid acidification. Probably too much culture. During the aging process I didn't do any washing, just scrubbed off the odd mold with dry salt. What I described as a 'white mold' was, I'm pretty sure now, Geo. Especially since it developed to a stage where I got some rind wrinkling, which I've read here is a result of the Geo getting out of hand? By the way, I didn't add any to the milk either so the Geo was 'wild'.
I also think I should give you guys an actual name of the cheese I'm trying to make. It's called Chimay, you might know the beer(s) :p
Sooo, time for some reverse engineering!! I won't be able to make the cheese till this w-e, and I would also like to build a press first and cut some decent followers, but I thought I would describe the cheese to you and put up a recipe I've come up with for making it to get some of your input.
So for the paste, it's basically like a raclette, only slightly softer. Maybe somewhere between a reblochon and a raclette. It's elastic (high calcium retention?) and creamy. You can really taste the milk in the cheese, if that makes any sense.
As for the rind, it's orange with a dusting of white so I'm thinking B.linens and Geo. The rind is dry though.
Here's a pic:
http://www.chimay.com/en/fromages.html?IDC=289There are different types. I'm aiming for the one on the far right.
So what I thought I would do is start out with a raclette recipe and aim for a higher moisture content by increasing flocc time, decreasing the cookin temp a bit and aim for larger curd pieces. Also, washed curd for slower acidification, washed rind and press-under-whey. The result is a cheese with a 'sweeter' curd, good calcium retention, and a good taste and stink from the b.linens. Now all I have to do is determine the amounts of starter, cooking temps, and different pH markers.
I think what I want is a high drain pH, right? Above 6.2?
Here's what I've come up with so far based on Sue's raclette recipe with looks just like linuxboy's Gouda recipe.
CHEESE MAKE #1
Style: Chimay
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS
Starting pH: around 6.60 Drain pH: 6.3 Flocc multiplier: 4
Rennet pH:?? Brine pH: 5.4 Cut size: ½ in
INGREDIENTS
Whole raw cow’s milk from a local farmer
Mother-culture = ??%=??ml / pH of Mother-culture
Rennet: Need to check rennet strength
B.linens
I don’t have Geo or DH or KL71. Haven’t found a place where I can get them yet. I’ve already asked Linuxboy this question, but I was hoping to be able to wash with a brine made from my dad’s beer. About 3% (at first at least to encourage Geo growth) and a pinch of linens. From looking at my first attempt, it seems like I didn’t have any trouble getting wild Geo to establish itself.
PRE-RIPENING
OPERATION TIME PH TEMP (°F)
Add Mother-culture to milk. --:--
--:--
RENNET
OPERATION TIME PH TEMP
Add Rennet. Stir up-down. Flocc time=10-15min. Multiplier=4 Total time=40-75min (Although I probably want to aim for a shorter flocc time in order to drain sooner, right?) . Target pH at time of addition=6.55 --:--
Cut curd into 1/2 in curds --:--
COOKING
OPERATION TIME PH TEMP
Stir for 15 min (aim for pH 6.4)
Wash curds with warm water: 130-135°F
• Replace about 1/3 whey in 3 additions
• Final temp target=95°F
• Length of time to achieve Tf=30 min --:--
Cook curds to: °C
• Final temp target=N/A°F
• Length of time to achieve Tf=N/A min
Final pH --:--
DRAIN
OPERATION TIME PH TEMP
Drain. Target drain pH=6.3 --:--
Press under whey for 10min --:--
PRESS
OPERATION TIME PH TEMP
Press at 3-4 PSI. --:--
Target pH out of press=5.4 --:--
BRINE
OPERATION TIME PH TEMP
Brine: 24% --:--
So I guess my main questions are:
- Can I wash with my dad's beer?
- How much mother culture?
- Ideal pH markers?
- How to achieve higher moisture?
Sorry for the rambling post. I have soooo many questions, but I think this will do for now. I'll leave the rind washing regimen for later.
Thanks!!
P.S. I attached the word document for the recipe in case it isn't clear here. I bascially just copied and pasted it over so the formatting was lost.