Chimay style, Belgian abbey cheese

[Boofer]

I even saw another video where the guy was making cheese in a room that opened onto where he kept the cows... go figure 

I think that was a 360 degree panoramic view of the room, right? Agreed, too close for my comfort. Not much room in those chalets though. You do what you gotta do.

-Boofer-

[smilingcalico]

@Max, not aggressive in the least.
@Tomer, I've tried salting and not salting the beer.  I've not noticed a difference, so I don't salt it anymore.  I understand the logic of salting it, but good, consistent end results tell me there's no need.

[dthelmers]

Here's the Gouda that I soaked in stout for three days. It was five weeks old when I soaked it. The stout imparts a nice flavor to the cheese, and looks quite nice.

[max1]

That looks incredible!  Beautiful color to the rind too!  How was the paste texture?

[JeffHamm]

That looks fantastic!  Well done.  How did the stout turn out?

- Jeff

[dthelmers]

The paste was quite typical Gouda in texture, with a good flavor. The milk was local from a friend who keeps a single cow. Without having made two cheeses and comparing the stout soaked to the other one without soaking, I can't say how much difference the stout made, except that I can certainly taste it and it adds complexity to the taste. The stout was my own home brewed with Irish ale yeast. After soaking, I let it sit at room temperature, about 55-60 degrees F for several days, and it developed a whitish powdery texture. Thanks to Smilingcalico for sharing this idea - the cheese was a big success at Thanksgiving today!

[Boofer]

Congrats, Dave.

It looks quite tasty.

-Boofer-

[smilingcalico]

Great to hear, Dave.  I've never eaten one that young.  We always age it two months so the flavors really meld together. Glad to hear of your success!

[dthelmers]

I'll certainly make more this way, and age them out properly. I couldn't resist trying this and serving it at Thanksgiving. Here's a cheese for the inspiration!

[dthelmers]

Here's a follow up on this cheese. I vacuum sealed one half and aged it out another 3 months. The flavor developed quite a lot. It was quite sharp and aromatic. I'm not sure how to describe the flavor: sharp like a blue cheese, but with a very different nose. I couldn't decide if I really liked it or not, but a friend who quite enjoys a lot of very aromatic French cheeses was very pleased with it, and I gave him the remainder because he loved it so much. My experience in cheese has been rather limited, I need to explore a bit to see what various cheeses taste like; but all in all I would say that this was a real success, and I'll make some more this spring.

[Cloversmilker]

Thanks for updating this.  I think that I'll try something along these lines with a Gouda as soon as I have a plain one at 6 to 8 weeks. 

[dthelmers]

I was inspired to do this by the picture from SmilingCalico earlier in this thread, and she soaks hers the next day. I soaked mine at six weeks because that's how old it was when I saw the picture, and wanted mine to look like that! The next time I make this, I'll soak it as soon as it's dry to the touch, and then age it for two months.

[Cloversmilker]

Okay; I have plans for the Gouda I'm making on Saturday.   

This sounds a bit like a cabre al vino with a gouda make.  I am very fond of hard cider; I wonder how soaking in hard cider would turn out. 

[smilingcalico]

SmilingCalico is a he, but no offense taken.  I realize calicos are all female, I just happen to like them.  Hmm, hard cider, try it and let us know! 

[DeejayDebi]

OoooOoooo Dave beautiful gouda! That is worth a cheese even if this is not your thread!