My First Blue... and first post

[Aris]

Here is a video on how they make Fourme D'Ambert >

Fourme d'ambert

If you understand french the better.

Regarding your question, i think you should just leave it alone. Next time you when make another Fourme D'Ambert, follow your recipe but instead of brining, dry salt it. My rule of thumb is, 1 tablespoon kosher salt for every pound of curd.

[vacant3]

Thank you Aris. I will definitely dry salt next time - and thank you for your ratio!

[Boofer]

Aris, I'm concerned about the use of foil to wrap the cheese. The commercial cheeseries probably use some specially coated foil, right? Otherwise, I would expect some leaching of aluminum into the cheese because of the inherent acid in the paste. I certainly do not want any aluminum in my cheese.

Would vacuum-sealing give the same performance as the foil?

For giving me fresh eyes on this cheese style, have a cheese.

-Boofer-

[Aris]

I read they use tin foil, i dont know if tin foil reacts to acid like aluminum. Since blue cheese as it ages, the ph increases dramatically especially the rind maybe that will prevent a bad reaction with the aluminum foil. Maybe aluminum foil can tolerate a certain ph. I think in just 1 week, the surface ph of a blue cheese can increase dramatically and with Roquefort, they wrap after a month. To answer your question, yes since that's what Sailor Con Queso do to his blue cheeses and he has been successful with it.

[george13]

Would it stand to reason that if in fact you were to use alluminum foil, you should not was the rind with a brine solution, since this would remove the protective PR layer and lower the pH to the surface.  Also, the wash will most likely raise surface salinity which would react with the aluminum.  Has anyone ever taken surface pH of one of these cheeses. I am approaching the one month stage on my Gorgonzola, and would like to try one of these methods, either wash the rind and leave open or wrap in foil.  Thanks

[Tomer1]

Whats the deal with the sad french music in the clip ?  very depressing for adverising something as wonderful as cheese.

[Aris]

Would it stand to reason that if in fact you were to use alluminum foil, you should not was the rind with a brine solution, since this would remove the protective PR layer and lower the pH to the surface.  Also, the wash will most likely raise surface salinity which would react with the aluminum.  Has anyone ever taken surface pH of one of these cheeses. I am approaching the one month stage on my Gorgonzola, and would like to try one of these methods, either wash the rind and leave open or wrap in foil.  Thanks

Since the pH of the cheese has already increased because of the actions of certain micro organisms, i dont see why the pH will suddenly go down because of brine washing (salt and water solution). Unless you wash it with vinegar. Besides Gorgonzola has no PR layer, from what i've eaten and seen anyway. From the Gorgonzola production video i've seen, they wrap it in aluminum foil after aging it. Dolce 2 months and 3  months for Piccante.

Heres the video of Gorgonzola Production

Video Industriale Invernizzi Si Gorgonzola Produzione Formaggio Gorgonzola (Galliano 2009)

[george13]

That is a very nice clip, I wish my Gorgonzola looked like that.  Anyway, perhaps I used too much PR, but I have a blue mould on the outside of my cheese.  I will try to wash it today.  As you have stated, I too have never seen Gorgonzola with a mouldy rind.  The outside was always clean for the most part. 

[Boofer]

they wrap it in aluminum foil after aging it.

Very thorough, inspiring, clear video. There is a distinction to be made between aluminum foils. The type that is used in food wrapping is heavier and may be coated with a plastic inner lining to shield the food from direct contact with the foil. The type of consumer grade, every day use, foil is thinner and not meant for long-term storage of foods, IMHO.

There is one use that I personally observed where a pumpkin custard pie was covered with Reynolds (well-known, long-time commercial U.S. brand) aluminum foil the day before a Thanksgiving meal. The day of the meal, I noticed a couple small holes had opened where the foil had touched the top of the pie. It was clear that had occurred because of the pie filling. The filling was not highly acidic.

I would suggest caution to any cheesemakers following the wrap-in-foil technique. Sorry, I don't want to appear as though I'm running through the streets yelling "the sky is falling!"    I just think that's a possible problem. One alternative is vacuum-sealing.

-Boofer-

[george13]

Since I am at the juncture, where I need to do something in the form of wrapping my Gorgonzola in the next couple of days, I need some clarification.  Is the purpose of wrapping in tin to limit the amount of air and in turn to lessen if not eliminate the formation of surface mould?  if so, why can't plastic wrapping achieve the same objective, or what if I line my aluminum foil with plastic wrap.  In all honesty, I too am a bit leary about aluminum foil directly on my cheese.  Please let me know your views on doing the double wrap.  Thanks