My first Port Salut

[anutcanfly]

A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.  My first stinky... at least the first that I'll admit to! 

I'm planning to wash one with Imperial Stout and one with mixed berry wine.

3 gallons whole milk
3/8 tsp Kazu
1/16 tsp TA
1/16 tsp F.D.
1/16 tsp Geo
1/8 tsp B. Linens
1 tsp Calcium chloride
¼ tsp triple strength rennet

Warmed milk to 90 degrees.

Added cultures and molds and let rehydrate 5 minutes.  Stirred and let ripen 60 minutes.

Added diluted calcium chloride and then diluted rennet.

Flocculation in 9 minutes, so using x3.5 multiplier, let sit for 32 minutes.

Clean break at 32 minutes.  Cut curds into ½ inch cubes and let sit 5 minutes.  Stirred 5 minutes, then let settle.

Drained 1/3 of whey and replace with 140 degree water to bring temp to 92, but overshot target.  Temp was 94 degrees.  Stirred 10 minutes and let settle again.  Drained 1/3 of whey and replaced with 160 degree water to reach goal temp of 98, but overshot it again.  Final temp was 104 degrees.  Stirred another 10 minutes and let settle and mat for 5 minute.

Poured curds and  whey into cloth lined colander and let drain for 10 minutes.  Filled two 5” tomme molds and pressed with 5 lbs for  30 minutes.  Redressed and pressed at 8 lbs for overnight. 

Put in saturated brine for 8 hours.  Removed and let air dry.

[JeffHamm]

They look very nice!  Looking forward to seeing how these develope for you.  I've been thinking of port salute myself.

- Jeff

[Boofer]

Hey, I'm excited! 

They look good. I like your form factor. I just wrapped my Taleggios that had used the 5" Reblochon mold. I like that size mold. Looking forward to doing Reblochons again in those soon. Never done a Camembert but those would be good in that mold too.

Seems like where the larger 7.5" Tomme mold can be used for a wide variety of hard and semi-hard cheeses, this smaller 5" Tomme mold (it has a follower and was sold as a Reblochon mold) can be adapted to a wide variety of soft and semi-soft cheeses. Excellent! 

Following your Port Salut very closely....

-Boofer-

[anutcanfly]

Me too!  Contagious isn't it?  We just can't look at each other's cheeses without having to launch in to making one ourselves!   

Does the flavor of wine or beer come thru, or does it just make the rind different colors? 

That was the first time I used those molds.  They worked well but are more challenging to keep centered.  One cheese became lopsided during the night.  I'm not sure how they would work out for camembert.  They don't have as many holes as I would like.  I  definitely like using as wide a mold as the quantity will allow-- better drainage.  Getting the cheese dry enough for PC to be happy has been difficult for me in the narrower molds, i.e. 4 1/4" vs 3 3/4".  Hopefully I'll get the hang of it as I would like to make a Humbolt Fog style cheese soon.

[anutcanfly]

My cheese has now had it's second bath with B linens.  Geo is just starting to appear.  Bummer, I pulled out the keg with the remnants of the imperial stout I made last year, to find it was way past prime.  I'll have to use store bought beer to wash it later.

[anutcanfly]

Day 19 and the first signs of B. linens are visible.  I'm not sure, but I think they are slightly softer.  I have begun washing one cheese with hard cider, and one with berry wine--red raspberry, red loganberry, and blackberry mix.

[Boofer]

Day 19 and the first signs of B. linens are visible.  I'm not sure, but I think they are slightly softer.  I have begun washing one cheese with hard cider, and one with berry wine--red raspberry, red loganberry, and blackberry mix.

This should be interesting. I'm curious how this rind treatment will go.

-Boofer-

[anutcanfly]

Hopefully better than "interesting"!   

[anutcanfly]

Still looking good, and smelling good too! 

[ellenspn]

Pretty!

[Boofer]

Still looking good, and smelling good too! 

They look great!

Hey, are those makeup removal pads? 

-Boofer-

[anutcanfly]

Thanks!  Yep, they are makeup removal pads, way cheaper than gauze pads!   

[ellenspn]

Do you use them for wipiing down with brine or just for wiping with b linens?

[anutcanfly]

Yes, I use them for all types of washes and applying cultures.  I was using a sponge, but this is so much easier--wipe and toss. 

I don't want these cheeses to get any more stinky than they have to, but I don't want to pull them too early and miss their flavor potential... how long do they need to age to develop a good flavor/texture?

[JeffHamm]

They both look really good!  I think you could ripen them for 6-8 weeks according to my 200 recipies book.  It says the cheese will "bulge slightly" when ready (sag at the edges, soft in the middle - hence my personal quote as goes the cheesemaker, so goes the cheese )

Anyway, the b.linens will continue to develop and the colour intensify after you stop washing (for a bit) so stop short of your target and coast to victory!   

- Jeff