Author Topic: My 3rd Gouda  (Read 13801 times)

JeffHamm

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Re: My 3rd Gouda
« Reply #45 on: May 19, 2013, 08:57:03 PM »
Yes, the aged goudas that I've had before are all quite hard and chewy.  This one is crumbly, but the paste is also creamy.  I know that sounds like a contradiction, but it cracks and crumbles when you cut it yet the mouth feel is smooth and wonderful.  What I might try is aging one out for four to six months as a natural rind, then wax it.

- Jeff

bbracken677

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Re: My 3rd Gouda
« Reply #46 on: May 19, 2013, 09:51:35 PM »
So this one is about 5 months?

I looks nice and creamy...your description is spurring me on to make another for my cave to age out. I am thinking of making 2...one for about 6 months and the other to age out to a year. Perhaps this coming week I will find the time  :)

JeffHamm

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Re: My 3rd Gouda
« Reply #47 on: May 19, 2013, 11:09:20 PM »
This one is about 17 months! :)

- Jeff

bbracken677

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Re: My 3rd Gouda
« Reply #48 on: May 19, 2013, 11:37:56 PM »
 :o    oooohh...yes, I must look at more than just the month. Nice job aging this one out!  Holy Cow's Milk, Batman!

Gotta give ya a cheese for that...you earned it!

Offline MacGruff

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Re: My 3rd Gouda
« Reply #49 on: June 07, 2013, 08:10:03 PM »
Since you mention that it was crumbly, I wonder if others had seen the article by CheeseNerd that talks about how to make our chesses less crumbly? It stated that extra acidification was causing the crumbliness and to combat it, suggested reducing the floc times or other durations when the bacteria are doing their thing.

My longer-stored cheeses also come out crumbly and I am tempted to try this recommendation to see if it would change this "feature". However, I am also a bit confused, in other parts of the forum I've seen where it's stated that the larger floc time and/or multiplier used, the more moisture is RETAINED....  I would have thought it would be the other way around, so I'll ask the experts in this area... what do you say?

JeffHamm

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Re: My 3rd Gouda
« Reply #50 on: June 08, 2013, 06:45:40 PM »
I don't have a pH meter, so it is possible that the acidity levels were higher than optimal.  Also, using ice cubes of starter could allow one to adjust the ripening period, although in this case my notes indicate it was only 15 minutes.  However, as I add the cubes when the milk is cold, they are thawing and working during the time it takes to warm the milk up as well, and that's probably another 15-20 minutes.  I'm not sure the floc time is the one I would adjust, for, as you mention, that's important with respect to final moisture content.  Rather, cooking times, ripening times, and determining when it should go into the brine are probably points where one can adjust things.  Use of  pH meter to determine these "on to the next step" points shifts one away from time based make protocols (much like using the floc method moves one away from a clock based cutting time).  I would base things on pH, but, alas, I am meterless.

- Jeff

jwalker

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Re: My 3rd Gouda
« Reply #51 on: June 09, 2013, 02:33:56 PM »
Yes, the aged goudas that I've had before are all quite hard and chewy.  This one is crumbly, but the paste is also creamy.  I know that sounds like a contradiction, but it cracks and crumbles when you cut it yet the mouth feel is smooth and wonderful.

- Jeff

That sounds to me , like the perfect Gouda.

The best ones I have had , fit that description as well.

A cheese to you !

Cheers , Jim.

JeffHamm

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Re: My 3rd Gouda
« Reply #52 on: October 31, 2013, 09:41:06 PM »
I'm eating the last piece of this one now.  It's still very good.  Almost 2 years old.  I have to work on my gouda makes to get them consistent, then I'll definitely age another for long term.  Got lucky with this one I think.

- Jeff

fredthecat

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Re: My 3rd Gouda
« Reply #53 on: April 21, 2015, 05:01:35 PM »
Hope it's okay to bump. I followed this recipe and made a gouda. I brined it and it's been drying out for 2 days in a fridge, wrapped in dry cheesecloth. After how many days should I put it inside my cheesecave?

Stinky

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Re: My 3rd Gouda
« Reply #54 on: April 21, 2015, 05:04:03 PM »
Hope it's okay to bump. I followed this recipe and made a gouda. I brined it and it's been drying out for 2 days in a fridge, wrapped in dry cheesecloth. After how many days should I put it inside my cheesecave?

Soon as it is dry and not moist. Two days should be fine.

fredthecat

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Re: My 3rd Gouda
« Reply #55 on: April 23, 2015, 03:33:08 PM »
thanks, haha sorry for one more noob question but. should i take off the cheesecloth i cover it in while it's resting? it's been in the cave for 2 days and was made 5 days ago.

Offline awakephd

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Re: My 3rd Gouda
« Reply #56 on: April 23, 2015, 04:16:58 PM »
Fred (or, if Fred is the cat, should that be "Fred's servant" -- as someone who lives with two cats, I know how the hierarchy really works!) --

There really is not a right or wrong way to do this; it is a question of what works for you in your particular setting. I would guess that leaving the cheesecloth on will slow down the loss of moisture a little. That might be a good thing if your cave is a bit dry ... or it might lead to more / more agressive mold if your cave is not so dry.

FWIW, my "cave" is a bit on the dry side (75% RH), but I do not leave a cheesecloth on my cheeses. If a cheese needs more moisture, I use a ripening box; otherwise, I just let the rinds dry as they will. I still generally have to deal with mold from time to time; a paper towel with some white wine on it scrubs it right off.  For longer-aging cheeses, where I am concerned about them getting too dry, I generally wax or vacuum-bag once they are at least dry to the touch. If I want a thicker rind (which I like), I may wait a month or more before bagging/waxing.

In the year-and-a-half that I have been involved in this hobby, I have come to learn that very little is absolutely right or wrong when it comes to any part of the cheese making. The question is whether you like what you get at the end, and whether or not you can more-or-less repeat that result -- and learning how to adjust to get what you want. So far, out of the nearly 50 cheeses I've made, none have been inedible (hopefully I have not just jinxed myself!), but I've had some that did not come out the way I really wanted them to. Gradually I have learned how to adjust to get closer to what I am aiming for. As an example, my earlier goudas tasted okay, but were very crumbly and just not very gouda-like. But I have high hopes for the one that is 6 weeks along in aging now -- sharply reducing the length of time in the press kept it from over-acidifying (= crumbly texture), and when I sampled a bit just a few days ago, it seems like it is going to be much closer to what I am aiming for.
-- Andy

fredthecat

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Re: My 3rd Gouda
« Reply #57 on: April 26, 2015, 01:26:25 PM »
thanks for the advice. this time around it seems to be working out well. ill post a pic of my gouda very soon.

Offline Boofer

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Re: My 3rd Gouda
« Reply #58 on: April 26, 2015, 03:47:08 PM »
thanks for the advice. this time around it seems to be working out well. ill post a pic of my gouda very soon.
Hey Fred, when you post your pics, why not start your own thread?  :-\

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