Teasing the Tomme (#5)

[pliezar (Ian)]

Boofer

Maybe you could try re-bagging it, that might firm it up.  I really could not tell, but it looks like there is some moisture in there too.  I had this happen with one of my cheeses, I re-bagged it and it firmed up a bit.

Ian

[anutcanfly]

Look at the poor thing all limp.  You killed it Boofer!  What did it ever do to you? 

[DeejayDebi]

How odd this cheese is like 3 months old now right? Almost like something is breaking down the cheese curds. What are the little orange spots?

[Caseus]

Perhaps that color is from the Brevibacterium linens.

[DeejayDebi]

Almost looks like it has a colored cheddar in it. COuld be theb.linends they doo seem to stand out though.

[Boofer]

How odd this cheese is like 3 months old now right? Almost like something is breaking down the cheese curds. What are the little orange spots?

I started this on January 19th. If you look here you will see what the orange spots are.

There is no moisture in the bag. I don't believe that rebagging it will firm it up. There is some curd breakdown occurring. I am probably close to opening the bag and cutting into it to see what's up. Very curious.

-Boofer-

[DeejayDebi]

So some of the orange has remained.  Maybe Pav or Francous knows what this strange breakdown is?

[JeffHamm]

Hi Boofer,

I think cutting the bag open is called for.  I wouldn't cut into the cheese just yet though, just get it out to the air and see if it firms up with some exposure to the air.  If that's going to do it I think you'll notice an improvement in 24-48 hours, then it's just a matter of waiting until the rind improves enough before you bag it again.

- Jeff

[Boofer]

Hi Boofer,

I think cutting the bag open is called for.  I wouldn't cut into the cheese just yet though, just get it out to the air and see if it firms up with some exposure to the air.  If that's going to do it I think you'll notice an improvement in 24-48 hours, then it's just a matter of waiting until the rind improves enough before you bag it again.

- Jeff

Yessir, I will heed your directive...forthwith! I have a feeling the linens will resume where it left off once it gets a breath of air. I'm kind of afraid to pull it out of the bag because it is so soft. I'm probably going to incur some rind damage. Eh, what the hey! 

-Boofer-

[beechercreature]

Hi Boofer,

I think cutting the bag open is called for.  I wouldn't cut into the cheese just yet though, just get it out to the air and see if it firms up with some exposure to the air.  If that's going to do it I think you'll notice an improvement in 24-48 hours, then it's just a matter of waiting until the rind improves enough before you bag it again.

- Jeff

Yessir, I will heed your directive...forthwith! I have a feeling the linens will resume where it left off once it gets a breath of air. I'm kind of afraid to pull it out of the bag because it is so soft. I'm probably going to incur some rind damage. Eh, what the hey! 

-Boofer-

try cutting all four edges and lifting the top off gently. then you could flip it onto a drying mat and not have to handle the cheese too much.

[Boofer]

Yeah, that was my thought. But it won't be clean or easy.

-Boofer-

[Boofer]

I removed the cheese from the bag and spotted what I thought was some ooziness at a break in the rind on the edge. That prompted me to proceed with cutting the cheese. I had no idea what I would see.

Well what do you know? The cheese isn't oozy. There are a lot of gas pockets around the rind. That explains the really soft, pliable rind. The cheese slices well, doesn't crumble, acidity seems right, and the flavor...wonderful!

The culture mix that included PLA, mycodore, and LM057 created a really different rind (and cheese!). I wonder now what would have happened if I had not brushed the linens down. By doing that I believe the rind stayed drier and didn't have as much tackiness as my previous linens rinds have shown. There was a very slight linens tackiness between the cheese and the bag, but there was no moisture in the bag or weeping from the cheese.

Overall, I am relieved (of my gas concerns, thank you  ) and believe that, with a little more aging, the flavor will improve greatly.

-Boofer-

[beechercreature]

 The cheese slices well, doesn't crumble, acidity seems right, and the flavor...wonderful!

That's what I like to hear! It looks pretty tasty as well.

[anutcanfly]

It's still alive after all!  So what does wonderful taste like? 

[linuxboy]

Fabulous. Sir, you are a rock-it scientist.