Author Topic: Parmesan...Step by Step Process with a Review of Carter's Press  (Read 9434 times)

chilipepper

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Re: Parmesan...Step by Step Process with a Review of Carter's Press
« Reply #15 on: February 03, 2009, 04:13:23 PM »
Dave those are some really nice cheeses!  I'm still amazed as to how you get those out of the mold without shearing off the nubs.  That press seems to certainly have given you a nice knit.  How much pressing force did you use on that?  Is it in an 8 inch mold?

You could always try this for smoothing!



Likesspace

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Re: Parmesan...Step by Step Process with a Review of Carter's Press
« Reply #16 on: February 04, 2009, 01:52:22 AM »
LOL@Chili..
Great photoshop work!
Also, thanks for the nice comments and as for the nubs...
Well these don't really stick out very far on the cheese. They are just enough to be noticeable and they really do drive me nuts.
On my waxed cheeses, the bumps disappear during the aging but I don't think that will be the case with either of these cheeses.
Regardless, as long as they taste good and have the right texture, I can deal with a few bumps.

Dave

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Re: Parmesan...Step by Step Process with a Review of Carter's Press
« Reply #17 on: February 04, 2009, 01:53:44 AM »
Oh, and Carter...
I did notice the shaving/sanding comment you made.
Do you have a link to these photos? I'd be very interested in seeing what you mentioned.
Thanks in advance.

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: Parmesan...Step by Step Process with a Review of Carter's Press
« Reply #18 on: February 04, 2009, 01:56:30 AM »
I'll have to dig for it later. Hey Dave, should I smooth the rind of the blue as we do with Stilton, I don't think I need to?

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Re: Parmesan...Step by Step Process with a Review of Carter's Press
« Reply #19 on: February 04, 2009, 02:55:59 AM »
Carter,
If you don't smooth the rind you will get a very, VERY nice looking cheese once the bluing starts.
The blue will gather in all of the cracks and crevices while the surrounding cheese remains snow white.
After a few weeks, the blue will take over most of the white cheese as well, but for a few weeks it will be one of the most beautiful cheeses you've ever seen.
Once the blue starts to cover the entire cheese you will notice that it has gotten a little "slimy" and at that point you can scrape the cheese and let the process start all over again.
Most traditional blue recipes I've seen call for scraping the cheese every few weeks.
Personally, I would only scrape it a couple of times and then let it form a rind.
Without the initial smoothing you won't get a really good rind, like on a Stilton, but it will form a rind that will help protect the cheese.
I actually did this with my first Stilton and will probably do it again on a future make.
Without the classic wrinkled rind, I guess it's not really a Stilton but like I said, it is a beautiful cheese and the flavor on that first one was fantastic.
Let us know what you decide to do and keep giving us updates.
In my opinion bleus are some of the nicest looking (and tasting) cheeses going.

Dave

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: Parmesan...Step by Step Process with a Review of Carter's Press
« Reply #20 on: February 04, 2009, 03:18:11 AM »
It's not a Stilton but a blue so I think I'll leave the rind the way it is, plus the recipe calls for salting the outside which will help prevent mold from taking over.

I've got in on some paper towels and I'm changing them every half hour to pull out the last of the whey. Whey was still gathering every 4 hours or so when it was still in the mold, but I got impatient. I wonder how long I should now wait. I don't want to salt the outside until the EXCESS moisture gets out.

I never stay on Forums for long usually. I go visit post and then leave when I get board, but this one I'm sure I'll be staying on for a long time, unless I get an invitation to leave.

I feel like the movie Fight Club, first I go to forums like the Support Groups in the moive, then I find something better and people wonder where I've gone. Then I meet one on the street and they ask where I've been and I say with a smile, "Oh, I found something better, but I'm not supposed to talk about it, actually the first rule is..." "Wayne look at my belly, I'm already a member".

Likesspace

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Re: Parmesan...Step by Step Process with a Review of Carter's Press
« Reply #21 on: February 04, 2009, 03:35:39 AM »
LOL @ the fight club comment! Great movie.
Actually the salt will help expel the rest of the whey.
It's just like salting a Camembert...it not only protects the wheel, it also helps to dry the curd.
The great thing about salting a blue is that the blue mold LOVES salt while bad molds hate it. Honestly, the salting is a win win situation.

Chili...I just saw that you asked about the final pressing weights for this wheel.
Well, it was 18 lbs. of line pressure. :-)
This figure computes to a 4" force weight of 25 lbs. (on the final pressing) but since this is a 7-1/2" wheel it figures out to 88 lbs..


Dave

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: Parmesan...Step by Step Process with a Review of Carter's Press
« Reply #22 on: February 04, 2009, 07:10:30 AM »
Oh Great Now Dave is an expert on pressure...there is no use for me anymore! :(

Likesspace

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Re: Parmesan...Step by Step Process with a Review of Carter's Press
« Reply #23 on: February 04, 2009, 06:28:12 PM »
Well, I'm not exactly an expert....just well trained by you and Wayne. :-)

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: Parmesan...Step by Step Process with a Review of Carter's Press
« Reply #24 on: February 06, 2009, 09:12:33 AM »
Dave you mentioned you use Italian Starter? What is it exactly? I use regular TA61 and LH100 which is helvetica, but the old text books I've been reading say it should be TA61 and bulgarius.