Yoav, here's the recipe link. I had no problem downloading it as a WORD doc. Please excuse my taking liberties with our Chaource conversation. I think we could all benefit from you actually authoring your own recipe rather than my transcribed version.
BTW, I responded to your PM.
-Boofer-
Yup, when I click it, my Firefox wants to download a file called index.php. I can right click -> save as and then it saves the index.php. If I change the extension to .doc it works, but I don't suppose it's meant to work this way.
Nmodo - To much moisture, suffocating rind, too much geo or aging temp too high. Wait for the geo bloom and let the PC develop in the fridge. The skin should be tight at first and then snowy, not wrinkled. This cheese is suppose to be very creamy and relatively even textured with a little softness and darkness under the rind but not pungant, stinky or runny. What's your aging temperature?
FRANCOIS - I would not wrap chaource ever; it's too sensitive. This is why they have a strange way of shipping it: It's in a Camembert-like box (only smaller) but inside the box it sits in a paper cup made for muffins, cupcakes or deserts (you can use coffee filter paper too). The box is usually not covered but rather shrink wrapped -but the plastic shring wrap is perforated. It's a simple cheese but it's *that* sensitive to be spoiled by the rind. I think that the multiplex paper in Nmodo's photos is just too difficult for it. Don't you?
It's also extremely creamy to begin with and the texture should feel like a double cream to begin with. It has is 45% fat IDM or 22% in product total, but the texture should really feel as if it's 60%. If you turn it up (and I have tried) it really feels like you are eating butter... but the high lipolitic activity makes it bitter and sharp (a little like Saint Andre) HOWEVER, a few scoops of Crème fraîche will render surprizingly delicious results. Not like Chaource but with a bit of lingering tang of sour creme, like Grès de Champenois or Delice de Borgogne (which, just like Chaource are all semi-lactic bloomy cheeses of the Champagne region). I do agree however with your yeast observation, geo must be controlled. That can be done with salting and proper draining, or as I suggested by moving it to the fridge where PC can bloom and geo is dramatically slowed down (so you don't have to make a very dry or very salty cheese just to control Geo).
Here are some photos of proper Chaources in correct conditions:
And finally, Grès de Champenois:
And Delice de Borgogne:
Notice how they too are in the same funny packaging with the paper liner in a wood box and perforated plastic shrink wrap with no cover?
