Hi,
Well, I decided it was time to try a full sized blue. So far, the only blue (intentional blue that is) that I've made was a small semi-lactic type. It was very good. I've been wanting to try Pav's Stilton-type make for awhile now, and at the moment I've got space in my ripening boxes to house a blue (meaning it can sit by itself and not bother anybody else in the cave). So far, the make seems to have gone quite well. The curds are now sitting and draining until morning. Here's my notes, and hopefully I've not left out any key steps during my translation of Pav's instructions into my list format.
Anyway, no photos at this point, and probably won't be any for a few days as it remains in the mould for about 4 days. We'll see how this goes.
- Jeff
Saturday, Apr 14, 2012 (sunny; approx 20 C)
Stilton Approximation Pav (Linuxboy)
10 L Milk, Homebrand standard
Mold from Onewhere Blue cheese.
6 ml Renco rennet
4 ice cubes Flora Danica
¼ tsp 50% CaCl
5 tsp Salt. Use around 0.5 tsp salt per litre of milk
1 cup Distilled ice cold water, for diluting rennet.
Process
1) heat milk to 30 C with 4 ice cubes from start
2) add CaCl and mould
3) Ripen 60-90 minutes until pH is 6.45 (time 12:45 – 2:09 temp 30.8 – 29.8 C)
4) Add rennet (diluted in water) (time 2:09 floc time 2:23:15 4x = 57m 00 sec cut time 3:06)
5) Cut curd into 2.54 cm pieces heal 5-10 minutes (3:06 29.1 C; 3:13 - 3:23 - temp 29.1 C)
6) Stir (jiggle) 30 minutes to prevent matting (3:23 - 3:53 temp 29.1 – 32.5 C; put it in warm water to return to temp and overshot)
7) then stir intermittently for 30 minutes more (3:53 – 4:23 temp 32.5 – 32.6 C)
8) drain whey, cover, leave overnight (increase acidity) (left in lined colander inside the large pot that had held the warm water)
9) mill curds into smaller pieces (5:30 am)
10) salt at 0.5 tsp/l
11) pack curds into mould (do not press)
12) turn mould every 15 minutes for 4 flips (flipped at 6:00, 6:15, 6:30, 6:45)
13) flip mould every 30 minutes for 4 flips (flipped at 7:20, 7:45, 8:45, 9:15) ; missed the 3rd flip
14) flip mould every hour 2-4 times (flipped at 10:15, 11:00, 2:15, 3:15)
15) Leave in the mould for 4 days to continue draining, flip 1-2 times a day (room temp)
Flipped Monday am & pm; Tuesday am & pm; Wednesday am & pm - noted blue in pm ; Thursday am - lots of blue development
16) Remove from mould (may show some blue) and smooth - did this Thursday am. good blue aroma, tasted crumbs and has blue flavour, just undeveloped. Smoothing went ok, curds well fused (only one break away chunk, which was pasted back in).
17) Place in cave and age 7-10 days
18) Pierce all over, vertical and horizontally
19) Pierce after 3-4 weeks
20) Pierce again at 4-6 weeks
21) Age minimum 60 days
P.S. Well, the flipping is done. Not quite to the schedule, but close enough I think. Now, 4 days of room temp, with flips morning and evening. Then, hopefully, smoothing and caving and bluing. Fingers crossed.