Author Topic: Trying a Stiltonesque this time  (Read 15369 times)

JeffHamm

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Trying a Stiltonesque this time
« on: April 14, 2012, 05:39:40 AM »
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.
« Last Edit: April 19, 2012, 01:56:12 AM by JeffHamm »

Offline Boofer

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Re: Trying a Stiltonesque this time
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2012, 06:29:04 AM »
Looks like you had a flippin' good time with that make, Jeff!

Now we wait....  :P

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Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

JeffHamm

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Re: Trying a Stiltonesque this time
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2012, 07:15:43 AM »
Yah, the flipping tomorrow will be a pain, but it will all happen in the morning.  Given that the wee one is up at 5 am, I'll be flippin' as the sun comes up! :)

- Jeff

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Re: Trying a Stiltonesque this time
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2012, 02:08:15 PM »
Flippin's fun!!! gives a guy something to do :P
"21)   Age minimum 60 days"
change that to 90 days Jeff if you can hold out that long anyway that's what they kept trying to tell me
and no I didnt get past 60 days :-[
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JeffHamm

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Re: Trying a Stiltonesque this time
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2012, 05:00:24 PM »
Hi H-K-J,

I'll go for 90 if I can.  The "minimum 60" is in Pav's notes, so I just left it.  Will see how things go. :)

- Jeff

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Re: Trying a Stiltonesque this time
« Reply #5 on: April 14, 2012, 11:55:59 PM »
Flippin's fun!!! gives a guy something to do :P
"21)   Age minimum 60 days"
change that to 90 days Jeff if you can hold out that long anyway that's what they kept trying to tell me
and no I didnt get past 60 days :-[
Sailor recommends 90 days. I thought that was too long when I did mine and the blue taste became too strong. It's an individual thing, I think. Try it at 60 and age more through 90 days. See what you like better. It would be a shame to age it out past where it tastes best for you.

I just read that Fourme d'Ambert is typically aged for 4 to 5 months.  :o  That might not be all versions. A sampling at 60 days might be just right.

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
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JeffHamm

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Re: Trying a Stiltonesque this time
« Reply #6 on: April 15, 2012, 02:29:07 AM »
That's a good idea Boofer.  Vanessa has only recently developed a taste for blue cheese, so I don't want it to get too strong for her, so a sample at 60 would be wise.  It's easy to get older, so not easy to get younger.

- Jeff

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Re: Trying a Stiltonesque this time
« Reply #7 on: April 15, 2012, 01:49:04 PM »
It's easy to get older, so not easy to get younger.
Boy, ain't that the truth.

I might add that youth is wasted on the young.

-Boofer-
 
Let's ferment something!
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Offline H-K-J

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Re: Trying a Stiltonesque this time
« Reply #8 on: April 15, 2012, 02:04:20 PM »
sometimes after a couple shots and a few beers I get to feelin kinduh chipper ;D
But then again, I do feel a little more older than usual the next day :o
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JeffHamm

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Re: Trying a Stiltonesque this time
« Reply #9 on: April 15, 2012, 05:53:50 PM »
I fully agree with all statements made so far, except maybe some of my own! :)

Oh, as for aging this, and piercing after the blue forms, etc, does it age the whole time in the cave, or should it get wrapped and then moved into the regular fridge (4 C) for some amount of time?

- Jeff

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Re: Trying a Stiltonesque this time
« Reply #10 on: April 15, 2012, 07:02:32 PM »
I fully agree with all statements made so far, except maybe some of my own! :)

Oh, as for aging this, and piercing after the blue forms, etc, does it age the whole time in the cave, or should it get wrapped and then moved into the regular fridge (4 C) for some amount of time?

- Jeff
I defer to the more experienced Blue Alumni since I have such limited experience.

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Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

george

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Re: Trying a Stiltonesque this time
« Reply #11 on: April 16, 2012, 10:45:22 AM »
FWIW, Jeff, I kept all of mine in the cave, no wrapping until they were cut and ready to be passed around the neighborhood.

JeffHamm

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Re: Trying a Stiltonesque this time
« Reply #12 on: April 16, 2012, 06:20:46 PM »
Thanks George,

I thought that was the case, and I'm sure Pav's notes would have indicated such an important step in affinage, but as this is my first full blues tour after one practice session, I thought I should double check things.  Just to be sure.

- Jeff

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Re: Trying a Stiltonesque this time
« Reply #13 on: April 16, 2012, 06:51:19 PM »
Hey Jeff the first one that I did (that actually turned out) was always in the ageing container other than the half hour a day I brought it out to breath and to check, flip or clean the container. I aged that one for sixty days (wishing I would have waited longer) :(  the one that is ageing now was left out in a
60 deg. room for five days then put in the ageing container and kept at 51 to 53 deg. at about 90% RH and is looking more like I think a Stilton should look, I still let it breath daily,flip it occasionally, pierce and clean I'm hoping for 90 days at the moment. (so far so good)
Never hit a man with glasses, use a baseball bat!
http://cocker-spanial-hair-in-my-food.blogspot.com/

JeffHamm

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Re: Trying a Stiltonesque this time
« Reply #14 on: April 16, 2012, 09:02:25 PM »
Sounds good.  Mine's still at room temp for 3 more days (including today), then out of the mould and into the cave.  I'll give it a daily airing during the aging as well, to prevent ammonia buildup in the box.  Looking forward to seeing how this one turns out.

- Jeff