Okay, let’s try this again.
Today I’m remaking Fourme d’Amberg. My first effort from last Friday has barely dried in the cave. I am determined to correct a few missteps with this make and, at the same time, have comparative cheeses approaching maturity simultaneously. Woo woo!
The main problem I faced a week ago was a pH that declined at a snail’s pace. At the end, I had spent around 18 hours tending to that cheese, hoping for the pH to drop.
This make will start off smaller. I am using half the milk and moving to the large Bûcheron mold which is smaller in volume than the Cheddar-Swiss mold I used last week. I will be using dry cultures to acidify rather than mother culture. I am still learning the ins and outs of MCs so that might be part of the problem. I will be using a slurry from a Fourme d’Amberg I just happened to have in my fridge.
While I was picking up my milk today, I was fortunate to be able to also get the injector and what I expected to be difficult to find…Vouvray wine. I won’t inject the cheese I did last Friday, but I will for today’s make.
Following Sailor’s advice, I have included a little helveticus in this make to help stabilize proteolysis and acidify by converting residual lactose. I’m hoping the LM057 will create cavities which the blue can then fill.
Starting milk pH: 6.83
2 gallons Twin Brook Creamery whole milk
1 pint Twin Brook Creamery whipping cream
¼ tsp Kazu (LL, LC, LD, LH)
1/32 tsp LM057
¼ tsp CACL
1/32 tsp Renco dry calf rennet
I am again loosely following the recipe from 200 Easy Homemade Cheeses.
Heated milk to 90°F. Stirred in cultures and slurry.
Preripen for 15 min.
pH: 6.40 (target: 6.45)
Stir in CACL and rennet.
Floc time: 10 minutes
Using 4x factor, amount of time to wait before cutting: 40 minutes
pH: ___?___ (target: 6.45) I meant to record the pH, but it slipped by.
Cut curds to ½ inch.
Maintain 90°F, stirring gently for 1 hour 20 minutes until curds are small and firm. Let settle. Curds are not as dry and rubbery as those in last week’s make.
pH: 5.90 (target: 6.40) (Here I was waiting for the pH to drop...and then...BAM! This is after 5 hours ripening.)
Remove whey down to surface of curds, reserving 1 gallon whey for brine.
Ladle curds into prepared Bûcheron mold lined with Plyban (the Plyban didn't work so I ditched it.). For the record, I could have used a bit more curd to fill the mold...perhaps another half gallon milk.
Mold sits on a small needlepoint mat which is placed in a small kettle for pressing. Pressing will be done in the kettle using the Dutch press with just the weight of the lever arm and piston (11lbs). Once all curds are in the mold, press for 1 hour, redress, and press for 8 additional hours.
pH: 5.10 (target: 4.85)
After pressing, remove the cheese from the mold and brine it for 4 hours, flip it, and brine for 4 more hours.
Dry it at room temperature for 2 days.
Pierce it with prepared knitting needle.
Place it in a minicave and into one of the caves for ripening.
-Boofer-
