Formally...Fourme d'Ambert (#2)

[Brie]

Yes, Boof, I do recommend injecting; although you will see the wine come out the sides of the cheese during the process!. Pat dry and let it dry a bit before taking back to the cave. I did try the "pouring" method and found the cheese to become soggy. I actually used a turkey injector that was great!.
As for me--after spending 2 years making 3 cheeses per week, I did have a bit of a meltdown (fondue?), so I had to back away a bit. I'm back again (when my milk man allows), and made a Gouda and Muenster last weekend. Happy to be back with my friends--I have missed you all!

[Boofer]

I'm back again (when my milk man allows), and made a Gouda and Muenster last weekend. Happy to be back with my friends--I have missed you all!

Welcome back, Brie.

I'm looking forward to seeing how your Muenster progresses.

-Boofer-

[Boofer]

Happened across this thread that discusses injecting. Thought I should include it in here for reference.

I'm a little concerned that the blue growth in this make is so slow. The difference between this make and the earlier one, is that I mixed the slurry with the curds on that one and I mixed it in with the milk with this one. Hmmm. They were different cultures in the slurries of course.

I was scheduled to start injecting this one next week, but if the blue isn't more advanced by then, I may have to postpone the Vouvray innoculation. 

I am wiping the moisture off the walls regularly so RH shouldn't be an issue. Temperature is around 53F. I've tried to spread the blue around by gently massaging the cheese when I remove moisture from the minicave. The piercings appear to be staying open fairly well, but not a lot of blue is visible at the openings.

Patience, lad....

-Boofer-

[Boofer]

Four weeks gone....

Time for a change. While preparing my breakfast this morning, I looked at the Blue Castello I was cutting and decided that the stubborn Fourme d'Ambert could use a little help right about now. I took a small piece from the inner Castello and made a slurry with a little distilled water. I then painted the top of the cheese. I had repierced it earlier this morning so there were good open holes and tunnels.

The cheese paste seemed quite soft and creamy with the piercing. I hope the new life introduced today can take hold and finally give it the blue it needs. I can't really inject the cheese unless I see some blue.

-Boofer-

[Aris]

You could have just scraped some Castello cheese on your cheese instead of a slurry. I've tried the scraping method before and it works. Its ok if your cheese didn't have blue mold on the outside, internal bluing is a lot more important. Btw Blue mold doesn't like its feet wet. Also by making the rind wet, you'll probably attract unwanted micro organisms.

[Boofer]

You could have just scraped some Castello cheese on your cheese instead of a slurry. I've tried the scraping method before and it works. Its ok if your cheese didn't have blue mold on the outside, internal bluing is a lot more important. Btw Blue mold doesn't like its feet wet. Also by making the rind wet, you'll probably attract unwanted micro organisms.

So how do the makers of Fourme d'Ambert get away with injecting their blue cheeses with wet Vouvray wine?

-Boofer-

[Aris]

You could have just scraped some Castello cheese on your cheese instead of a slurry. I've tried the scraping method before and it works. Its ok if your cheese didn't have blue mold on the outside, internal bluing is a lot more important. Btw Blue mold doesn't like its feet wet. Also by making the rind wet, you'll probably attract unwanted micro organisms.

So how do the makers of Fourme d'Ambert get away with injecting their blue cheeses with wet Vouvray wine?

-Boofer-

I also wonder that. They probably have a special process. I've seen a video of Farmstead Fourme d'Ambert production and there was no mention of wine injection. They probably don't want to reveal its process. I have a feeling, that the "Affineurs" are the ones that do this wine injecting to make it unique and to give it their personal touch not the big producers/cheese makers. Affineurs buys young cheese and age it the way they want. I've bought Fourme d'Ambert before and it does not have wine flavor, it has a very milky flavor with a hint of blue.

[hoeklijn]

Well, that sort of answers my question about a Fourme d'Ambert should taste. That means that my first try to make a Fourme d'Ambert totally failed. But, fortunately, the first bigger wheel that I cut last week (after  first trying the smallest one which was still too young) offered me a very good tasting cheese. Firm body, starting to be crumbly, good developed blue taste. It tasted a bit like a blue Stilton that I bought a couple of weeks ago...

[Boofer]

Firm body, starting to be crumbly, good developed blue taste. It tasted a bit like a blue Stilton that I bought a couple of weeks ago...

I don't think it's supposed to be crumbly. The times that I have eaten it the cheese was very creamy with a slight blue flavor that was not overly strong. I would not say if what I was tasting had any nuance of wine. Member Brie made this cheese style and injected it. She would be better able to answer whether there was a wine characteristic when she ate it.

This cheese is the second make for this style for me. I will probably not inject it. I have already injected my first effort twice. It seems to be accepting those injections and developing just fine. There is blue growth and the wine seems to be assimilating into the paste. Time will tell. Although the two makes are supposed to be fairly similar, they are developing in totally different ways. Still, it should provide me with a rough idea what the difference wine injection would make in this cheese.

-Boofer-

[hoeklijn]

I know, it's far from an original Fourme d'Ambert as far as I can judge from what I read on this forum and the internet. I don't call mine a Fourme d'Ambert anymore, it's just a nice blue  I took a quarter with me to the office, together with a quarter of a Cabra al Vino and people loved them both. And after all, that's the most important....

[Boofer]

I know, it's far from an original Fourme d'Ambert as far as I can judge from what I read on this forum and the internet. I don't call mine a Fourme d'Ambert anymore, it's just a nice blue  I took a quarter with me to the office, together with a quarter of a Cabra al Vino and people loved them both. And after all, that's the most important....

You are right. Taste...the ultimate decider. 

I made what was supposed to be a Double Gloucester two months ago. I would certainly like it to be close to the namesake in all respects, but it will never get there because I don't have access to Gloucester cows. My Manchego doesn't come from sheeps' milk either.

And one other point: I have sampled authentic Taleggio on two occasions from the same retailer. The first time it was gooey and like soft-taffy. The second time it was firm and not at all gooey. In that case, an apparent difference in aging.

-Boofer-

[hoeklijn]

Yes, I have the same with my variety of Gouda's which I make as a regular "household cheese" and also with the Gouda I sometimes buy at the cheese farm. That's what makes it more challenging and interesting to make it at home rather to buy the same less tasting manufactured product over and over again.

[Boofer]

The Blue Castello slurry assimilated with the cheese and hopefully shared its blue. No apparent ill effects from the application.

There is some Geo growth and a few spots of obvious blue, but otherwise you wouldn't know this was a blue cheese. We're still early in its process.

-Boofer-

[Brie]

That looks amazing Boof! Cut it and share! That is exactly what the Fourme should like look on the exterior! I am extremely excited to see the interior--do tell! I so enjoy your excursions and pictures; wish I had the time to take the pics through every stage as you do--an inspiration you are. Looking forward to the taste of this all.

[Boofer]

I had a little bit of a problem yesterday which encouraged me to cut this cheese.

The cheese was creamy, had good veining, and the taste seemed right where I wanted it to be. I detected a slight bitterness in spots, but thought that it might fade when the cheese came to room temperature and aired out a bit. I saved some for breakfast and vacuum-sealed the rest.

After coming to room temperature, I sampled the cheese with some apple slices.

-Boofer-