My first True Blue

[boothrf]

I have made Blue Brie's before, but this is my first attempt at a large blue cheese. Used 8 litres of farm fresh cows milk and ended up with 1320g of lovely blue.  I made it on the 26th May and it is now happily turning blue in my cave. I would have liked a more open texture, but hopefully I have enough cavities in the cheese body to allow the blue to thrive. I'll pierce it in a couple of days time. Smells so good!

[Boofer]

Looks like a wonderful birthday cake! 

Really looking good, Bob. Nice texture.

-Boofer-

[hoeklijn]

Looks lovely! What kind of mould did you use to get this exterior? And what recipe did you use?

[boothrf]

Thanks for the positive feedback guys. This is the hoop I used:

Cheese Basket P00653, bought from Cheeselinks here in OZ.      http://shop.cheeselinks.com.au/images/products/190.jpg

My recipe came from an Australian book "HOME CHEESEMAKING - The secrets of how to make your own cheese and other dairy products" by Neil and Carole Willman.

8 litres fresh cow milk, heated to 32C
Add 80ml of Starter B mother culture (mesophilic culture; lactococcus lactis, subspecies lactis and lactococcus lactis subspecies cremoris and lactoccocus lactis suspecies lactis biovar diacetylactis)
Add PR mould powder
Ripen for 60 mins
Add 1.76ml Rennet leave for 40 mins to set
Cut to 12mm cubes
Rest 5 mins
Stir every 5 mins for 1 hour
Stir continuously for 15 mins
Drain whey
Stir by hand 5 mins and mix in 35g salt
Fill hoop
Turn at 30 mins, 60 mins, 120 mins, 240 mins etc
Salt exterior after 24 hours with 25g salt then return to hoop and continue draining at room temp
Salt exterior again after another 24 hours with 20g salt
Leave for another 24 hours at room temp, then remove form hoop and place in 12C mini cave.
Turn every 48 hours.
Blue appeared after 6 days

Next step is to pierce when fully covered with blue mould, leave for another week at 12C before dropping to 8C for maturation.

I'm unsure about the rind treatment from here on: should I dry salt regularly or just let it go? As I said, my first true blue cheese so learning as I go   

Bob

[hoeklijn]

mmm, interesting. Unpressed and not Stiltonesque although the ratio is suggestion something Stiltonesque...
About rind treatment, my "Try d'Ambert" was cleaned a couple of times with some salt water, until the rind was firm enough and then I let it develop on his own, only getting it out of the cave every day for half an hour, so the cheese could get some fresh air and annoy my wife....
(She does not like the smell of blue cheese and yes, it was smelling good IMHO). But Boofer really managed to develop a beautiful rind on his Fourme d'Ambert, check it out on this board....

[boothrf]

only getting it out of the cave every day for half an hour, so the cheese could get some fresh air and annoy my wife....
(She does not like the smell of blue cheese and yes, it was smelling good IMHO). But Boofer really managed to develop a beautiful rind on his Fourme d'Ambert, check it out on this board....

Yes, I understand this problem perfectly. My wife complains about the smell of any strong cheese, but of course, I believe they all smell like perfume!

The recipe is for a generic "blue vein", not really sure what particular style it is aiming for. I looked at Boofer's Fda and was intrigued by its very clean, almost brie like exterior. I'm aiming for more of a traditional blue/stilton rind on this cheese.  Thanks for your tip on the rind treatment. I also have some cheesemaker friends at work so will ask them for advice too.

Bob

[Boofer]

I tried the Stilton-style rind, but was not thrilled. The two recent Fourme d'Ambert cheese rinds ( #1 & #2) fit my taste buds just right. I also wasn't fond of the salt level in the Stiltonesque I made. So I guess I'll stick to what pleases me. 

-Boofer-

[H-K-J]

I also wasn't fond of the salt level in the Stiltonesque

I don't understand the saltiness? mine have no salty, per say taste, just the bite of the PR, I don't salt the rind, it stays all natural it has a sharpness as in a good Cheddar(just my tastein) 
and smells as I like

[Boofer]

I also wasn't fond of the salt level in the Stiltonesque

I don't understand the saltiness? mine have no salty, per say taste, just the bite of the PR, I don't salt the rind, it stays all natural it has a sharpness as in a good Cheddar(just my tastein) 
and smells as I like

Do you mill and salt your curds? That's one difference between the Stilton style and the Fourme d'Ambert. The FdA is brined, which discourages blue development on the rind. I've sampled commercial Stiltons several times and they were naturally better than my effort, but still not to my liking. Yeah, there is that PR bite which I don't particularly care for either. I don't get that bite with the FdA. Perhaps when it's aged a little more, but then it would have been most likely eaten anyway.

That's the great thing about cheese...we can all find AT LEAST one that we really like. There are so many possibilities. 

-Boofer-

[boothrf]

An update on my first blue. After leaving it for 10 days to develop the blue mould, I pierced it and placed it back in the cave at 12C (55F). The following photos show how it looks now.

I would appreciate some advice on the next steps. My recipe suggests now dropping the temp to 8C (47F) for long term maturation, but I notice the stiltonesque makers here use a recipe that maintains the temperature at 55F for the maturation period?

Also interested in advice on any additional rind treatment I need to do. My current plan is to just leave it as is?

Thanks, Bob

[hoeklijn]

When I see these pictures, it's just developing liken my Fourme d'Ambert, however I call it now Try d'Ambert, because it's far from a real FdA.
But it tasted very good! When I read the comment of Boofer, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be his taste, but like he said, there's a cheese for every taste.

[H-K-J]

Do you mill and salt your curds? That's one difference between the Stilton style and the Fourme d'Ambert. The FdA is brined, which discourages blue development on the rind. I've sampled commercial Stiltons several times and they were naturally better than my effort, but still not to my liking. Yeah, there is that PR bite which I don't particularly care for either. I don't get that bite with the FdA. Perhaps when it's aged a little more, but then it would have been most likely eaten anyway.
That's the great thing about cheese...we can all find AT LEAST one that we really like. There are so many possibilities. 

-Boofer-

Boofer, I do mill and salt, never tried the brine method  of the FDA

I would appreciate some advice on the next steps. My recipe suggests now dropping the temp to 8C (47F) for long term maturation, but I notice the stiltonesque makers here use a recipe that maintains the temperature at 55F for the maturation period?

Also interested in advice on any additional rind treatment I need to do. My current plan is to just leave it as is?

Thanks, Bob

Bob, After the warming period  I leave my cheese between 49º-F to 55º-F, I don' have a cave I just put it in an ageing container placed inside a large pot with some ice packs then change them every day, that's why there is such a difference in my temps they have turned out excellent even with that fluctuation.
As far as rind development, I don't do anything unless I see some wight fuzzy stuff, that in part is from to high RH, I just dab that with some viniger and control the RH by opening the lid a bit, when I change the ice pack's I let the cheese air out for a half hour or so, I also flip it over every 3 or 4 day's and just let it be till cutin time
Good luck! yours are looking very nice 

[boothrf]

Thanks HJK, sounds like the best approach is to "Let it Be" and just keep an eye on it. Thanks mate 

Bob

PS I like the look of your blues, nice and gnarly with good blueing throughout.

[boothrf]

Update. My blue has been maturing in the cave for 6 weeks now, and is looking good! I have wrapped it and placed it in the 8C fridge for the rest of the maturation time

[H-K-J]

Look's very nice  Keep goin it looks like it will be very tasty