Coastal Blue and questions

[janij]

I have only made one blue cheese so far.  It was a Stilton style.  It will be ready to cut next week and I thought I would start another blue.  I recently bought Artisan Cheese Making at Home by Karlin and the Coastal Blue on p 184 caught my eye.  You use Camembert molds, so it makes small cheeses.  I thought that would be cool to have small cheeses.  I think the make went well.

4 gallons whole raw milk
1/4 t mesophillic starter
1/4 t P roqueforti
1/4 t liquid rennet ( I used 1/2 t single strength veal rennet diluted in 1/4 c H2O)
3 t kosher salt

Heat milk to 86 deg F.  Add starter and P roqueforti.  Stir well and let ripen 60 minutes.
Add diluted rennet.  Let sit 1-1 1/2 hrs or to a clean break.  ( I realized that the amount of rennet listed for the cheese was 1/2 of what is used for hard cheeses.  My milk needs about 1/2 the amount listed on the bottle to set the curds in the proper floc range.  So that is where I came up with my rennet amount).  By 1 hour I had a nice clean break.  I am wondering what the floc time for this cheese is supposed to be.  I may have to do some playing with it.
Cut into 1/2" cubes.  Stir for 10 min.  Let settle.  I let the curds sit about 2-3 minutes before I started stirring.  After stirring for the 10 minutes I let the curds settle for 10 min.  I should have waited a little longer.
Ladle off 4 qts of whey.  I got 2 qts ladled off and had to let the curds sit another 10 minuted to safely ladle the next 2 qts.  Stir for 5 min.
Ladle curds into a lined colander.  Let drain 5 minutes.
Put curds in Camembert molds.  You will need 4 for 4 gallons of milk.  I cut draining mats to fit the top and bottom of the molds.  Let drain 12 hours flipping 4 times.
Remove cheeses form molds and sprinkle evenly with salt.  Set on a mat in a ripening box at room temp and 90% humidity, flipping daily for 2 days.  Pierce the cheese 4 times vertically and 4 times horizontally. 
Move box to the cave at about 55 deg for 6-8 weeks.  Flip daily and wipe of unwanted mold.
My question come in about the piercing.  The last time I made blue cheese, or I should say the only time, I pierced at about 10 days.  At day 4 I had no mold on the surface.  So if I have no visible mold at day 2 should I wait to pierce?  Should I leave it out til I see mold?  Has anyone else tried this recipe?
I will post a picture when they come out of the molds.

[janij]

I took pictures of my Coastal Blue cheese.  I am going to follow the directions and pierce them tomorrow and then put them in the cave.  Will report on blue sightings in the future!

[Boofer]

Janij, they look good. Nice summer milk color with beta carotene.

I spotted something suspicious in your pic. Can you tell me what the circled darkness is?

-Boofer-

[janij]

It is mold powder.  When I ladled the curds out, you could see specs of the mold powder.  There was some curds that had more.  That was a chunk with the mold powder.
Oh and I am loving summer milk.  The butter is so pretty!!  But I will say, I get better yields in the winter.  Even though it is white cheese.

[dirigoma]

I just made this cheese last week -- looks great but hasn't starting turning blue?  I pierced Monday, supposed to have blue mold around now and isn't happening.  This is my third blue (1st this recipe) and I had no trouble in the past.  Wondering if it's too cool or could my ripening box be too small for air to circulate?  Am using a pyrex dish/lid to keep the blue for taking over my new wine fridge.  Thanks!

[bbracken677]

I had to re-innoculate my current blue to get it going, at least on the outside...have no idea what's going on inside.  I made a morge and poured it over the top and then more on the bottom after it was flipped.

[janij]

dirigoma,
I hope you like it.  I am about to cut into my first one sometime this week. 

[dirigoma]

Blue mold just started lightly.  I used the 200 recipes book and noticed last night that too much salt can delay the mold growth.  In that recipe (for 3 cheeses) it says use 3/4 tsp salt for the tops of the cheeses ... then turn and salt other side.  Since this also stumps me in other recipes, would that be understood as 3/4 tsp to EACH cheese, or 1/4 tsp to each top, same on reverse?  I used 3/4 tsp per cheese and perhaps that has caused the delay?  Really want these ready for my folks to visit next month!!  Thanks.