Old Amsterdam Cheese, does anybody know this?

[hoeklijn]

Here in The Netherlands we have a popular variety of Gouda cheese that is called "Old Amsterdam". It looks and tastes like it is a really mature Gouda cheese about a year old, but the texture is not as dry as a one year old Gouda.
According to the website of Old Amsterdam (OldAmsterdam.com) and some resellers I spoke, it has it's taste due to a special recipe and a special aging proces.
Does anybody have a clue how this cheese is made??

[hoeklijn]

Ok, investigating further on the internet, somebody claimed that in the proces "proosdij-zuur" is added. Searcing for that term I stumbled upon the description below:
The invention relates to a method for the preparation of cheese in which, in a manner known per se, milk is provided with a starter mixture of acid-producing mesophilic bacterial strains and a starter mixture of thermophilic bacterial strains, which method is characterized in that a bacterial strain which under cheesemaking conditions is an overproducer of 3-methylbutanal is also used. The bacterial strain comprises, in particular, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis (B851) and is used in an amount of 0.025 to 0.35 vol.%, preferably 0.10 vol.%, relative to the volume of cheese milk. The invention also relates to cheese which is substantially crack-free and substantially free of gamma aminobutyric acid, which is characterized in that it has an increased 3-methylbutanal content. In a cheese such as a Proosdij-type cheese the 3-methylbutanal content is at least 1.5 times as high as that of a traditionally prepared Proosdij-type cheese.

This seems as the typical knowledge level of people like Linuxboy, Sailor, iratherfly??

[linuxboy]

I've talked about this before in the context of other cheeses such as parano and zola.

you are spot on, this is a classic DL gouda with a specific bacterial strain selected for flavor. I don't know which adjunct is used, as it is proprietary. I also often recommend to start with .1% bulk for all adjuncted types, and go from there up or down in addition depending on flavor and aging profile. For a long aged, less is more.

[linuxboy]

If you really want, I will do a very detailed writeup. I have been reluctant to do this because in some ways, this when done poorly is atrocious. Instead of sticking to high milk quality and understanding one's craft, some wizards use enzymatic blends to make up for defects and appeal to mass market tastes instead of working to reflect terroir.

So, I have mixed feelings. I've helped some here with their tommes (elkato, nimbinvalley, I think), and I have helped many others privately custom design their cheeses (many award winning by using these approaches), but all the info is spread out and decentralized on the forum.

[hoeklijn]

If you really want, I will do a very detailed writeup.

Thanks for the explanation Linuxboy. No, I don't need a detailed writeup. It was just curiosity because sometimes the discussion about "Old Amsterdam" is surfacing here and it is hard to get the right info about it, because Westland (the owner of the brand) doesn't give any comment.
It's difficult to get here a good variety of cultures (I have to order them in Germany) so IF I should want to create something like Old Amsterdam, I think it will be quite impossible to get the right cultures.

Which reminds me of something else: Have you any idea how the special cheese is made that can be eaten by people with a lactose intolerance? A friend of ours is ordering that in Germany (again), but that is very expensive. Can something like that be made by a hobyist, providing I can order eventually needed specials for it?

[linuxboy]

You could try to approximate with commercial cultures. And actually CSK might have the right ones where you are. CSK might even be the supplier.

Almost all cheese can be eaten by lactose intolerant people. Most cheddar, for example, contains absolutely no lactose after aging for 12 months. It's all about ensuring complete lactose consumption by bacteria. Nothing changes during the process to accommodate. Has your friend tried eating normal local cheese?

[hoeklijn]

Hi Linuxboy, I contacted CSK and I finally got a supplier of CSK products that is selling to small diaries and hobbyists. They don't have a website, so I have to contact them by email (almost unbelievable...), so I hope they offer a good range.

About the lactose intolerance, I asked my friend and she did several tries with some really old cheeses, but became sick, and I mean really sick...
The special made cheeses that she can eat are e.g from Minus L, a German company. Could it be that they are using GODO-YNL2 which is sold by Danisco? I'm just curious about the process at the moment.....

[linuxboy]

Good luck. If you want the exact strain, B851, I can direct you to the culture bank. Will cost you something like 400 Eur, and you would need to culture it yourself for trial. CSK might have commercialized it in one of their flavour wheel products.

Hmm, it's rather surprising about the lactose. Maybe it's something else in the cheese? Most lactic bacteria will leave no lactose behind, but it does depend on the cheese. I highly doubt a company would add lactase to the cheese itself. It's easier to modify the process to ensure full conversion naturally.

[hoeklijn]

LOL, no the fact that I contacted CSK is that it is hard to find a variety of cultures here anyway. I also can't find a reseller of Danisco cultures and their office in Leiden did not respond. But CSK did and I just contacted the one they mentioned. And maybe they are reseller for Danisco as well...

And about the lactose, my friend found a store in Holland that is selling it, so she has not to import it herself anymore. I think I'll stick to improving my normal cheesemaking