Author Topic: Gooey & Sinful... Fourth Edition (fingers crossed)  (Read 23730 times)

Offline Boofer

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Re: Gooey & Sinful... Fourth Edition (fingers crossed)
« Reply #30 on: August 20, 2012, 05:18:20 AM »
Yoav, did you see my questions?

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

iratherfly

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Re: Gooey & Sinful... Fourth Edition (fingers crossed)
« Reply #31 on: August 20, 2012, 07:36:25 AM »
If you're out there, Yoav, I have a couple questions for you. If you don't see this, I'll have to PM you.
  • Along with the papers you sent, there is also a PlyBan-like material. Is it PlyBan? You hadn't mentioned anything about it.
  • Now that the Rebs are off the somewhat virgin spruce boards, what should I do to care for them so they're ready next time I want to make this cheese? Do I scrub them down with coarse salt and boiling water and then dry them? No doubt there would be some Geo growth into the top layer of wood fibers.
Ooops, sorry, I was so into the photos, I forgot all about this.

 - I sent you a sample to check out. This is a new micro-preforated synthetic cheesecloth that is disposable. It makes a rather smooth cheese and is meant to curve and stretch a bit when pressing. It's just a new material and I sent samples for a few people to report back to me whether you like it or not so I know if I should make it a regular product.  It's not Ply-Ban.  For that, I sell synthetic REUSABLE 18"x32" draining bags which can be boiled and washed over and over again. These are meant for either pre-draining curd for Chèvre/Crottin and similar lactic cheeses, or used as cheesecloth, fitting comfortably in cheese moulds of up to 6 Lb wheels.

 - Cleaning the boards. Yep. Exactly. Boiling water and salt, scrub. Dry in the sun (I read somewhere that the UV rays have positive effect on it).

Offline Boofer

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Re: Gooey & Sinful... Fourth Edition (fingers crossed)
« Reply #32 on: September 04, 2012, 02:25:33 PM »
Tick, tick, tick....

Next Sunday is my scheduled unveiling for this cheese. I have two each wrapped in the different type of cheese paper. One thing a little disturbing to me is that the newer paper seems to be adhering more to the cheese. That paper is more transparent so I can see more of what the cheese is doing. It's a big question mark right now. I guess, to be fair, I will have to cut one cheese from each of the two types of paper in order to compare them. I hate to do that, especially if the cheeses aren't ready, but it's a learning experience. I'll probably have to eat the cheese.  ::)

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

hoeklijn

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Re: Gooey & Sinful... Fourth Edition (fingers crossed)
« Reply #33 on: September 04, 2012, 06:01:50 PM »
Oh Boofer, what an awful thought that you have to EAT them....
I'm still waiting for the replacement of my thermostat and until the cave is up and running again, I'm out of business.
But then, Reblochon it will be!

Sailor Con Queso

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Re: Gooey & Sinful... Fourth Edition (fingers crossed)
« Reply #34 on: September 04, 2012, 07:00:41 PM »
Boof - you need to get a trier so you don't have to actually cut a cheese when testing. In a pinch, an apple corer will do.

Offline Boofer

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Re: Gooey & Sinful... Fourth Edition (fingers crossed)
« Reply #35 on: September 05, 2012, 06:22:02 AM »
need to get a trier
Yeah, I can see that with a blue cheese or such, but would that work for a softer cheese like a Reb? What if it all oozed out the hole...? Then I'd be like Herman with my finger in the dike.  :)

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

hoeklijn

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Re: Gooey & Sinful... Fourth Edition (fingers crossed)
« Reply #36 on: September 05, 2012, 10:19:49 AM »
To start with: I am NOT having my finger in a dike of any kind >:D
Second: When you use a trier, you only taste a small piece from the inside. The remaining part is plugged back in...

bbracken677

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Re: Gooey & Sinful... Fourth Edition (fingers crossed)
« Reply #37 on: September 05, 2012, 12:21:57 PM »
Ahh...so that's how that works... Previously I had just pictured it as taking a core sample and leaving a hole behind.

lol

Offline Boofer

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Re: Gooey & Sinful... Fourth Edition (fingers crossed)
« Reply #38 on: September 09, 2012, 04:31:16 PM »
Trying to follow the guidelines in the video, I targeted 42 days for my date to cut. That's today. Of the four wheels of cheese, I had wrapped two in my older, larger white perforated cheese paper and two in some newer, smaller cheese paper. I wanted to compare the two papers.

The target weight for this cheese is 450 grams (1 pound). With varying success I achieved that goal.

There didn't seem to be a lot of difference between the two papers. The condition of the rind appeared virtually identical for both cheeses. At the cooler refrigerator temperature (39F/48%RH) both of the sampled cheeses were unripe. Although the paste just under the rind was ripening, the innermost part of the paste tended towards chalky. It was a creamy chalky, but just not ripe. The taste of the cool cheese wedge was promising and offered a glimpse of what could be a very special cheese in another month.

I have to wonder what the ripening temperature is for those cheeses to ripen in 42 days.

Comparing with my Reblochon #3, which I really like (still have an uncut wheel):

Reblochon #3
  • Milk: 2.5 gallons raw whole
  • Cultures: 2 cubes Kazu & 2 cubes MA4001
  • Rind treatment: PLA
  • pH at brining: 4.92
  • Washed with 3% brine; developed Geo & linens rind
  • Weight: 300 grams
  • Cut at 40 days. Texture, flavor, salt level...quality all good.
Reblochon #4
  • Milk: 1 gallon raw whole, 2 gallons creamline whole, 16 oz. pasteurized whipping cream
  • Cultures: MM100, TA61, LH100
  • Rind treatment: Geo13, SR3, KL71
  • pH at brining: 5.36
  • Washed with 6% brine & PLA; developed mostly Geo rind
  • Weight: 450 grams
  • Cut at 42 days. Unripe, but salt level is good.

Yes, there are a lot of differences between the two makes. This is a preliminary posting. Until this cheese is ripe, I can't know whether this is a good path to take, but at this point I'm leaning towards dropping the whipping cream. There is enough richness in the raw and creamline milk that I use to produce a very nice Reblochon. I added it here to see what an ultra-rich Reblochon would be like. At the very least, it no doubt slowed the ripening.

The milk, culture mix, and make process for Reb #3 makes it a breeze to produce. The makeup of Reb #4 is slightly more complicated.

-Boofer-
« Last Edit: September 09, 2012, 11:09:22 PM by Boofer »
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

JeffHamm

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Re: Gooey & Sinful... Fourth Edition (fingers crossed)
« Reply #39 on: September 09, 2012, 05:51:32 PM »
Very nice Boofer.  Remarkable consistency between them.  That's a sign of expert care.  A cheese for that.

Hmmm, I wonder if in the video ripe means "for market" (I will admit now to having skipped the option of watching the video myself before speculating on it's intent).  A cheese will go to market before it's "au point", otherwise the time it has to sell is too short.  I was looking at some cams the other day and they had on the wrapper "Cheese will be best the week before the best before date", which was still some time off (i.e. age this some more at home). 

- Jeff

Offline Boofer

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Re: Gooey & Sinful... Fourth Edition (fingers crossed)
« Reply #40 on: September 18, 2012, 04:00:36 AM »
Just checking the status at Day 52...and the lure of the gooey beckoned me.... ;)

I cut into the last wheel of Reblochon #3 to tastefully compare it to Reblochon #4. Oh yeah, it's almost there, and ripening to easily live up to the thread's namesake. So creamy...so gooey...so yummy. Can't wait until it's all grown up!

I think Yoav (aka. "iratherfly") needs some acknowledgement at this point for his tutelage. A cheese to you for your mentoring. A somewhat early Thanks.

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

bbracken677

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Re: Gooey & Sinful... Fourth Edition (fingers crossed)
« Reply #41 on: September 18, 2012, 05:06:05 AM »
Nice job Boofer!  Gooey and Sinful is an apt description!

And I second the acknowledgement for Yoav! He has been a great help and resource as well as purveyor of cheese making supplies  ;)

I have learned quite a bit from him, as well as quite a few others of you as I lurk and read old threads  muahahaha

JeffHamm

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Re: Gooey & Sinful... Fourth Edition (fingers crossed)
« Reply #42 on: September 18, 2012, 05:25:23 AM »
Wonderful looking result Boofer.  A cheese to you.  My 5 year old daughter looked at your photo and said "Put apples with it", so, you've been told.  :)  Looks like there's just a small spot left to ripen in #4 if I'm seeing that photo correctly, although the rind colour has a bit to go.  Still, they look fantastic.  Well done.

- Jeff

hoeklijn

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Re: Gooey & Sinful... Fourth Edition (fingers crossed)
« Reply #43 on: September 18, 2012, 06:19:51 AM »
yeah, cheese to you Boofer and a cheese to Yoav. I already promised him to have a go for the Reb, but at the moment I don't have the time. And it certainly deserves all my attention....

iratherfly

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Re: Gooey & Sinful... Fourth Edition (fingers crossed)
« Reply #44 on: September 18, 2012, 06:52:29 AM »
Thank you guys! So nice to hear!

Boofer, how is the paper working out for you thus far? The point of this paper by the way is that once the cheese is ripe it can be retailed in it without a box and it will keep very stable in its ripe state. It's also good that you can see the cheese color without opening the paper!

How close were you to my recipe? I can't remember now. It looks like it's taking a bit long to ripen this one, doesn't it? I wonder if it's just different acidity curve during cheesemaking or different cultures.