CheeseForum.org ยป Forum

CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => ADJUNCT - Washed Rind & Smear Ripened => Topic started by: Brie on November 26, 2010, 02:28:39 AM

Title: My First Tallegio!
Post by: Brie on November 26, 2010, 02:28:39 AM
I have relly been concentrating on washed-rind cheeses the last several months, as you can see. Here's my Tallegio, which; hands down, the tasting winner at the table tonight. I'm not extremely familiar with this cheese, so wondering if the holes are normal, or due to something in the make.
Title: Re: My First Tallegio!
Post by: susanky on November 26, 2010, 12:56:44 PM
Mmmmm.  Looks yummy!  I don't know about the holes but I'm sure someone will chime in.  I don't think I've ever had this cheese.  But would love to try it!  Which recipe did you use?  How much milk for that size wheel?  Thanks. 
Susan
Title: Re: My First Tallegio!
Post by: Bishop on November 26, 2010, 01:09:30 PM
Hi Brie,
     Whats the age of this one, great pic as usual ;)
Title: Re: My First Tallegio!
Post by: clherestian on November 26, 2010, 03:57:10 PM
Some holes are ok in taleggio. I buy this cheese often, and it often has holes. Your cheese seems to have bigger holes than normal.

When I make taleggio, I do not cook the curds so they tend to stick together well even without pressing.
Title: Re: My First Tallegio!
Post by: DeejayDebi on November 26, 2010, 06:56:39 PM
Mine often have a few random holes somewhat smaller but this looks good to me. I bough a tallegio before I made it to try and it looked like a baby swiss.
Title: Re: My First Tallegio!
Post by: iratherfly on November 26, 2010, 11:08:41 PM
Looks amazing!!! How big is it? I want some!!!

The eyes in telaggio are usually from the starter and yeast putting out gas before they die. This looks like another type of eye formation. Was it exposed to high temp? Looks almost like what hapens in Swiss cheese due to the initial 70F+ aging.

As for not knowing the cheese - I always suggest to go to a cheese shop and get familiar with a cheese before targeting it for a make. Especially a complicated cheese.

Tellagio is one of my favorite cheeses. It has over 1000 years of history and what many consider to mean to Italian the same as what Brie means to the French. They have a unique way of aging it in square wooden boxes in very low temp and high humidity. It's pungent, smoky, buttery, salty and citrucy with a very nice mushroomy finish. Great melted, in sauces, on pasta, sandwiches, salads or cheese plate with fruits and crackers. So good, versitile, casual and fancy at once!!!

Funny; Brie and I have a strange sync of doing the same types of cheese at the same times without ever discossing it.  Yesterday I too opened up a Tellagio style cheese. I say "Tellagio style" because it wasn't traditional but my own take on it: In this experiment I am starting it out like a Telllagio but making it a mini size (4"x4"x2") aged 43 days (should be longer actually, my bad). The big difference is that it has a Mycodore/B.Linen/Yeast rind AND wash (as opposed to a B.Linen only rind with simple brine wash in classic Telaggio). It gives it much more of the smoky-garlicy character. A cross between a Reblochon, Telagio and Tomme de Savoie.  That crazy pumpkin color urged me to open it and bring it to Thanksgiving dinner but it really does cry for 20-30 more days of aging; I felt that the enzymes were not done with the center of the cheese, but the outside was great. I have another one aging from this batch. The other one has been slightly pressed and then aged in high temp for a few days before moving to the cave (like aging Tomme Crayeuse). Much different rind growth, the red is covered with Geo now (amazing how much small variables in cheese can affect the bacterium's timing and growth and overall color of the cheese). Fascinating experiment. I will crack open that other one somewhere between day 60 and 75. Can't wait
Title: Re: My First Tallegio!
Post by: Brie on November 27, 2010, 12:00:50 AM
That looks amazing, Yoav--I heated the raw milk (2 gallons) to 90 degrees. Added 1/4 tsp. of thermo C, a dash of geo and a dash of b.linens. Ripened for 45 minutes and added 1.5ml of rennet. Used a 4 flocc and then cut into 2" pieces. Let set for 5 minutes then reduced the pieces with whisk into hazelnut size. Removed whey to surface of curds. Scooped into Cam molds (4). Turned cheeses in molds at hour intervals for first few hourss. Total hooping 30 hours, with final PH @ 4.9 (a bit low?) Rubbed cheese with coarse salt. Let sit overnight and moved to cave in covered containers with 90% humidity. Washed cheese every other day with salt solution mixed with pinch of b.linens. Also, allowed cheese to breathe at room temp with each washing. No wrapping. Vac-packed at 40 days.
Title: Re: My First Tallegio!
Post by: iratherfly on November 27, 2010, 12:32:05 AM
That actually sounds very proper. The only thing that jumped at me was the fact that you have used Thermophilic. No mesopholic? This is a low temp cheese. You can use thermophilic and mesophilic together (AKA: "Farmstead culture") but you may need mesophilic for this. This may also explain the gas formation. Is this the recipe from 200 cheeses?  The only other cheese I tried when low temp calls for thermophilic was Reblochon, but even there most makers put some mesophilic.

The other thing is, I strongly discourage the vacuum on this cheese. It kills the bacteria and cheese. This cheese will remain fresh and good as long as the rind is alive. Your goal should be to slow down the activity of the rind, not to kill it. You can wrap and refrigerate it and it will probably keep better quality longer. Vacuum is good after you have opened up a cheese, or if you are making a rindless cheese that you don't want to dry out like cheddar.

So I wonder what kind of texture you got with the thermophilic. Was it creamy? Buttery? or more sharp and crisp? Is ir mild? Aromatic?
Title: Re: My First Tallegio!
Post by: Brie on November 27, 2010, 01:01:54 AM
Thanks, Yoav--I did also add about 1/8 tsp. Flora Dancia for the mesophilic. Sorry about that little misinformation. I did vac-pac after I felt it had reached maturity--lack of room in my cave. I don't believe it comprised quality at this point. Jury is out on that, as I taste it for the next several weeks. Fly on, bro.
Title: Re: My First Tallegio!
Post by: iratherfly on November 27, 2010, 01:18:50 AM
Oh, you meant vacuum and in the cave? I thought you moved to refrigeration after vacuum. Sounds like you have a perfect Talaggio recipe.