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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => ADJUNCT - Blue Mold (Penicillium roqueforti) Ripened => Topic started by: Cheese Head on May 20, 2008, 10:42:41 AM
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Saturday I started to make my first Blue Cheese, a double batch using 2 US gallons/7.6 liters store bought pasteurized homogenized whole milk and 2 ounces/50 grams fresh gorgonzola cheese as the innoculum.
MAKING - MAY 17, 2008
- 12:00PM Warmed milk, added 10 Mesophilic Starter Culture ice cubes from this recipe here (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php?topic=15.0), after melting whisked in.
- 12:15PM Added diluted 1.6 grams Calcium Chloride & 50 drops Malaka brand vegetarian Rennet, split 50/50 between each pot, whisked in thoroughly on each pot.
- 2:00PM Back stockpot got clean break, front not. Diluted, added, and whisked in another 15 drops rennet.
- 3:00PM Front now also has clean break, cut both curds into diamonds, warmed to help expel whey.
- 4:00PM Bail cut curds and whey into cheesecloth sock lined colander, then hung cheese cloth to gravity drain whey.
- 7:00PM Scrcaped sides of cheesecloth sock to remove filter cake an enable whey to drain faster.
- 10:00PM Scrcaped sides of cheesecloth sock to remove filter cake an enable whey to drain faster.
MAKING - MAY 18, 2008
- 8:30AM Bailed still moist curds from sock into large bowl, sprinkled on 2 teaspoons non-iodized salt, stirred in thoroughly, still moist.
- 8:45AM In blender, blended 2 ounces/50 grams fresh gorgonzola cheese and 2 ounces/50 ml cool water to make innoculum. Trickled over cheese, stirred in thoroughly, moister.
- 9:00AM Packed into fresh cheesecloth sheet lined small springform lined baking pan, no holes between curds like required for mold to grow as curds too moist. Placed bamboo sushi mat on top and then weight to expel more whey.
- 2:00PM Removed cheese from springform pan, patted outside lightly with cheese, install holes with screw driver to allow oxygen to enter middle of cheese and allow mold to flourish, flip cheese and install holes in other side, cheese cracking from holes and low strength, cheesecloth and cheese smelly, cross between bad and blue cheese.
- 2:15PM Placed in household 40 F/40 C very low humidity fridge to try and dry out.
- 9:00PM Checked in fridge, still very smelly, replaced wrap, cheese still cracked a little.
AGING/MATURING
- May 19, 2008, aged 1 day, cheesecloth very smelly, replaced with fresh loosely wrapped new cheesecloth, placed in medium cooler box "Cheese Cave" with ice block to get warmer temperature and higher humidity.
- May 20, 2008, aged 2 days, cheesecloth very smelly, replaced with fresh loosely wrapped new cheesecloth, placed in medium cooler box with new ice block.
- May 21, 2008, aged 3 days, cheesecloth wet, changed and new freezer ice block, cheese almost cracked in half.
- May 22, 2008, aged 4 days, cheesecloth wet, changed and new freezer ice block, cheese cracked in half.
- May 23, 2008, aged 5 days, cheesecloth damp, changed and new freezer ice block.
- May 24, 2008, aged 6 days, cheesecloth damp, green-blue mold starting to appear, ;D or :-[, changed cloth and new freezer ice block.
- May 25, 2008, aged 7 days, cheesecloth damp, green-blue mold more extensive, good or bad news? Changed cloth and new freezer ice block.
- May 26, 2008, aged 8 days, cheesecloth dryish, green-blue mold more extensive, changed cloth and new freezer ice block, cut off small wedge where cracked, inside still all white, and ate piece, very nice, slightly salty, but minimal famous blue cheese flavour.
- May 27, 2008, aged 9 days, cheesecloth dryish, green-blue mold more extensive, changed cloth and new freezer ice block, cut off and ate small piece where cracked in two, inside still all white except for hole.
- May 28, 2008, aged 10 days, cheesecloth dryish, mold growth slowed down, changed cloth and new freezer ice block, cut off and ate another small piece, taste still good but rind almost plasticy - squeaky on teeth!?
- June 13, 2008, aged 26 days, sadly ate last piece.
THOUGHTS
- Cheese making phase: Not getting good clean break in one pot resulted in 2 hour delay with milk open to airborne contaminants. Think problem may be that stirred rennet had settled in 1/2 cup/125 ml water for 15 minutes before added 1/2 to front stockpot, thus got low concentration rennet in front pot and high in back pot.
- Cheese making phase: 2 US gallon batch requires longer to drip drain whey while hanging than 1 US gallon resulting in over night hanging in 75 F/23 C & 48% humidity room (yep we are in warm season here in Houston and air conditioners are on steady). Longer time meant more chance of airborne bacteria infection.
- Cheese pressing phase: Concern of so long outside fridge drove me to packing curds into mold with cream cheese consistancy before had hung enough and thus were too moist. This resulted in no holes between curds for mold to grow and curds not binding resulting in very weak strength cheese and subsequently cracked in half when flipping to change cheesecloths daily.
- Cheese pressing phase: Milk was 27 hours outside in warm house before inside fridge, too long and easier chance of airborne infection.
- Cheese pressing phase: Should have changed the cheese cloth more frequently while making cheese to reduce chance of airborne infection.
- Need better more temperature and humidity controllable cheese cave than cooler boxes with freezer block.
Any advice appreciated!
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First 4 pictures . . .
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Second 4 pictures . . .
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Fourth 3 pictures . . .
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did you try it ? if so how was it ?
reg
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Yep eaten some 3 evenings in a row, definately has blue cheese taste, but appearance is not pleasant, also did not get blue inside (except holes) cheese primarily as curds were too wet and not crumbly and thus no space between curds.