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GENERAL CHEESE MAKING BOARDS (Specific Cheese Making in Boards above) => STANDARD METHODS - Aging Cheese => Topic started by: Shalloy on February 07, 2013, 10:08:08 PM

Title: When can you first try your blue?
Post by: Shalloy on February 07, 2013, 10:08:08 PM
I have recently made my first cheese, a blue and its been sitting in my fridge at 10C fo almost ten days. Mould has started to develop nicely.
My kit instructions say to keep it like this for 30 days then scrape the mold of with a knife.
Then every 20-30 days scrape the surface mold of for a further 90 days.
Then wrap and store at 3C for a further 3 months.

So all up thats almost 7 months before I can try this cheese. but Ive seen recipes where people are aging and trying there blues a lot sooner than this. Are the instructions wrong? Are they just being overzealous perhaps?
Id like to make a few cheeses that i dont have to wait 7 months to try out.
Title: Re: When can you first try your blue?
Post by: H-K-J on February 07, 2013, 10:58:52 PM
Hi Shalloy
what type of blue did you make?
A Stilton is ready to taste circa 6 to 8 weeks, harder or pressed types I am sure will be aged longer.
I have aged Stiltons at 6/8/10 and 13 weeks, I have decided 8 to 10 weeks is about where my taste's lie :P
Title: Re: When can you first try your blue?
Post by: Al Lewis on February 08, 2013, 01:25:31 AM
Not sure what you're making but don't be scraping mold off of the outside.  That mold/rind seals them and keeps moisture in.  I'm going three months with my latest due to its size, 6 pounds.  Smaller can be eaten earlier.  Normally Stiltons are aged for 5 months.
Title: Re: When can you first try your blue?
Post by: Schnecken Slayer on February 08, 2013, 06:08:12 AM
That sounds a lot like the recipe in the kit I was given by my wife in september last year.

I followed their directions and ended up with hockey pucks.
How much milk and what size mould did you use?
Title: Re: When can you first try your blue?
Post by: Shalloy on February 08, 2013, 06:31:15 AM
It was a mad millie cheese kit. Im not sure what type of blue, not a Stilton though. I used Roquefort mold spores that came with the kit.
Started off with 2 litres (1/2 gallon of milk) Ended up with 3 small cheeses about 3 inches diameter.

The instructions say..

After 30 days the surface of the cheese will be covered with blue mould. Gently scrape it off with a long bladed knife.
Scrape off surface mould every 20-30 days.
After 90 days scrape the cheese and wrap in cheese wrap.


Its been about 10 days and I have a nice blue mold forming but also have noticed white spots of a fuzzy mould forming as well. Is this normal?

Why did yours turn into hockey pucks Schnecken slayer?  What did you do wrong?

I brought a wireless hygro today. Current temp in the maturation box is 10C but humidity is only 66%. I might have to put a wet cloth back in there if it doesnt climb much higher but only been in there for an hour and I probably lost some moisture opening the box.
Title: Re: When can you first try your blue?
Post by: Schnecken Slayer on February 08, 2013, 06:43:17 AM
Mine is an Epicurean kit and much like yours says:-

10. Salting. The following morning.....Lightly sprinkle the the top, bottom and sides..... let stand for three days at 15C @85% humidity.... resalt the cheese daily during this time

It said to scrape after 30 days, which I did, and then they started hardening. I had them in a container and there was a light mist forming daily on the sides but they continued drying.  I think the small size was the main factor (combined with the fact it was my first make)

You should remove the white mould using salt and vinegar. do a search here for white mold on blue and it should throw up some answers.

Since then I have managed to make reasonable cheeses and each make seems to get just a little better.
I am not game to make another Stilton as I don't think it will come out as good as my first.   ;D
Title: Re: When can you first try your blue?
Post by: Shalloy on February 08, 2013, 11:20:30 AM
I will check out that vinegar and salt mix for removing the mould. Thanks mate.
After 5 hours the humidity in the maturation box is still only around 75% so I'm going to put the wet cloth back in the bottom to try to bring it up another 10% or so.
Title: Re: When can you first try your blue?
Post by: Schnecken Slayer on February 08, 2013, 05:40:34 PM
I had a few spots of white mould show up on my Stilton as well. The vinegar and salt did the trick.

Do you have any pics of how they look now?
Title: Re: When can you first try your blue?
Post by: Shalloy on February 08, 2013, 11:45:10 PM
Here are some pics of the white spot fuzzy mold.  What do you think? Is this normal. Ive seen pictures of stilton with fuzzy mold on it but this isnt a stilton.

Should I be removing it?

Thanks again.
Title: Re: When can you first try your blue?
Post by: Al Lewis on February 09, 2013, 12:07:06 AM
Just take a cloth and brush them off.
Title: Re: When can you first try your blue?
Post by: Schnecken Slayer on February 09, 2013, 12:12:29 AM
Apart from those nasty fuzzies they look good.  :D

I am assuming the recipe doesn't call for piercing them?
Title: Re: When can you first try your blue?
Post by: Shalloy on February 09, 2013, 01:35:30 AM
Yes the recipe did say to pierce them with 40 holes, so I did that with a needle. But now from what I've learnt I probably should have done that with a skewer or something bigger.

Should I do them again or will needle holes be big enough?

I will give them a wipe with a sanitised cloth.  Thanks.
Title: Re: When can you first try your blue?
Post by: Al Lewis on February 09, 2013, 01:41:10 AM
It should be .125" or 1/8 inch in diameter.  3 mm for those of you on the metric system.
Title: Re: When can you first try your blue?
Post by: Shalloy on February 09, 2013, 02:09:31 AM
Ok well I will get a small metal skewer and re do the holes. I've wiped off the fuzz with some paper towel sprayed with starsan.

Thanks again for the advice gents. Hopefully my first cheese will turn out to be a success like my first all grain home brew was.
Title: Re: When can you first try your blue?
Post by: H-K-J on February 09, 2013, 05:12:48 PM
Quote
Ok well I will get a small metal skewer and re do the holes.
you can go to your local bike shop and get a wheel spoke, just get a heavy duty one (that is what I will try this time)
Title: Re: When can you first try your blue?
Post by: Al Lewis on February 09, 2013, 07:35:04 PM
I've been using one of the wooden skewers they sell for food.  Bag full is about $1.00.
Title: Re: When can you first try your blue?
Post by: Shalloy on February 10, 2013, 02:05:32 AM
Good idea. To the bike shop it is.