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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => RENNET COAGULATED - Semi-Hard "Sweet" Washed Curd => Topic started by: Boofer on September 16, 2012, 05:41:07 PM

Title: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Boofer on September 16, 2012, 05:41:07 PM
I wanted to get one more cheese into the Boofer cave network taking advantage of what I hoped would be some of the last summer milk. I bought four gallons of good whole raw Jersey milk. Then I was faced with a conundrum ("A confusing and difficult problem or question."). What cheese would I make with this milk? I had originally thought a cloth-bound Cheddar would be an interesting effort. Then I thought of the two Cheddars already aging in the cave network and decided against that idea. Maybe later.

I then considered a Trappist cheese...maybe something stinky and oozy 8). Yeah, but that would mean a young cheese that would possibly have a shorter shelf life than I wanted to make right now. And I was still ripening my Reblochon #4 (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,9997.0.html) so I already had a young cheese that would be ready soon. Boy, what a situation!

I was scouring online trying to get an idea or direction to go. I saw a reference to a cheese that was developed and then washed with a walnut liqueur. I combed through cheeses I had made that were pleasing. I thought a semi-soft to semi-hard cheese with a fairly dry rind enhanced with a pleasing liqueur wash might be nice to try. For the base cheese, I considered an Esrom or Tomme style. I was looking at Tuaca liqueur or Frangelico liqueur as a wash. Frangelico is a hazelnut-flavored liqueur. That might be very nice. This is mid-September, so it could be ready for the holidays. I think I've solved my predicament.

4 gallons whole raw Jersey milk
6 cubes Aroma B MC, melted
1/16 tsp PLA
1/32 tsp dry calf rennet

1/32 tsp PLA in 3% brine for wash

I followed the Esrom program (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,9293.0.html), saved a gallon of whey for brine, washed one third of the curds with 130F water, and pressed first with 2.6psi and two flips under whey, and then with 5psi in pot without whey and naked(without the Plyban ;)). Brined when pH was 5.54 (a little sweeter) for 12 hours. Now out to air dry before heading into the cave network. Weeping a bit, as normal.

My floc was 33 minutes which surprised me. I had used less rennet expecting the raw milk to help me out. It didn't. I used a 3.5x multiplier.

Yes, I know, I probably should have kept the Plyban in place for the final pressing...then I wouldn't have those nubbins. Eh, they'll go away in time.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: mjr522 on September 16, 2012, 08:59:54 PM
Sounds like a fun cheese, Boofer.  Hazelnut, eh?  I like most things that are hazelnut flavored...you'll have to tell me how it works out on this cheese.
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Alpkäserei on September 16, 2012, 10:17:39 PM
Must be a German, the Germans put Hazelnut in everything. Pair it with some German chocolate and Nutella and you'll be in Hazelnut heaven!
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: bbracken677 on September 17, 2012, 12:24:15 AM
Hmm...You could always wash it with Kalua!   :)

Intriguing thread title...so open to misinterpretation   muahahaha
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Boofer on September 17, 2012, 01:27:21 PM
Must be a German, the Germans put Hazelnut in everything. Pair it with some German chocolate and Nutella and you'll be in Hazelnut heaven!
Well, the Frangelico is Italian. I'm part Swiss-Irish. Maybe I should have made a chocolate Derby?  ::)

The hazelnut character? Everything in moderation. Not trying to go over the top.

Hmm...You could always wash it with Kalua!   :)

Intriguing thread title...so open to misinterpretation   muahahaha
Uh, no on the Kahlua.

You know, Bruce, I had trouble deciding what to make. Then I couldn't decide where it would fall style-wise. It's intended to be a washed curd, washed rind cheese. I figured with the liqueur-washed rind that it might be a little more fancy than my previous efforts.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: bbracken677 on September 17, 2012, 02:08:39 PM
haha was really kidding about the kahlua...

I think you have a fine experiment going and am looking forward to seeing the results! One of these days, once I have mastered the basics a bit more I will give something like this and your creamy delight a go. Right now I would just be happy to make cheeses that taste like their name sake, and then follow that up with improvements.    :)
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Boofer on September 18, 2012, 04:23:39 AM
haha was really kidding about the kahlua...

I think you have a fine experiment going and am looking forward to seeing the results! One of these days, once I have mastered the basics a bit more I will give something like this and your creamy delight a go. Right now I would just be happy to make cheeses that taste like their name sake, and then follow that up with improvements.    :)
I hear you. You know, some folks here have rubbed or coated their rinds with all manner of adjuncts so I wouldn't be surprised if someone was to do the Kahlua deal.

I'm in agreement, Bruce. All I'm trying to do is to get the basics down so I can do something innovative and delicious. Practice, practice, practice.... Where am I gonna put all this cheese? I open the cave door...and there's another one! Where are they all coming from?  ::)

That brings to mind the old Lucy show with the chocolates on the conveyor belt that just kept going faster.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Susie on September 18, 2012, 04:39:04 AM
Love it! Cool idea. Again, I watch with great interest. I feel like such a spectator around here sometimes.  ;)
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: iratherfly on September 18, 2012, 07:06:43 AM
I still want to wash a cheese with Fig liqueur and pomegranate liqueur
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Boofer on September 18, 2012, 01:53:34 PM
I still want to wash a cheese with Fig liqueur and pomegranate liqueur
Ooooh, pomegranate liqueur? That sounds delicious! Don't know if I've ever seen it. Guess I've been sheltered.  :'(  I'll have to look for it.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Boofer on October 03, 2012, 05:43:52 AM
Getting some Geo coverage now. This initially had a butterfat coating on the rind so when I washed it you could feel the greasiness. That is subsiding, being reduced with the washing every other day. The once very prominent nubbins are being rubbed down as well. Pretty soon the rind will be as smooth as a baby's tocus.  ;)

Looks decent so far....

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Tiarella on October 03, 2012, 12:31:01 PM
Do you really think those nubbins will come all the way off?  I've got a cheese like that although it's not a washed rind cheese and I think the nubbins will likely be on there when it's being bitten into. 
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: bbracken677 on October 03, 2012, 12:35:40 PM
Nice looking cheese there!
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Boofer on October 03, 2012, 01:30:27 PM
Do you really think those nubbins will come all the way off?  I've got a cheese like that although it's not a washed rind cheese and I think the nubbins will likely be on there when it's being bitten into.
Time will tell....

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Tomer1 on October 03, 2012, 08:17:58 PM
I still want to wash a cheese with Fig liqueur and pomegranate liqueur


You can get some port style Pom wine from rimon winery. They export to the US.
They use highly toasted barrels which give the port smokey notes, Its very interesting.
(http://israelwinetaster.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/rimon-premium-port.jpg)
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: iratherfly on October 07, 2012, 03:44:05 AM
Yes, Rimon is a good one. All the other ones are just cocktails of mixed vodka and pomegranate juice. This one is a true pomegranate wine.
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Boofer on October 22, 2012, 01:52:40 AM
I decided after some consideration that today would be a good day to begin washing this cheese with liqueur. I had originally considered two Italian liqueurs which my wife and I have enjoyed over the years. I poured small samples of each of those this morning (before breakfast...hic!) and reconsidered. After tossing around a few other ideas, I decided why not try one of the four fruit liqueurs I fashioned this summer? The name of this cheese is "Fancy" and I really like raspberry, so that's the one I chose. Time will tell if it's an agreeable choice.

The cheese itself is very "poofy", indicating some trapped gas under the rind. Perhaps I should have used Holdbac to help reduce that hazard. :-\

I will try to repeat the wash regimen every third day for a month. This liqueur is relatively low in alcohol (17%), but the fruit character is very prominent.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: iratherfly on October 24, 2012, 03:23:24 AM
She's a looker!
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Boofer on October 24, 2012, 01:37:51 PM
Today was washday again and the Geo is really persistent. I wondered if the liqueur wash would slow it down or kill it. Nope. It seems to like the whole affair.

Still curious about that poofiness though. The raw milk has a role in what's going on.  ;)

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Boofer on October 30, 2012, 02:53:27 PM
The rind is definitely taking on the raspberry color and it smells really nice at this point.

There is a creaminess as the linens and geo mix with the raspberry liqueur. I'm leaving it on wet to better absorb into the cheese. It does eventually dry and the geo/linens come on again.

There is still a little poofiness from generated gas.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Tiarella on October 30, 2012, 09:41:56 PM
Beautiful rind!!  I'm envious and happy for you.  Is that side view photo an illustration of the battle of the bulge?  Does your cheese have a beer belly?    :D  Okay, now I want to try some sort of wash like you did.  I wonder what flavor to choose.  Does it need to be a sweet type liqueur?  how often did you do the wash?  And was the frequency mainly so you had an excuse to open the bottle?   ;)  My honey with leaves cheese got a coat of olive oil and I'm curious how that will turn out.  I wonder about washing with brandy on my drunken goat cheese.  I could imagine a goat starting with wine and then switching to brandy.  I think mine will eat almost anything that is obvious food.
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Boofer on October 31, 2012, 04:46:44 AM
No, not a beer belly. I like to think of it as voluptuous* cheesy curves.

My washing regimen is every third day. Last wash was Saturday...then again today...next is Friday. I don't need an excuse to open the bottle (watch it, george! :D). The two commercial liqueurs I was contemplating were pretty sweet. My raspberry has some sweetness, but also has a higher acidity level. I'm not sure, but I think that is preferable. So far, the geo & linens seem to live okay with it.

I've previously washed with Moscato and Vouvray. Epoisses is washed with brandy (marc de Bourgogne). Other cheeses are washed with Sauternes, pear mash, grape must, ale. Imagination, hope, and a sense of adventure are prerequisites in this pursuit.

* (vo·lup·tu·ous (v -l p ch - s). adj. 1. Giving, characterized by, or suggesting ample, unrestrained pleasure to the senses)

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: george on October 31, 2012, 11:03:23 AM
I don't need an excuse to open the bottle (watch it, george! :D).
  LOL.  I'm innocent, I tells ya!
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Boofer on November 03, 2012, 06:05:47 AM
The raspberry liqueur was still a little moist on the flat faces of the cheese. I'll have to try not to leave it so moist this time.

The raspberry color and aroma is very evident, as is the Geo that continues to rise above the washing. The gas bump is very prominent. I think it travels through the cheese when it's flipped, appearing on the opposite side. Still watching it. I'm afraid it will split the rind.

-Boofer-

Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Boofer on November 08, 2012, 03:33:39 PM
Uh oh, starting to get a little extreme softness in the rind. I may have to back off on the raspberry liqueur wash. I've been doing it every three days and the Geo has been coming back between washes. This latest development may not be good.

The gas production also threatens the rind, pushing outward on it, making it more sensitive to the wash.  :-\

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Boofer on November 18, 2012, 07:41:30 AM
I stopped washing about a week ago. That helped to stabilize the rind so that it wasn't so sticky. It was threatening to pull off every time I lifted it from the netting that it rests on. Not a problem now and the rind seems pretty decent at this point. In another week or so I may have to trier it to see what the inside is doing. Very intriguing cheese at this point. Soft to the touch without being squishy.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Tiarella on November 18, 2012, 12:22:05 PM
Boofer, the suspense is intolerable!  Will you choose a trier placement to possibly hit the gas bulge?  And did you ever try burping it?   I haven't tried a cheese like this and had forgotten (thanks to storms, readying for winter, etc.) until you posted about this one again.
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Boofer on November 18, 2012, 09:30:52 PM
Ah yes, the suspense.... :P

When I trier it, I imagine that there will be small pockets of gas throughout, so it probably won't matter. And, no, I wouldn't dare burp it. I'm handling it as little and as gingerly as I can. It's an amazingly plush cheese. Wonder what's "under the hood"?

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Tiarella on November 19, 2012, 03:30:35 AM
Ah yes, the suspense.... :P

When I trier it, I imagine that there will be small pockets of gas throughout, so it probably won't matter. And, no, I wouldn't dare burp it. I'm handling it as little and as gingerly as I can. It's an amazingly plush cheese. Wonder what's "under the hood"?

-Boofer-

Looks like a V8 under the hood at least!!
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Boofer on December 01, 2012, 04:59:24 PM
I decided to check the progress inside this cheese last Sunday. The rind was a little tough to pierce and once I extracted the core, the results were a little disappointing. What I withdrew from inside was moist but crumbly.

I concluded that the cheese would benefit from continued aging, so I patched up the hole as best I could and returned it to its minicave. The flat surfaces remain slightly moist/tacky. The PLA is still in play but not really developing the paste as I had expected.

Patience. A)  A little more ripening should produce the results I expect.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: JeffHamm on December 01, 2012, 06:30:21 PM
Curious result so far.  They are a mystery inside.  The externals of the most horrible looking thing, that one would think requires a mask and full bio-contamination suit, can result in a delicacy of subtle flavours, while others, with rinds that appear to promise perfection on occasion offer up curiosities of blandness.  But even these plane Janes can turn into the belle of the ball once they've reached maturity.  I suspect this one will come right in the end. 

- Jeff
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: H-K-J on December 02, 2012, 05:02:04 AM
I think it looks exciting :D MMmmmMmmmM
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: bbracken677 on December 02, 2012, 01:57:30 PM
Curious result so far.  They are a mystery inside.  The externals of the most horrible looking thing, that one would think requires a mask and full bio-contamination suit, can result in a delicacy of subtle flavours, while others, with rinds that appear to promise perfection on occasion offer up curiosities of blandness.  But even these plane Janes can turn into the belle of the ball once they've reached maturity.  I suspect this one will come right in the end. 

- Jeff

There is a touch of poetry there....well said!
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: botanist on December 12, 2012, 09:23:01 AM
I still want to wash a cheese with Fig liqueur and pomegranate liqueur
Ooooh, pomegranate liqueur? That sounds delicious! Don't know if I've ever seen it. Guess I've been sheltered.  :'(  I'll have to look for it.

-Boofer-


The pomegranate liqueur is Pama and it is fantastic
http://www.pamaliqueur.com/home/index.php (http://www.pamaliqueur.com/home/index.php)

My best 'soak' so far has been in eau de vie de poire from Clear Creek Distillery in Portland
http://www.clearcreekdistillery.com/products/eaux-de-vie/pear-brandy/ (http://www.clearcreekdistillery.com/products/eaux-de-vie/pear-brandy/)
I used a Gouda.  Next time I'd like to try their Douglas fir but both are rather pricey for the purpose.

BTW, some time back you got some spruce boards for your Reblochon and there was the question as to what type of spruce.  épicéa was the word used--which means 'fir' in French (genus Abies), or 'spruce' (genus Picea), but -- here is the cool thing --what is the native spruce species?  Picea abies (Norway spruce).  Have a look at David Lebovitz' excursion into the Jura and Comté making  http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/12/comte-cheese-making-french-fromage-jura/ (http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/12/comte-cheese-making-french-fromage-jura/)

In 1 photo you will see a barn and what looks like spruce trees behind. 
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Boofer on December 12, 2012, 02:49:45 PM
Thank you for those links. I am fascinated with how something is made. That Comte thread fills the bill. Wonderful.

The spruce I ended up acquiring was sitka spruce. I'm not sure how it fits into the knowledge provided in the pdf.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: botanist on December 12, 2012, 07:25:35 PM
The pdf was simply to verify that the spruce native to the Jura, thus used for the 'real McCoy' Comté, is the Picea abies 'Norway' spruce.  The rules for the 'real McCoy', as stated in the David Liebovitz webpage, require the use of the local spruce.

I am sure that sitka will be just fine.  It is the resins in the wood that are special, and I suspect that they are pretty similar (if not identical) in different spruces.
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Boofer on December 15, 2012, 01:15:32 AM
When I looked at this cheese this morning I decided that there was something definitely out of balance. The formerly dry rind on the flat surfaces had been moist and smeary for the past weeks and didn't seem like it was going to improve.

I had triered it earlier but the paste was moist and crumbly. Today when I started to cut it, the flat surfaces were like paste. The liqueur washing treatment had created a hospitable environment for what seemed to be a yeast colony. The depth went into the paste about a half inch (~1.25cm). I tasted a few crumbs that fell from the knife. The paste was slightly bitter. Not entirely pleasant overall.

At first I contemplated just tossing the cheese, but then I decided to go ahead and cut it and vacuum seal it. I'm not sure that this cheese is correctable/recoverable with additional time. :(

Looks like I'd better refocus on basics.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Al Lewis on December 15, 2012, 01:37:06 AM
One would assume, wrongly perhaps, that a distilled alcohol environment would negate the possibility of anything growing on it.  I could understand with a wine or other fermented alcohol but I would think that distilled alcohol would tend to sterilize the surface.  You did use a distilled liquor, right?
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: botanist on December 15, 2012, 06:13:14 AM
I'm wondering if the yeast habitat could be more a function of the high sugar in the liqueur, and that the yeast growth wouldn't be inhibited at that low alcohol concentration?
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: JeffHamm on December 15, 2012, 04:07:11 PM
Hmmm, interesting, though unfortunate, outcome.  But, this is what experimentation is about.  I'm wondering if keeping a piece in a less humid (80%) box, and not vac sealed, might be worth trying?  It looks very moist, and I'm wondering if drying it  out might improve it?  Hard to say, as it sounds like the yeast has already resulted in a bitterness that may not go away, but I've got the gut feeling that it's time for breakfast that keeping it moist might not do it.  Still, a cheese to help reduce the sorrow but also to commend you on your willingness to explore new ideas. 

- Jeff
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Al Lewis on December 15, 2012, 04:37:40 PM
Getting worried about the Colby I made with Merlot know.  Hope when I open it for Christmas it retained it's flavors and composition.  I waxed it 3 days after I made it so I'm hoping I stopped any chance of outside molds effecting it.
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Boofer on December 16, 2012, 12:40:28 AM
I'm wondering if keeping a piece in a less humid (80%) box, and not vac sealed, might be worth trying?  It looks very moist, and I'm wondering if drying it  out might improve it?
Thanks, Jeff.

I kept the lid cracked to hold down the humidity, but that didn't resolve it. The sides were dry. Actually, early on it was dry all over with the PLA, but something changed.

Eh, too bad. :P  Moving on....

Mellow Yellow Garlic Gouda is in the whey-brine as we speak...Number 26 for 2012 and my final cheese for this year. Onward and upward.

Getting worried about the Colby I made with Merlot know.  Hope when I open it for Christmas it retained it's flavors and composition.  I waxed it 3 days after I made it so I'm hoping I stopped any chance of outside molds effecting it.
I wouldn't think that wine soak would be a problem. Mine (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,5217.0.html) worked out fine.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Tiarella on December 16, 2012, 05:17:40 AM
Boofer, did you keep washing it with the liquor?  Alp has done a lot of talking about the traditional rind technique but that is just some white wine, salt and water....but he does describe the schmeir  (smear) of the paste that forms that keeps the cheese wet.  He keeps clarifying this process and I wonder whether we need yet one more piece of info about how/when one stops the wet paste-y phase of the rind formation and switches to a dry rind that is now impervious to molds.  I wonder if it's possible to do that with a cheese such as yours that had the stronger, sweeter stuff rubbed on it.
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Boofer on December 16, 2012, 08:34:21 PM
Boofer, did you keep washing it with the liquor?
I stopped washing with the liqueur (not to be confused with hard liquor) several weeks ago. This was a different kind of cheese. I have done cheeses with schmiers before and they were quite nice (Esrom (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,9293.0.html), Tilsit (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10018.0.html)), but they didn't include alcohol in the wash.

With this cheese attempt, I used straight fruit liqueur with a 16%ABV and no salt. Perhaps if I had used some salt in the mix, the result would have been different. My question might be how do the other cheese makers create a cheese washed in liqueur or liquor such as Epoisses with marc de Bourgogne, or Timanoix (http://www.culturecheesemag.com/node/1564) with walnut brandy.

a dry rind that is now impervious to molds.
When developed, the rinds of the cheeses I mentioned are quite impervious to alien incursions. Such is the case with virtually any cheese to which you may introduce your own protective cultures (PLA, SR3, GEO, PC, etc.). At least, that has been my meager experience. YMMV.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Tiarella on January 21, 2013, 12:37:36 AM
Boofer,  when you say YMMV at the end of your post I am left hanging.   :(  I am apparently not enough a part of popular culture to understand what that means so it makes me think you are talking while your mouth is very full of cheese.  I do think it actually  means something but I'll need you to enlighten me about what.  Oh, and about rinds with additions being impervious.  Not so much in my experiment with doing a Valencay style with just Geo and spraying the PC on afterwards in an attempt to keep the PC from running too rampant.  I mean, I like the idea of white wall-to-wall shag carpeting except in real life or on cheese.   ;D
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Boofer on January 21, 2013, 02:50:55 PM
"YMMV" aka "Your Mileage May Vary".

Yes, Kathrin, most of the rind treatments I have learned about can do an excellent job protecting the inner paste. That has been my experience...others may not fare as well...or may surpass my success.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Boofer's Fancy
Post by: Tom Turophile on January 22, 2013, 05:14:34 PM
Boofer, did you keep washing it with the liquor?
I stopped washing with the liqueur (not to be confused with hard liquor) several weeks ago. This was a different kind of cheese. I have done cheeses with schmiers before and they were quite nice (Esrom ([url]http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,9293.0.html[/url]), Tilsit ([url]http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10018.0.html[/url])), but they didn't include alcohol in the wash.

With this cheese attempt, I used straight fruit liqueur with a 16%ABV and no salt. Perhaps if I had used some salt in the mix, the result would have been different. My question might be how do the other cheese makers create a cheese washed in liqueur or liquor such as Epoisses with marc de Bourgogne, or Timanoix ([url]http://www.culturecheesemag.com/node/1564[/url]) with walnut brandy.

a dry rind that is now impervious to molds.
When developed, the rinds of the cheeses I mentioned are quite impervious to alien incursions. Such is the case with virtually any cheese to which you may introduce your own protective cultures (PLA, SR3, GEO, PC, etc.). At least, that has been my meager experience. YMMV.

-Boofer-


That Timanoix with walnut brandy, aka Trappe Echourgnac, aka my newest favorite cheese, is my ultimate goal to emulate.  I was thinking a washed-rind, but I was reading the Drunken Goat recipe yesterday, where they let it sit in wine for the first few days.