CheeseForum.org ยป Forum
CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => ADJUNCT - Blue Mold (Penicillium roqueforti) Ripened => Topic started by: driekus on December 26, 2009, 11:41:12 PM
-
Hi All,
Well after my successfull feta I have decided to move onto a blue cheese. I took a look through the recipe and the thing that sort of confounded me was the addition of mould is meant to be done at the time of mold forming by sprinkling 1/8tsp between the layers split between two moulds. Now this is a really really small amount of mould to spread over such a distance. Does anyone do it differently? Like taking it up in a few mL of water and sprinkling that between the layers?
-
What kind of blue are you making? I always add my Penicillium in the beginning with the starter bacteria. A little goes a long way. :o
-
Im aiming at a Roquefort style, although I understand with my newbie skills that making to style may prove a little difficult.
-
I'm planning on making a Roquefort this week from some sheep milk I've been saving in the freezer. I always inoculate my blues with the mold with the starter. My recipe for Roquefort has you sprinkle it on the curds when filling the molds.
Any idea if or why this is necessary?
-
Inoculating with the starter is right - you are doing well Pam
-
Does a higher degree of mold propogation produce a more stronger flavour?
Could the innoculation as the molds are being filled aim to provide internal growth and try to limit external growth?
Im just curious as my cheese making knowledge is limited but my microbiology knowledge is pretty good.
-
Mold needs air to grow, so you will need to poke lots of holes thru the rind into the interior of the cheese.
-
I did a little more reading and found that a "true" Roquefort does not have mold growing on the outside, just inside. This is the reason, I suppose, for inoculating the curds and not the milk.
I'm inclined to put the mold in with the starter because I've been successful with that method. Maybe I'll try a cow blue the other way. The sheep milk is too precious to risk!
-
Im going to do a second blue later this week and am going to try a new technique. I will innoculate the curds as I pour them, but instead of sprinkling it on between the layers (this is really difficult for 1/8 tsp). I will take the mould up in a 1 mL syringe (no needle) as a solution and sprinkle that between the layers. Its all a fun learning experience, the only thing I need to figure out is what I will do with all the cheese :)
-
Well I gave it a go innoculating with a solution of the mould, sprinkling between the layers. Works well, each drop spreads within the curds. I will post you an update and tell you how the cheese turns out. ;D Im really starting to enjoy this cheesemaking, 3 cheeses in 7 days of my holiday. Now to wait and see how they turn out.
-
The P.r. mold will need air to take hold.
-
Shouldnt the piercing take care of that?
-
Yes, and renew the piercing every 3-5 days, in the same places of course.
-
I am making a 'Stilton' style cheese at the moment. In the past I have used a Penicillium Roqueforte mild blue mold which I added at the rate of one drop of mold suspension per 2 litres of milk. I have some new mold which is in a powder form. I added about as much as you can get on the end of a bamboo skewer and is sitting on top of the milk as though you have sprinkled fine black pepper on the milk, even though I gave it a thorough stirring I guess is will be mixed up when I cut the curds, however, it does not look just right.
-
Im guessing the called quantity is 1/8 tsp, similar to the mold im using. Very hard to measure out, I figure using a bit more wont hurt. :) That is also why I switched to making a suspension that I made myself. Thanks for the picture though, it is good to see how other people are solving the problem.
I have a further question, how dry do you let your blues get when drying them. I have a wine fridge set to 11C and I age my cheeses in tupperware containers. The first 6 days I left the tupperware lid slightly ajar to ensure that it dried sufficiently. At that stage the cheese at just ceased being visibly wet. Is this the right stage to seal the cheese up to keep humidity high? Anyone with any good photos :)
Again thanks for the photos
(edited to include question to avoid double post)
-
Divey, powder form ingredients should be diluted with water and then thoroughly mixed into the milk.
-
Hmmm, we have a problem.
-
Hello Pam,
I know Roquefort as no blue outside because the cheese is wrap with an aluminum sheet. So the oxygen can only go into the holes you have made.
-
Divey,
The mold will float, you are fine. Blue of any strain is incredibly aggressive, it really doesn't matter if you have it in the milk or sprinkle as you fill the molds. It was one weakness though, salt. That is how blue cheese rinds are kept clean. They have very high levels of salt and are scrubbed regulary with heavy brine. it is also why the rind is virtually inedible.
-
I noticed that, I was a little concerned about my roquefort style cheese. I have noticed only minimal blueing near the surface and as I do not have anything which can view the inside I was worried that the cheese was not ripening. It doesnt really smell and it has been 3 weeks at 12C. How long do people here age their blues? Considering how aggressive blue mold is I expect interior blueing to not present a significant problem.