CheeseForum.org » Forum
CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => ADJUNCT - Blue Mold (Penicillium roqueforti) Ripened => Topic started by: Al Lewis on January 10, 2016, 03:44:27 PM
-
Decided to try an experiment to really simplify making a good blue cheese for beginners and answer a few of my own questions at the same time. To start with, how much milk would one need to make enough curd to fill a mold 7.75" x 7.75"? Well I can now safely say that it takes 8 U.S. gallons of milk.
-
I made this cheese in two 4 gallon pots but it's an easy task to reduce it down to the size you may want to do. Now, before I get all types of replies telling me everything I'm doing wrong keep in mind that this IS an experiment to make a "easy" blue cheese recipe. To start with dissolve 1 each vegetable rennet tablet in a small dish with 1/4 cup of cool water. You will need two of these, one for each pot. If using freeze dried penicillium roqueforti (PR) place 1/8 teaspoon full into a small bowl with 1/4 cup of milk. I used liquid PR on this make but used the same amounts. You will also need two of these, one for each pot. Now place one tablespoon of 32-33% calcium chloride (CaCl) solution in each 4 gallon pot. Place 4 gallons of whole pasteurized milk in each pot and stir top to bottom to mix in the CaCl. Place your heat setting on medium to bring the milk to 86° F. Add in the PR to each pot of milk and stir well. Sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon of MM100 on the top of each pot and stir top to bottom after 30 minutes. Let stand to bring to temperature.
I find that making a blue under 4 gallons is really non-productive so that is the smallest make I do. You may want to try a 2 gallon make. To review the make, for ONE 4 gallon make, I am doing two, you will need...
4 U.S. Gallons of whole milk, pasteurized is fine NOT ultra pasteurized.
1 tablespoon 32-33% Calcium Chloride solution
1/8 teaspoon MM100 starter culture
1/8 teaspoon Penicillium Roqueforti
1 each vegetable rennet tablet
You can find these ingredients at these web stores as well as others not listed. You can also find the open ended molds for blue cheese and all of the other items you may want/need. Do what I do and shop around for the lowest price. ;)
Artisan Geek (http://artisangeek.com)
Cheese and Yogurt Making (https://cheeseandyogurtmaking.com)
The Cheesemaker (http://www.thecheesemaker.com)
The Cheese Connection (http://www.cheeseconnection.net)
Get Culture (http://www.getculture.com/home.php)
Glengarry Cheesemaking (http://www.glengarrycheesemaking.on.ca)
Mad Millie (http://www.madmillie.com/shop/Cheese+Making.html)
New England Cheese Making (http://www.cheesemaking.com)
This list is not all inclusive and not an endorsement by me. I have my favorites and they change depending on their sales/shipping costs. If any other vendors wish to be added to the list message me your link and I'll be happy to add it.
-
Once the milk comes to temperature add one of the bowls of rennet into each pot and stir, top to bottom, thoroughly. Allow to set for 1 hour. At the end of the hour use your largest ladle to spoon all of the curd into butter muslin, or fine cheese cloth, lined collanders. Allow to set and drain for 1 hour. Now gather up the ends of the muslin, or cheese cloth, and tie so as to form a bag. Hang these bags in the pot using long wooden spoons, or dowels, as racks to hold them above the bottom of the pot. Empty the whey out of the pot if it should rise to a level nearing the bottoms of the bags. Let this stand for 4 hours twisting the bags to tighten them whenever possible.
-
At the end of the four hours remove the dried curd mass from the cloth and place into a clean dry pot. Break the curd up into walnut size pieces lightly sprinkling coarse kosher salt over the curds as you go. I used 3.5 ounces of coarse kosher salt or just under 1/2 cup for each pot. If you are using table salt weight it as the fine grind will give you way too much if measuring by cups. If you don't have a scale you can use the chart on this (http://www.mortonsalt.com/for-your-home/culinary-salts/salt-conversion-chart) page to convert your salt amount. Allow this to sit in the pot for 1 hour.
-
Set you mold onto a plastic screen or bamboo mat, I used both due to the weight of this cheese, and fill loosely with the curd. You will want this sitting in a pan or somewhere where the remaining whey can drain off and away from the mold.
-
Allow to set for 1 hour then flip over and allow to set for three hours making sure the whey is drained away from the mold.
-
After three hours flip the cheese again and allow to set overnight. It should settle quite a bit if you are making this large cheese due to the weight of the curd. Smaller cheeses will settle less. After settling overnight this cheese is now 5" tall.
-
Continue to flip the cheese every 12 hours stored in a 70° F room. I would recommend covering the top of the mold with a cloth to keep any unwanted visitors away from it. This will also help it to maintain some of the humidity in the open space in the top of the mold. Remember, flies love cheese!!! If you are using two bamboo mats to flip the cheese simply use the free one to cover the top of the mold. Works great!! I also soak mine in a chlorine bleach/water mix in the sink prior to use. That removes any dyes that might have been added to the bamboo and kills any bacteria that might be present. By the fifth day the blue should be evident. I will continue to post this thread, adding photos, until the cheese is complete. Hopefully, at the end, we will have a delicious blue cheese that is very easy to make.
-
Al, 8 Gallons - wow - !! Experiment looks like its working fine. Would you have any of the big pH markers like pH after resting over night ? With your experience with blues I'd love to be able to taste this one.
-- Mal
-
I like this, Al. If it works you'll have about a nine pound blue cheese at a cost of about $25! Take that Rogue River Creamery! :D As best I can tell your milk had a "Pantry Essentials" label. Is this correct and who carries this brand? I remember you once said you got your P&H milk from Haggen Grocery. I made some Cams from some cheap Home Dairies brand milk from Haggen last November but had problems with both whey drainage and that the pH drop stalled at 4.84, way to high for good Camembert. Have you noticed differences in how our local P&H milks perform with your cheeses?
Kern
-
I was always under the impression that if you salted the curds, then you would have to use a press to knit them together. Your experiment shows it's not true. Is it because you made a huge batch that weighs so much on its own? This is great!
-
Kudos for such a comprehensive pictorial, Al. That deserves a cheese for your efforts.
Question: How long between rehydrating the rennet in milk and using it? Seems like a fairly long time...any concern?
Looking forward to seeing further entries in this series. :)
-Boofer-
-
It depends upon the definition of "knit". In the case of blue cheese one wants quite a large number of small openings within the cheese to serve as little cavities for the blue to grow in. In the case of a cheddar (also salted curds) one does not want any cavities so that blue can find no place within the cheese to grow. Salt has the effect of forming a drier skin on the curd so that it takes a lot of pressure to knit it void free in the case of the cheddar. In the case of the blue the salt will help firm the curd up to produce the voids and as the salt dissipates into the curds the curd skin becomes "stickier" and the cheese knits with lots of voids. Note that Al salted the curds in the bowl, filled the mold, carefully flipped in in one hour, but allowed the cheese to sit in the mold a total of several days.
-
Al, 8 Gallons - wow - !! Experiment looks like its working fine. Would you have any of the big pH markers like pH after resting over night ? With your experience with blues I'd love to be able to taste this one.
-- Mal
Sorry Mal but this one is done strictly on time to make it simple for the beginner. I don't even own a Ph meter. LOL
-
I like this, Al. If it works you'll have about a nine pound blue cheese at a cost of about $25! Take that Rogue River Creamery! :D As best I can tell your milk had a "Pantry Essentials" label. Is this correct and who carries this brand? I remember you once said you got your P&H milk from Haggen Grocery. I made some Cams from some cheap Home Dairies brand milk from Haggen last November but had problems with both whey drainage and that the pH drop stalled at 4.84, way to high for good Camembert. Have you noticed differences in how our local P&H milks perform with your cheeses?
Kern
Actually, it is from Albertsons. This is the brand they replaced their last low price whole milk with. Just take the stuff off of the bottom shelf. $2.69 a gallon. I have noticed that the more expensive stuff does NOT make good curd. In fact, it makes very little curd. Also notice I did not use any additional cream in this one, I would normally add 1 pint per two gallons of milk but want to keep this simple. When doing brie I always add Everyday Essentials Heavy Whipping Cream to the mix. It's not ultra-pastuertized. Also from Albertsons. BTW Haggens lasted about two months here before going bankrupt and closing.
-
Kudos for such a comprehensive pictorial, Al. That deserves a cheese for your efforts.
Question: How long between rehydrating the rennet in milk and using it? Seems like a fairly long time...any concern?
Looking forward to seeing further entries in this series. :)
-Boofer-
Thanks Boofer! I place the tablets of rennet into the bowls of WATER at the beginning of the make. They dissolve fairly quickly. As soon as the milk is up to the 86° F mark I add the rennet and wait 1 hour for it to set. Remember I am trying to keep this "time based" for ease so no floc times or PH markers for the novices.
-
Al: Thanks for the information. I am really looking forward to following the progress of your "Monster Blue".
I see that you've got an Albertsons at few miles south of Port Orchard off Highway 16. (But no Haggens) In the south part of Auburn are both an Albertsons and Haggens (Lake Tapps area). I think that the Home Dairies brand I used from Haggens simply ran out of lactose (milk sugar) stalling the pH drop at 4.84 - too high for a Cam. I am playing around with the idea of getting some lactose and adding it to this milk to see if that will help achieve a lower pH.
We opened one of the Home Dairies Cams last night and found a somewhat sticky yellowish white gooey paste. The flavor was OK but certainly not as good as Cams made with vat pasteurized non-homogenized whole milk. What intrigues me about these milks is the $2.69 per gallon price tag. I wouldn't use this milk for a cheese where curd formation, stirring and cooking were important to success but think such a milk might be fine for feta, cams and blues where the curd is cut large or not at all. Finely dispersed fat (through homogenization) might even be an advantage here.
Keep us posted on the progress of Monster Blue. ;)
-
We have a Albertsons on Mile Hill about 2 miles from my house. The Haggens was a Safeway on Lund they bought and went bankrupt. It's boarded up now which is a real shame as the Safeway was great. Haggens sucked. LOL
-
At the end of the four hours remove the dried curd mass from the cloth and place into a clean dry pot. Break the curd up into walnut size pieces lightly sprinkling coarse kosher salt over the curds as you go. Allow this to sit in the pot for 1 hour.
Al, how much salt per 4 gallon batch?
-
3.5 ounces or just under 1/2 cup of coarse kosher salt. Be careful when measuring salt by cups as it depends on how fine it is as to how much will fit. Here (http://www.mortonsalt.com/for-your-home/culinary-salts/salt-conversion-chart) is a chart to convert the various volumes of different salts.
-
Made this on Saturday and got an early arrival of the blue today. First time I've used the liquid PR so that may have something to do with it. Normally this will show up in 3 to 5 days but mine have always taken 5 days with the freeze dried PR. The mold is beginning to loosen up on the sides due to drying/shrinkage. This is a good sign as you cannot take the mold off of the cheese until it has loosened otherwise the cheese will squat and give you what if referred to as "elephant foot." You also cannot smooth the sides with the mold on so timing is important. No point to rush things at this stage as you will only mess things up by doing so as would waiting too long. If you are going to err though longer is better as it will just make smoothing more difficult.
-
That was fast AL (http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/images/smilies/smilie_thumbsup.gif)
I have used the freeze dried PR/PV and PS and had great but varied results with both.
I just don't think I will be trying the liquid ant time soon, I have a lot of freeze dried.
I haven't made a blue in 22 months :-[ soon Maybe very soon.
I'll be watching you (http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/azulita_08/imagenes%20que%20deseo%20conservar/teestoyviendo-1.gif)
-
Glad to hear you're back in the saddle old friend!! ;D Talk about quick, this is what I woke up to this morning. I definitely love this liquid PR so far. Kind of pricey but remarkable results. :o
-
We have a Albertsons on Mile Hill about 2 miles from my house. The Haggens was a Safeway on Lund they bought and went bankrupt. It's boarded up now which is a real shame as the Safeway was great. Haggens sucked. LOL
That whole Haggens deal was a sham and a shame. We too had a perfectly good Safeway here and after a short time with Haggens...no more store at all. Fortunately, we have alternatives so not all is lost.
Al, you didn't answer my question: how much time passed between rennet make and then use?
-Boofer-
-
Al - the colour of your blue looks really bright, and similar to my one going on right now:
Thirteen days and fluorescent blue!
Is that a trick of the camera, or is it really that shade?
-
We have a Albertsons on Mile Hill about 2 miles from my house. The Haggens was a Safeway on Lund they bought and went bankrupt. It's boarded up now which is a real shame as the Safeway was great. Haggens sucked. LOL
Al, you didn't answer my question: how much time passed between rennet make and then use?
-Boofer-
Sorry Boofer, I thought I did buddy. I simply put the rennet tablet into 1/4 cup of cool water when I start the cheese making process, i.e. dumping everything into the pots, and by the time the milk comes up to temperature it is completely dissolved and I add it. Not sure how long that takes but as soon as they dissolve in the water they are good to go.
-
Al - the colour of your blue looks really bright, and similar to my one going on right now: Thirteen days and fluorescent blue!
Is that a trick of the camera, or is it really that shade?
Nope, it really is that color. It should turn a bit darker if it progresses the same as the freeze dried stuff, and I have no reason to believe it won't. Really a pretty shade of blue! 8) If you look at the photos on this (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,15098.0.html) thread you can see how it turned out for him. I bought the same PR from Glengarry. LOL Even stole his picture of it. >:D
-
Really great write up Al! AC4U, looking forward to how it turns out.
Have you got any thoughts on how long you will let it mature before piercing etc.?
-
I do two piercings. One after the rind has formed well and another a week later.
-
Ready for the smoothing stage, rubbing up. Here's (https://youtu.be/hOTkMGIjzc4) the video. Now here's a little tip. If your cheese has dried out too much on the outside to smooth simply brush around the outside with some white wine. Give it a few minutes to penetrate and you should be able to do a great job of smoothing. If you don't have wine you can use water. Non-chlorinated is best but, in a pinch, tap water isn't going to bring an end to the world. A 4-5 pound cheese will normally take 5 days to dry enough to remove the mold and rub up, or smooth. Due to the size of this cheese I've given it an extra 2 days. ;)
-
Al, when I tried to view the video Google would not let me see it. Said the video was private. :'(
-
Now that we are waiting for the rind to form let's discuss the next operation, piercing. There are many ways, and opinions, on when and how to do this however I use the method used in the creameries where Stilton is made. That is to say I pierce with an 1/8" stainless needle at an upward, and then downward angle going around the cheese every inch. I stop just short of the center. Now you're probably thinking, Oh great, something else to buy. Not at all. You already have a perfect tool for this job, your thermometer. It's just the right diameter and certainly long enough to do this perfectly. Just follow the diagram angling the needle up, and then down, all the way around the cheese. The idea here is to get air into those crevices between the curds to allow the blue veining to occur. You won't want to do this until the rind has formed so hold off and let's not get ahead of ourselves. First we need a good rind. :o
-
Just flipping the stilton this morning. The rind is developing nicely. This one probably won't take 10 days at this rate. Here's the covering I use to protect it. Just two layers of cheese cloth. If you find that that one end, top or bottom, of your cheese is drying out faster, or more, than the other end simply leave the dry end down for 24 hours rather than the usual 12. You should find that the moisture will return to it from the inside and equal it out. Then return to your normal routine of flipping every 12 hours. ;)
-
Well my rind is forming great but the outside is getting a bit dry due to the dry air in the room so I've pierced it for the first time and put it into the cave. I should mention that this is in one room downstairs and there is a wood stove in the room at the other end of the house. I use this to heat the house in the winter and despite placing a kettle of water on the stove it tends to dry the air out. I'll continue to flip it and monitor the surface moisture. Once the surface reaches an acceptable level of moisture I'll start airing it for an hour a day. When piercing I go around the cheese about every two inches piercing upwards. See the illustration on reply #31. Then I turn the cheese over and do the same in between those holes so the holes go both up and down. When I re-pierce I will use the same holes but go in the opposite direction.
-
Just so you know the thread is alive and I haven't forgotten you here is a pic of the large blue as it sits in the cave. Still flipping every 12 hours and watching the rind develop. :o
-
That looks great.
How old is it there?
And what temp/humidity is your cave?
-
Thank you. It's 18 days old. The cave is at 80% RH and 54° F.
-
For 18 days old the rind looks fantastic Al (http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/images/smilies/smilie_thumbsup.gif)
-
For 19 days old the rind looks fantastic Al ([url]http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/images/smilies/smilie_thumbsup.gif[/url])
Agreed. Really, only 18 days? :o Nice.
-Boofer-
-
Thanks guys!! Well a week has gone by and I've just pierced this one for the second time. It's now 21 days old. Now it's back into the cave for aging. Loving this rind!! I actually broke down and pierced straight to the center this time. Hoping for lots of veining. Going to brush and wrap this one loosely in butter muslin to keep the blue from flying all over my cave and cross contaminating. :o
-
For 19 days old the rind looks fantastic Al ([url]http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/images/smilies/smilie_thumbsup.gif[/url])
Agreed. Really, only 18 days? :o Nice.
-Boofer-
I accredit that to the 10 days it spent outside of the cave. I keep these on top of my cave in a 70 degree room covered in cheesecloth until a rind forms. It quickens the process really well. You just have to watch for over-drying and cracking. The rind doesn't really get any thicker. Once you have a good start on it and the molds are there it will grow over fast in the cave.
-
Great looking cheese , Blues are my favorite , I was going to put mine in the cave tomorrow but maybe I'll give it a few more days in the kitchen as well , see if it speeds up the blue formation.
I need one of those larger molds. ???
How long do you plan on aging it ?
A cheese to you ! ;D
-
Thanks! I'm in no hurry to get this one out so I will probably go to 12-14 weeks, the recommended time to age it. I was just reviewing the video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unVdU4MgRAA) of this on you tube and it seems that we may not be putting enough holes in these. When you look closely they have put a lot more in theirs using their machine. May have to pierce this one some more and see how it comes out. Pause the video at the 4 minute mark and look at the cheese carefully. Seems to have hundreds of holes.
-
I need one of those larger molds. ???
I looked everywhere and cannot find where I bought it. I know it was one of the main cheese sites so I guess it's no longer available. I believe it was www.cheeseandyogurtmaking.com (http://www.cheeseandyogurtmaking.com) Call Luke and he may still have one.
-
I remember when you posted something about this mold. New England Cheese sticks in my mind as the source.
-
Could have been but they don't have it now.
-
This what you are looking for??
(http://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/server5900/ohhf8/products/58/images/484/Edit_3_P1000797__51203.1340471889.1280.1280.jpg?c=2)
-
No, I have that one. The one I use for blue cheese is open ended and 7.75" X 7.75". No one seems to carry it anymore. Can't think why because it's perfect for stilton.
-
Oh shoot I know which one you mean I have seen it also ???
Now we go uh huntin (something to do today) :)
-
Here it is.
-
Did another piercing on this today. I angled this one the same as the first. I believe this is the third. Starting to look like a pin cushion. That's okay though because the more air the merrier.
-
Here is how I wrap it before putting it into the cave to prevent cross contamination. It's rolled in butter muslin for two layers and then the ends tucked over to cover the top and bottom. Seems to work well. I also keep it on the bottom shelf.
-
I am buying the penicilium roqueforti but wondering which one to get. Should I get danisco ps or hansen PR1? Or maybe hansen PR3?
Can I use 1 type of blue mould for bloomy and stilton type all the same or will I need different moulds?
-
Ann, when you say "bloomy," I think of a soft, mold-ripened cheese such as a brie or camembert. Is that what you have in mind? The PR will not give you that effect; you need Penicillium Candidum rather than Penicillium Roqueforti, and some Geotrichium Candidum is helpful as well.
But I think you already know that, since, if I remember correctly, you've already been making camembert style cheeses. So maybe you are thinking of something like a Cambozola, where you have a blue cheese interior in a camembert type cheese? If so, then as far as I know you should be able to use the same blue culture for that as for the Stilton ... but at this point, I am speaking "beyond my experience," since I've never made Cambozola OR Stilton. :) All of my bloomies have been in the camembert, or rather "Malembert" style, and all of my blues have been Gorgonzola Picante.
-
Hi Andy,
Actually I was browsing to buy some PS mould and the descriptions of the different brands and types just made me confuse.
Here (http://artisangeek.com/danisco-choozit-ps-penicillium-roqueforti/), here (http://artisangeek.com/chr-hansen-pr1-penicillium-roqueforti/), or here (http://artisangeek.com/chr-hansen-pr3-penicillium-roqueforti/).
I want to buy 1 that can be used for soft cheese like cambozola and stilton as well, preferably.
-
Ann, for what it is worth, I have been using the PS variety, and it has worked well for me ... but again, all that I have made is Gorgonzolas. Hopefully someone else will chime in with their experience with PR1 or PR3.
-
Ann, If you read the descriptions of the various strains the color and ripening period is the biggest difference. This is the first time I've used the liquid and it has ripened very quickly, 3 days, as opposed to the 5 days it normally takes for the powder. Other than that I don't think it really matters. When I used the powder for Stilton I used the PV strain very successfully.
-
Thank you Andy and Al Lewis, I think I am going with the danisco afterall. I don't think artisangeek carry liquid form moulds, and with the shipping time and all, maybe it is best for me to stick to dry powder for now. I am also buying the manchego hoop Al! Inspired by your other post.
-
Very cool! Have fun with that thing. You might want to read my post about how I had to slightly trim it for it to work properly.
"First let's talk about the mold a bit. I've seen a lot of Manchego's with a straight bar down the side from the insert not meeting properly. This one was made as a full circle and then cut in a "S" form to hide the break. The problem was they didn't remove enough of the edge to make the insert fit into the mold. If you pushed it in you needed to pry it out. No good. This required that I use a sanding drum on a Dremel motor to carefully grind one edge to a point where the insert fit perfectly. It didn't take as long as it sounds but be careful as Dairylene will NOT hold up to a high speed sanding drum. Very gentle."
-
You lost me on sanding drum and dremel motor....
I will see whenever it arrives what needs to be done, only then I will bug you and/or everyone for solution. ;D
-
You lost me on sanding drum and dremel motor....
Translation: the mold insert may require CAREFUL trimming by any means available at hand. :)
I've also seen some here on the forum who got molds where the insert isn't quite large enough, leaving a noticeable gap. If you get one of those, note that no matter how much you trim it, it will still not be right. ;D
-
Hey Al, This looks awesome - can't wait to see inside on the Due date... You still air your blues daily don't you ?
--Mal
-
Thanks and yes I do Mal. Taking this one out to at least 12 weeks.
-
Took this out to air and decided to run the trier in at 6 weeks to see how the blue production was going. Looking good so far. The taste of the paste is really good.
-
Looks fantastic, I really like the rind you've got on that thing!
Do you see any difference to the paste taste/texture when it's near the rind?
-
No, once you get past the rind, which is very thin, the paste seems to be pretty consistent.
-
Interior PR growth is looking excellent Al.
So is the fur coat ;)
-
Thanks buddy! Going to sit on this one for a while more and let it develop it's flavor a bit more intense. ;D
-
Al, it's been about three weeks since the last post. Any updates?
Kern
-
Still airing and waiting! LOL
-
I'm giving you a cheese for the picture with the trier! That's looking fantastic. :)
-
Thank you Jeff and welcome back!! Really missed you buddy. This thing is getting close to cutting time. Should be interesting. :o
-
Thought I'd give you a 10 week update. Here's some cheese porn of the large easy today.
-
That looks edible to me Al :P
-
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing!! :P
-
Well the day has finally come. Had to cut this thing to get it out of the cave so I could make some cheeses without blue on them. So while I sterilize my cave feast your eyes on the results of the Large Easy Blue experiment.
-
So you would be happy with that I'm guessing? If it tastes as good as it looks, you should be! AC4U :)
-
Very happy and it absolutely tastes as good as it looks. I would recommend this make to anyone. Thank you! ;D
-
Ahhh the cut.... how exciting to finally get to that point. Al, that looks amazing. Worth every patient minute. What are your plans for it? How long will this one last you? I will definitely put that make on my list. AC4U sir.
What is your cave sterilization procedure?
-
Thank you very much. I have a few friends that will each be receiving a wedge. The rest will be put to good use by my wife and I. Should go great on tonights Italian Roast Beef paninis :P I take all of the glass shelves and dairylene boards out and run them through the dishwasher with a hot "sani-rinse" cycle. While that is running I spray and wipe down the entire inside of the cave with a water/chlorine bleach solution.
.
-
Ah, a successful experiment. 8)
Have a cheese, Al.
Good bluing throughout. It looks a little dry in spots. Am I seeing that wrong?
-Boofer-
-
Thanks Boofer!! The dry spots are the areas surrounding the piercings. They're really inconsequential to the taste or texture. ;D
-
Hats off to you Al
(http://www.oocities.org/soho/atrium/Atrium/3553/hatsoff.gif)
I hate to say it but that deserves another cheese buddy, MMMMmmmmm (http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/images/smilies/smilie_thumbsup.gif)
-
Yep, gotta add another cheese to your collection. Well done!
-
Well Al, you have certainly done as you set out: to make a large, easy blue. And yes, it is a recipe that will be easy to follow, and I'll give it a go next month, to mark my 20th cheese style.
I read somewhere that Stiltons are like children: fun to make, but hard to bring to maturity without a lot of practise... I'm just wondering, without trawling through heaps of other blue recipes for comparison (and never having made one), are there many points of difference that made this easier than other blues? Oh, and is a bottomless form essential, in your opinion? My largest form is 6 1/2" diameter, 5 1/2" high, but has a (perforated) bottom.
Edwin
-
First off thank you guys for the cheeses and accolades. As far as the experiment goes, in my mind, the easy part is that the entire recipe is done on times. Ingredients are all added at the start, except rennet, rather than a series of "timed additions." I've always found it interesting that they tell you to heat the milk prior to adding cultures and molds when they have been kept in a freezer. It's not like the cold milk is going to hurt them. Toss them in. They get more time to hydrate and do their thing while the milk is gradually brought up to temperature. Not sure the open ended mold is a necessity but it's the one I use for blues and the ones the creameries use. Could be so the air can get to the ends, I don't know. With regards to aging H-K-J told me some time back that he airs his blues out for an hour a day. Since then I have done this and found it to be beneficial to the rind. It prevents those slimy molds from occurring. If it starts to dry out a bit too much I don't air it for a week and it seems to pick up enough moisture to overcome the dryness and even slight cracking. I discovered, during this experiment, that the creameries pierce a lot more than I had. With that in mind I pierced this cheese on four different occasions about two weeks apart. Nothing about that is set in stone. Just get some air into it. Hopefully any newcomers that love Stilton as much as I do will find this thread and it will help them. That, and seeing how much curd it took to fill my mold, was the entire purpose of the experiment. I'm glad it worked for that reason and because I now get to eat the result! ;D
-
A great recipe and a great cheese!
-
A great recipe and a great cheese!
Thank you!!
-
Al, you da man! Have another cheese on me! O0
-
Thanks Kern! Now let's see if it actually helps anyone. :o
-
How was that samwich?
-
That sammich was so good I ate two more last night!!! ;D
-
Thanks Kern! Now let's see if it actually helps anyone. :o
Well it helped me! ;) Take a look at the photo below. This was taken a few minutes ago when the cheese was 7 days old. The recipe was largely yours using good old Pantry Essentials (Albertsons) P&H milk. The cheese used six gallons and is 5.5 inches in diameter and 6.5 inches high. Came in at about 6 pounds. I took the cheese down to a pH of 4.7 in about 8 hours after adding the culture. The curd was a tad dry after all that draining and I was worried that it might not hold together. I'll try to avoid the dryness problem next time by ripening the cultured milk for about four hours before adding the rennet. This should cut the drain time down to about 5 hours for a pH of 4.7. I was impressed by how well the Pantry Essentials curd held together in the make. It drained about as fast as the raw milk I've used for many of my cheeses. I haven't seen another P&H milk drain as well.
-
Looks great! Yeah, I've used that milk for a long time, even under it's old name, and it is amazing for making cheese. If you smooth it as best you can you will find that the surface crags will actually close up on their own. Well AC4U for your amazing blue! ;D
-
That sammich was so good I ate two more last night!!! ;D
DAMN! :P
-
If ya woulda swung by we coulda melted a ton over some of those Cowboy Ribeyes! LOL
-
I have a question regarding the liquid PR. Does anyone know the differences in the flavor profiles between PRB18 & PRB6? I am a huge Stilton fan and noticed that the data sheet for the PRB6 indicated that one of it's uses is for Stilton vs. "small bleu" in the PRB18 data sheet. It also notes that the PRB6 is a bright green.
-
The liquid I used for this make was a very smooth flavor. It did not have the harsh taste of the gorgonzolas or other very sharp blues. It did intensify a bit a couple weeks after cutting it.
-
Thanks Al. I really want to try the liquid PR because I think it will disperse more evenly. Even after putting my powdered PR in a bowl of milk early and letting the vat ripen for two hours, quite a bit still floats on the surface. I am going to try the PRB6 with your recipe and let you know how it goes. Thanks for everything!
-
No problem. Glad I could help. Be sure and keep us informed on your results. ;D
-
The cheese looks great Al. And I'm keeping the recipe, a cheese for your cheese!
-
Very nice cheese as usual Al.
Duntov I use PBR6 (liquid) and found that I needed to cut back on the amount used from 3/8 TSP to 3/16 TSP. This PR is very aggressive and found it had a bitter note when using 3/8 TSP. When I cut back the PR it was a lot better and you need to air out the cheese daily to expel the ammonia. For 32L of milk and 2L of cream.
John
-
Wow -- I only use 1/16 tsp of PR (powder) in my 6-gallon Gorgonzola recipe.
-
I make 5 gallon batches and also use 1/16 tsp of the powder, way more than enough to turn em blue :o
I like to put it in 1/4 cup distilled water at least (if I remember) 12 hours ahead of my make.
-
Hi Duntov, I screwed up on my post and have modified it.
Very nice cheese as usual Al.
Duntov I use PBR6 (liquid) and found that I needed to cut back on the amount used from 3/8 TSP to 3/16 TSP. This PR is very aggressive and found it had a bitter note when using 3/8 TSP. When I cut back the PR it was a lot better and you need to air out the cheese daily to expel the ammonia. For 32L of milk and 2L of cream.
John
-
Duntov I use PBR6 (liquid) and found that I needed to cut back on the amount used from 3/8 TSP to 3/16 TSP. This PR is very aggressive and found it had a bitter note when using 3/8 TSP. When I cut back the PR it was a lot better and you need to air out the cheese daily to expel the ammonia. For 32L of milk and 2L of cream.
John
That helps a lot John. The data sheet says 1 dose (bottle) per 500 litres. One bottle is 65 grams so the calculation shows 2 grams per 4 US gallons. Unfortunately I don't have a scale that goes that low. I sent an e-mail to Glengarry inquiring about the dosage for small batch and they said 1/4 TSP for a 4 gallon batch. So your 3/16 TSP for 3 gallons is spot on!