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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => ADJUNCT - Washed Rind & Smear Ripened => Topic started by: Al Lewis on March 01, 2014, 10:13:42 PM
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Well I started out doing a 5 gallon make of the Asiago recipe found here. http://www.cheesemaking.com/Asiago.htm (http://www.cheesemaking.com/Asiago.htm). For some reason the curd did not dry out enough so I aired the thing out for a few days flipping it twice a day until it dried enough to brine it. I then brined it for 12 hours in a 25% brine. While letting the rind dry out a bit more I washed the rind with Hennessy Cognac mixed with a squirt of annatto coloring, so I could see it was covering. After a week of doing this routine daily I then cold smoked the cheese with applewood for 4 hours. I'm now back to washing and flipping it daily with the cognac and will let it age out for a month, or more, before trying it. Should be an interesting result.
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Wow that looks like a wonderful cheese, might try that myself :)
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You might want to wait and see how this comes out. It could look great and taste terrible. LOL :P
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Haha I'm sure it won't for the recipe it sounds like it would turn out great ;)
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Looking very yummy AL, I haven't tryed cold smoking a whole cheese yet (the wife won't let me >:()
AC2U for at least your originality :o
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It's looking pretty delicious at his point. I'm interested to see how this goes.
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Should be okay if the smoke and cognac don't mix and turn bitter. Smoke can do that. Hoping to get a very tasty cheese from this. Thanks H-K-J. ;D
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Should be okay if the smoke and cognac don't mix and turn bitter. Smoke can do that. Hoping to get a very tasty cheese from this. Thanks H-K-J. ;D
Apple particularly so, it seems to me, but when you hit it right - yea man! It is a beautiful cheese already. Cheese to you!
Do you use other wood to smoke cheeses, Al? I'm wondering about hickory, maple, and cherry since they are plentiful in my woods.
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You might try cherry or maple. I would stay away from hickory or alder myself. Too strong and have a real chance of turning bitter. Especially alder. H-K-J has done more of this than me so I'm following his lead on smoking cheese. I've smoked just about everything else, as far as food goes.
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My neighbor makes superb smoked fish usually steelhead, salmon, and trout, occassionally walleye; but he hot smokes them. I'm curious to know what wood he uses. Perhaps he has some cold smoking experience. If so I'll see if I can pop a cheese onto one of his sessions in the spring.
Any concern with smoking cheese and meats in the same batch if they don't come in contact with each other?
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Typically I don't cold smoke meat. Takes way too long. For instance, Smithfield hams are cold smoked for 6 months I believe. The meats I smoke are for immediate consumption or bacon or hams that can be frozen. My cold smoking setup is strictly for cheese. There is also the danger that the aroma of the meat could enter your cheese and ruin it.
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You might try cherry or maple. I would stay away from hickory or alder myself.
Pecan and apple are also good for smoking cheese from my experience. I've not done a very young cheese either, but it will be interesting how it turns out.
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I used apple on this one for it's mild flavor.
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That looks real good Al , I love the color of the rind.
Never smoked any cheese yet myself , but am going to try some soon , currently I only have a hot smoker , but am going to get me one of those smoke pistols for doing cheese.
I'll be waiting for the taste test.
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Well I finally opened this one tonight. To my surprise it tasted very much of a slightly sharp cheddar but with a creamy texture. All in all a very nice tasting experience. It's only 30 days old so I will probably age some of it out for a time to see if it drying it a little more improves the taste. I did use a little mild lipase in the recipe and it is evident. Although the brandy did manage to keep any and all molds away it did little to actually flavor the cheese. It did however, impart an amazing aroma to it. No hint of the smoke. Bottom line is it's not an Asiago but it is very good which is nice as I have 5 pounds of it. LOL :D
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IMHO, this recipe is missing Lipase.
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LOL Well it wasn't missing it when I made it Sailor because I put some in. Tastes darn good too!! I put Lipase in the Asiago I did, that did come out, and it was remarkable so I will continue to add it to the recipe.
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Just a quick update on this cheese. I am continuing to age it in the cave and mist it with cognac every day. Absolutely no molds attacking it whatsoever. Needless to say there is a remarkable aroma that greets me whenever I open the cave these days. I may just mist the cave every day from now on. Smells delicious. ;D
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were's the pix I can't smell it without the pix ;)
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It looks the same, just smells better!!! LOL :o
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That looks fabulous, Al.
I wish my iPad was scratch and sniff...
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Looking at the culinary creations on you blog is a real pleasure. Have you thought about doing a cookbook? I guess with so much available in the public domain it could be a tough market but I would shell out $20 for just a book-compilation of your recipes. You would have to do a second volume for cheeses of course!
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Looking at the culinary creations on you blog is a real pleasure. Have you thought about doing a cookbook? I guess with so much available in the public domain it could be a tough market but I would shell out $20 for just a book-compilation of your recipes. You would have to do a second volume for cheeses of course!
Thanks but I'm no chef by any means. Besides, it's all free on my blog. LOL ;)
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How did I miss this thread for so long! What an awesome cheese idea Al! Makes me want to spray cognac on stuff now.
So you say its not an asiago anymore. Think its the rind wash that changed the profile? or is it still just a young soft asiago pressato?
A cheese for you!
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It wasn't an asiago because I don't think I cooked the curd enough to get sufficient whey out. For that reason it was very spongey after pressing so I figured, what the heck, I'll do a cognac wash to the thing and see what comes out when it finally dries out. Still spraying every day. LOL