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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => ADJUNCT - Blue Mold (Penicillium roqueforti) Ripened => Topic started by: bbracken677 on November 15, 2012, 06:14:04 PM

Title: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: bbracken677 on November 15, 2012, 06:14:04 PM
This is my first make for a Fourme d'Ambert, which I have been chomping at the bit to make for some time ever since I tasted one.  Will post pics tomorrow. Such a delicious aroma!

Fourme d’ Ambert

Targets:
Starting milk pH: 6.7
P/F ratio: .89
Rennet:  6.6 pH
Drain: 6.2
Brine or salt: 4.5 - 4.7
Flocc multiplier: 4.5

Ingredients:
2 gallon whole milk, pasteurized at 145F, non-homogenized.
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4th   tsp.  Flora Danica
1/16th tsp. PRB 6
3/8th   tsp. CACL (if pasteurized)
1/4th  tsp. liquid veal rennet (18 drops)

Heat milk to 90°F, stir in cultures.  Let ripen, maintaining temperature, for an hour or until pH drops by .1
Stir in CACL and then rennet.
Flocculation time: 20 minutes...seems the difference between raw and the creamline I am using results in a flocc difference of about 5 minutes. I typically get 15 min. with raw.
Using a 4.5x factor, calculate amount of time to wait before cutting: 90 mins.

Cut curds to ½ inch. Curds seemed a bit delicate, so I cut them to 1 inch initially, and while stirring reduced them in size.
Maintain 90°F, occasionally stirring gently for 1 hour 20 minutes until curds are small and firm and pH reaches 6.2. Took about an hour...slightly less
 
Remove whey down to surface of curds, reserving  1 gallon whey for brine.
Ladle curds into a prepared sterilized mold.
Mold sits on a small needlepoint mat which is placed in a small kettle for pressing. Pressing will be done in the kettle using the Dutch press at 2 psi.  Once all curds are in the mold, press for 1 hour, redress, and press for 8 additional hours.
 
After pressing, remove the cheese from the mold and brine it for 4 hours, flip it, and brine for 4 more hours. Or, alternatively, weigh sufficient salt to provide 50 g of salt per kg of cheese. Salt the cheese by rubbing the salt on all surfaces.
Dry the cheese at 85% RH and 75F for 24 hours, or place the cheese on plastic mats in plastic tubs with the lids partially open to allow some drying off of the cheese, and store at 75F for 24 hr. Had to put mine in a mini cave to get the appropriate RH.

Pierce it with a skewer (I use a wooden one, about 3/16” diameter) every inch or so. I will be piercing less for a milder blue flavor.

Affinage:
Store the cheese at 90- 95% RH and 50F for 6 - 8 weeks in ripening containers. Turn every day for several days and then turn once a week. The pH should increase to 6.0 - 6.25 after 8 weeks.





Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: bbracken677 on November 25, 2012, 07:10:39 PM
Here are some cheese porn pics:

Missed taking pics at a couple of stages, but the final one is as they are now, just beginning to show some blue growth.
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: Boofer on November 26, 2012, 01:04:08 AM
Alright! Good to see you've finally got this Fourme d'Ambert (http://iledefrancecheese.com/index.php/Fourme-d-Ambert/fourme-dambert.html) style going.

They look a little thin though...you're not really making Cambazolas, are you? :)

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: bbracken677 on November 26, 2012, 01:49:19 AM
For my first make, I wanted to make 2 smaller ones...the next go round will make one larger one. This is, more or less, a test run.  This way I can try one earlier and let the other one age longer just so I can get a feel for what's going on...blues kinda scare me still  lol 

I am considering making cambozola tho...but for right now I am going to just focus on getting the forme and stilton down first. 
Title: Re: Forme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: Boofer on November 26, 2012, 02:51:23 PM
IMHO, one of the problems with this "test run" is the form factor. Fourme d'Ambert is a taller cheese from what you have made.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: bbracken677 on November 26, 2012, 03:14:24 PM
Understood (regarding the form factor), I could have put them in cam forms for a slightly more traditional form.  For a single 2 lb cheese I really don't have an appropriate form though....

Ahem...fourme...will fix.  lol  Thanks for the hint   haha   :)

Oh! and I am getting some nice blue growth on them now...more on one than on the other.
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: Boofer on November 26, 2012, 03:29:14 PM
Understood (regarding the form factor), I could have put them in cam forms for a slightly more traditional form.  For a single 2 lb cheese I really don't have an appropriate form though....

Ahem...fourme...will fix.  lol  Thanks for the hint   haha   :)

Oh! and I am getting some nice blue growth on them now...more on one than on the other.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Was I too subtle?  ;)

I'll be watching this make with some interest.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: bbracken677 on November 26, 2012, 03:39:19 PM
LOL too subtle? naaah   haha

My thoughts were they would ripen much the way a cam would, but bluish (see pics I added in my previous post) and would require less piercing, and hence produce a lesser bite. The Fourme I sampled was quite good...had a moderate amount of marbling and just the right amount of blue flavor. The cut did come from a larger form, of course...

In a few weeks I will make a larger single fourme...I also want to include some raw milk in my next adventure into blue, perhaps 1/2 raw and 1/2 not homogenized pasteurized milk. I found an organic milk that is pasteurized at 145F.

I am conflicted in that not being sure how much space will naturally occur inside the cheese with how much piercing to do to get my moderate marbling..
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: Boofer on November 27, 2012, 12:56:46 AM
My thoughts were they would ripen much the way a cam would, but bluish (see pics I added in my previous post) and would require less piercing, and hence produce a lesser bite.
Yep, Cambozola! ;)

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: bbracken677 on November 30, 2012, 02:58:43 PM
Update on the bamboozlas   :)  or whatever...

blue developing nicely, I will be giving them a poke or 3 in a couple of days and will get my first look at the interiors.


Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: Mighty Mouse on November 30, 2012, 04:45:52 PM
Jesus Christ bbracken677,
You have been bitten by the cheese making bug haven't you! How many do you have going right now?
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: Schnecken Slayer on November 30, 2012, 04:59:16 PM
They look like the crust is fairly dry. Are you concerned they might dry out too much with such a large surface area?
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: bbracken677 on November 30, 2012, 05:06:09 PM
They look like the crust is fairly dry. Are you concerned they might dry out too much with such a large surface area?

Not at all...I keep them in a "mini-cave" at 95-99% RH...they may look dry in the pic, but they are not and are "springy" when pressed with a finger.  I am keeping them under the same conditions as my cams, which do not dry out and the form is of a similar surface area.
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: bbracken677 on November 30, 2012, 05:11:43 PM
Jesus Christ bbracken677,
You have been bitten by the cheese making bug haven't you! How many do you have going right now?

I have 6 cheddars, a cheshire, 3 cams (same make), a tellegio, 2 small fourmes d'ambert (same make), a stilton approximation, some fetta, a gouda and.....

a partridge in a pear tree! 

Resting comfortably in my cave....    >:D

ps: I normally try to make one cheese a week, however that isnt always possible. Today I had the time but couldnt make up my mind what to make...nothing was talking to me.
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: H-K-J on November 30, 2012, 05:31:11 PM
Isn't that funny, I want to make a cheese this weekend and nothing is talkin to me either, I do think I hear a Caerphilly whispering in the background :o
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: bbracken677 on November 30, 2012, 05:40:54 PM
Caerphilly is a recipe I was looking at and considering earlier today lol...must mean something!
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: H-K-J on November 30, 2012, 05:57:12 PM
Yup Just looked at my recipe's and that one talkin a little louder ;)
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: Mighty Mouse on November 30, 2012, 08:52:42 PM
Just got a shiney new pack of meso culture in. I am planning on making some Jack cheese.
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: Al Lewis on November 30, 2012, 10:11:48 PM
Wouldn't mind trying a caerphilly myself but I'm going to have to make room first. :(
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: H-K-J on December 01, 2012, 12:34:56 AM
Yup tomorrow is the day 5 gallons of milk ready to go ^-^
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: Tiarella on December 01, 2012, 12:49:18 AM
Gotta tell you that I'm loving eating the Caerphilly that I aged for a few weeks and then smeared with a smoked paprika olive oil paste and aged a few more weeks.  it's good and I'll do it again!!!
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: Al Lewis on December 01, 2012, 01:38:46 AM
Tiarella  Do you think a coating of olive oil with crushed garlic and italian seasoning would work?
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: Schnecken Slayer on December 01, 2012, 03:46:09 AM
You would have to be careful with fresh garlic. You may add unknown beasties.
If you roasted the garlic first it would be fine.
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: Al Lewis on December 01, 2012, 04:28:24 PM
I wouldn't be putting the garlic into the cheese, I read it has to be roasted for that, but on it as an oil paste.  Roasting wouldn't be a problem though.
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: Tomer1 on March 14, 2013, 07:12:55 PM
Using Raw milk/
I didnt make enough prestarter , was aiming for 1% and got only about 0.7% and after an hour into stirring im still at 6.4.  Im stirring less frequently and let it go longer but for thos who see this.  learn from errors. :)
I guess this is gone steal a further hour of sleep from me :)


Edit:

9 hours later and pH is still not there.  4.9 on the stilton and 4.83 on the dambert.  warmed up the pot a bit (got some whey at the bottom) to speed up acidification.
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: Tomer1 on March 14, 2013, 10:18:12 PM
Well the cheese is now being pressed for the night. I calculated pressure for 15cm mould to be about 10kg if anyone wonders.
I made 3 petit damberts (400 gr) and 1 tall one which is about 900 gram. 
I also made stilton from the same batch, ladled curds into a staining bag before cutting the dambert curds. seems to have worked well.

I hope I wake up to great smelling cheese , last time I made raw milk tomme and it turned yeasty and bloated the next morning (likely poor sanitation on my behalf).
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: bbracken677 on March 14, 2013, 10:23:31 PM
I love the smell of cheese in the morning....

It smells like....victory!


 >:D
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: Tomer1 on March 14, 2013, 10:43:07 PM
Thanks by the way for the recipe, its very detailed (pH markers and all).
My milk was 6.50 (It was 17:00 and the milk was from the afternoon milking).  so... what could this mean?  I cant imagine it already started acidifying.  Pav noted 6.6 and you pointed 6.7 for inital pH. 
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: Tiarella on March 14, 2013, 11:21:17 PM
Tiarella  Do you think a coating of olive oil with crushed garlic and italian seasoning would work?

SO sorry, Al!  I missed seeing this question.  I think it would surely work with dried crushed or flaked garlic and I think it'd be a worthy experiment to use fresh garlic.  Let me know of you do it and keep us posted on it's outcome.  The Italian seasoning would be just like any herbs they roll cheeses in....although different I guess if you use olive oil.  I think you should try it.  maybe either grinding/milling the herbs to a powder or adding a powdered seasoning to make it easier to create a paste with the olive oil.  it's tricky.....you don't want a paste layer that's thick enough to worry about chunks falling, cracking,etc. And you'll want to handle the moisture issue carefully.  With a smooth paprika/oil rind I could dab at it if needed without damaging it.
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: shotski on March 15, 2013, 03:10:24 AM
I love the smell of cheese in the morning....

It smells like....victory!


 >:D

You are scaring me!!!!  :D
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: Missy Greene on April 07, 2013, 06:13:26 PM
Missy from Maine here... I have been lurking in my cheese kitchen and not contributing.... BUT today I am  making my first Fourme D'Ambert with goat milk.......
any suggestions?? am  doing a version from 200 Cheeses............ Also.........lots of baby goats!!
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: Boofer on April 08, 2013, 01:55:54 PM
Missy from Maine here... I have been lurking in my cheese kitchen and not contributing.... BUT today I am  making my first Fourme D'Ambert with goat milk.......
any suggestions?? am  doing a version from 200 Cheeses............ Also.........lots of baby goats!!
I would recommend you start your own thread and post your recipe and make details. Also, there are a number of Fourme d'Ambert makes in the blue section...SEARCH for them.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: Tiarella on April 08, 2013, 02:16:31 PM
Missy from Maine here... I have been lurking in my cheese kitchen and not contributing.... BUT today I am  making my first Fourme D'Ambert with goat milk.......
any suggestions?? am  doing a version from 200 Cheeses............ Also.........lots of baby goats!!

Hi Missy, Glad you came out out lurkdom.  can you post some baby goat pictures in the Lounge thread about recreational sharing of cheese photos?  There are a couple of goat photos already bur more would be great!!!   ;D
Boofer's suggestion of a new thread makes sense.....and I'll be watching it as I work up courage to do something blue.   :D
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: Missy Greene on April 12, 2013, 03:49:38 PM
Will do, also trying the coastal blue.
Title: Re: Fourme d'Ambert, First Make
Post by: Schnecken Slayer on April 13, 2013, 02:07:22 AM
So how did these finally turn out? Any pics...


-Bill