Monte Enebro

[HB]

I moved this from the lactic PC board.

I am pondering whether it would be doable to make a cheese similar to a Monte Enebro. I'm thinking in wheel form but around the same size and thickness of the log shape it is made in. I know it is ashed and inoculated with blue cheese mold, but not pierced so the blue only grows on the rind. I assume it would have to be pre drained after semi-lactic fermentation to get the curds dry enough. The paste of this cheese is dense and I am trying to decide what culture to use. I have Aroma B, MA11, MM100, KAZU, and MA4000. I think for the blue I will use PV. Any thoughts?

[HB]

Ok, well I plan to go ahead with this tomorrow. I have not really made something like this, so I'm winging it. I guess I'll do a regular semi-lactic make, pre-drain the curds, salt the curds prior to molding, and then spray with the PR. Apparently Monte Enebro is not ashed, but I think a little ash might help the blue by raising the surface ph. I think I'll go half ashed, half no ash. These will hopefully be about 1.5 lb cheeses, which is a bit tricky with a lactic curd, so wish me luck.

[HB]

Well, they are hanging out in the molds now. Flipping every six hours or so until they dry up a bit. I had a little extra curd, but since it was semi lactic it tastes just like chèvre so I had it for breakfast.

[beechercreature]

neat. i've never heard of that cheese (which isn't saying much)

i assume it's ashed, then then sprayed with the PR?

[HB]

Actually I think the real Monte Enebro is not ashed. It sure looks like it is if you look up the pictures though! I will do some with and some without. I have never spray applied PR, so we'll see how it goes.

[HB]

I have sprayed them with PR and put them in the fridge. I honestly have no idea at this point what will become of this. The sides are not as smooth as I would like, but I don't think there is anything to be done without altering my molds. I suspect the texture will be closer to a Humbolt Fog than a Monte Enebro. Now my fingers are crossed that the blue will grow.

Question to those who have sprayed PR: Can I store the extra PR solution in the fridge for 5 days and use it again, or do I have to make a new one each time?

[LittleSeed]

Can't wait to see how these turn out! What was your dilution rate for the PR? Did you dilute with distilled water only or add anything else? My fingers are crossed for you  :D

[linuxboy]

Question to those who have sprayed PR: Can I store the extra PR solution in the fridge for 5 days and use it again, or do I have to make a new one each time?

PR and PC (and geo) all last for many years in the fridge diluted in distilled water (in hypotonic solution). The application rate should be 4-5 U per 15-20,000 sq inches of surface area for normal growth. Might need more or less depending on the strain.

[bbracken677]

What culture did you wind up using?

[HB]

I diluted a pinch of PR in 200 ml cool boiled distilled water. I used MM100 for my culture. I sprayed them on the 9th and still no sign of blue. Starting to wonder if it will show.

[bbracken677]

try putting them in a container at room temp for a couple of days. In the container at room temp there should be plenty of humidity to help the molds grow.

[HB]

It lives!

[HB]

The ashed:

[HB]

It is hard to see on the ashed one:

[HB]

The blue is spreading like crazy. I am just hoping PC won't rear its ugly head. I might turn down the temp, but I don't want to stop the rapid PR growth.