advice on Blauer Hirni: a rare lactic, blue-ripened cheese

[quantumcheese]

Hi everyone,

I recently came across a very particular cheese made by a couple creameries in Bern (Switzerland). Its name is Blauer Hirni (in German Swiss, "blue brain") and I thought I'd like to try making it myself.

The only information I found (/https://www.kaesewelten.info/kaesegruppen/blauschimmelkase/blaues-hirni/) is in German, but I've managed to get the basics: it's a lactic acid-coagulated cheese with penicillium roqueforti and geotrichum candidum to give the "brain-like" wrinkles. I am trying to make a recipe myself and I am unsure about the moulds. Specifically,
- How much to add of each one (especially tricky if they compete with each other, which I also don't know)
- When would be better to add them: for technical reasons I prefer to spread them on the surface of the recently made cheese, but maybe it's better to add them to the milk.
- What would be the best ripening conditions: should I aim at best for PC or for GC?
Any suggestions would be appreciated

Thanks in advance!

[mikekchar]

This will be a tricky cheese to make.  Yes, geotrichum and penicillium roqueforti compete.  I didn't have time to try to read the article you linked to so I'm not sure if there were suggestions on aging.  I don't think it will matter, in general, if you add the cultures to milk or spray them on.  You'll get the same effect.

Higher temperatures and lower humidity favours geotrichum.  Lower temperatures and higher humidity favours PR.  I was thinking you might want to start with one and then spray on the other a few days later, but that might end up with b. linens (washed rind).

It might just work out easily... Not sure.  Definitely worth a try.  Even if it doesn't work I'm sure it will make good cheese!

[quantumcheese]

Thanks for the info, very useful!

Apparently the ripening time is 4 to 6 weeks. You know what? Since the cheeses are quite small I might make three from the same batch and experiment with the three possibilities (PR and GC simultaneously, PR first, and GC first). I'll let you know how it goes