A Malembert with a tale

[OzzieCheese]

Yesterday was interesting. 

I decided to get a few more soft cheeses going and I though that as the Malembert was the best choice.  Well, that didn't workout quite as planned and that will become evident as this tale progresses.

It started out like every other ...

Cleaning

Cleaning

All the while gently warming the milk and cream.

[OzzieCheese]

Everything set.
Measuring Spoons akimbo
Milk and Cream prewarmed
Contents Checked
pH meter primed and calibrated.

I won't post endless images of Milk warming this time and concentrate on where it all went a little - just a little - awry.

[OzzieCheese]

And here it comes. The old - did you check everything? I though I did. The 'How did it go sheet' tells a different story.

The ripening stage went well based on the pH reading a .08 drop in 90 minutes was awesome. Added the rennet and there my doubts started. Usually, 8 liters will hit the flocculation point in approx. 10 minutes and this time went to 14 minutes. This is on the upper edge of acceptable. So, okay, the floc point was a bit slow and the rennet was still within the date range. My brain was going through all the possible reasons. Suspect milk, calibration error on the pH meter or batteries, old culture, temperature fluctuations all were candidates. The Floc point of 14 minutes added another 24 minutes to the cut time calculation using a floc multiplication factor of 6. 

This gave me time to check all the interrogate all the suspects. I changed the pH meters batteries, refreshed the calibration fluid and recalibrated the meter. I checked both the Digital and mechanical thermometers at Boiling and freezing points and both were within tolerances. Rummaged through the recycling bin and checked the empty milk bottles and they were all from the same batch and had 11 days on the useby date. I rechecked expiry dates and there I found a sleeping agent - the best before batch date on the Flora Danica Oct 2015. Ouch! I used this same culture when I was making the Taleggio a couple of weeks ago but that was with a couple of other Messo Cultures.

The evidence was borne out at the next pH check points - after the Curd Cut, stirring for 15 minutes and resting for 15 minutes phases.
   

[OzzieCheese]

The first image is the Curd cut and the second is after 15 stirring. After I rested the curds for 15 minutes the pH was still 6.54 and not at the right target. So, after a another stirring and resting phase the pH came down to 6.51 - 6.50 was still too high but I decided to progress to the hooping stage anyway.
The curds had lost more whey than normal due to the second stirring and resting. I normally have enough to fill 6 normal 100mm cam molds and a couple of Crottin molds for test cheeses but this time there was nothing left over. it was getting late and the flipping will go into the night - to about 10pm.

The only thing to do was soldier on and see what the morning brings.

[OzzieCheese]

After flipping for 6 hours I had had enough and went to bed.

The story in the morning was not much more than I suspected.  The internal house temp overnight dropped to 19DegC and the pH of the Cheese was on average 5.05 to 5.07. This was quite a bit away from the 4.7-4.8 that I usually aspired too. The cheeses were a little more that the required size at approx. 280gms each - so there is a little more moisture still in the cheese than normal - I'll have to watch that during the maturing phase.

The overnight Temp as well might have contributed to the pH difference.  Not much to do but to complete the cheese.  I know there are those out there that brine your Cams but, I honestly find the cheese is too salty at the recommended brine levels so I choose to Direct salt (hand salt) and over the years have come to a nice level of saltiness. Its a feel thing...

I first put a 1/4 teaspoon of salt on the top and rub it around the top on all six. I then turn them over and put another 1/4 teaspoon of cheese salt on the other side and rub the salt all over, not forgetting the sides, to about one salt crystal in depth and place two in each maturing container.

The containers are then put into the 10-12DegC fridge to wait for the PC and GC to show up. 
 

 

[OzzieCheese]

Oh and the culprit - well me I suppose. The Flora Danica stocks should have been refreshed ages ago.  It was a stark reminder to check all my culture stocks. For those who read the 'Red Hound' make you will notice that I needed to refresh my GC and b.Linens and I should have gone through the rest of them - and yes lesson learnt.

For those interested attached is the pH curve for Flora Danica and given the timing even at 6 hours @32DegC I should have been below a pH of 6.0 and even using the 22DegC curve for 13 hours would have me at pH 5.5 and overnight well below 5.0 overnight.  I know this is not totally accurate as the temperature drops as soon as you hoop the curds but the end pH should have been a lot lower.

Need more Flora Danica.

This is not a failed cheese just yet as long as I can keep it from over ammoniating by getting them into the 4-6DegC fridge as soon as the molds show up.  I'll post progress photos as things happen.

[bansidhe]

Thank you for this.  I am not at the point of checking pH but it was really good to see how pH is used in accessing progress.  As I tell my husband, making cheese is easy, making a cheese is hard.  Something I learned immediately.  HA!

[mikekchar]

A cheese for you for that brilliant sig :-)  I love it!

[bansidhe]

HaHa!  Thank you.  I am on my whey now!

[OzzieCheese]

Only been three days now but I am already noticing the change in smell from sweet to mildly tangy.  It's a weird smell sweet and vinegary(Lactic Acid) at the same time.  I'll post images when the moulds show up.

[Boofer]

No cheese makes in progress, so I'm living vicariously through your adventures, Mal. I'm on the edge of my seat....

-Boofer-

[OzzieCheese]

Thanks Mate, I hope I can keep it interesting.

[OzzieCheese]

Today is again evident of a slight change in both smell and appearance. The smell has turned more towards the slight mushrooms odour of the PC just about to make an appearance. If you squint with the sun behind the cheese, I can see just the faintest whispy tendrils of either GC or PC. Without some further training I am able to discern between the two. But, see that the pH was not as it should have been, I will need to keep a good nose on the ammonia build up.

[OzzieCheese]

It occurred to me that the description 'Peach Fuzz' might have been a little subjective so I donned my macro lens and tried to capture just what I meant.

The first image was from the 30th April. and while there is a hint of PC or GC - not  sure which appears first - I think it's the GC. The effects are evident almost immediately where the sweet smell of the the new cheese has gone and replaced with the mushroomy smell meaning that the Lactose as almost gone from the surface of the cheese. The first image has not quite gotten to that stage just yet and there are still a few sweet 'notes'. I left them in the warmer fridge for another day.

The second image is taken a day later. and what a difference a day makes. And, this is what I refer to as 'Peach Fuzz'. as you can see by the finger print the covering is delicate at this stage but it can't be helped. The covering will establish itself in short order. I know these is not much difference but it is quite distinct up close.

Once the boxes were wiped out - just the sides and lid to stop condensation dripping on the cheese but retaining enough to keep the Humidity up - they were placed in the Colder fridge @5-6 DegC

[mikekchar]

AC4U for the great photos :-)  I've often wanted to take a picture like that!