Beginner Gouda taste test, and image posting test

[mathewjones]

Hi all,

I'll have something to say about my first few Goudas, but for now this is just a test to see if I can post images correctly.

Apologies,

Matt

Tests below:

[mathewjones]

Ok, it seemed like that worked. I would prefer to be able to insert text in between images, to tell a sequential story, so if anyone can explain how to that, it would be great!

But anyway...

This is my second attempt at a Gouda. My make followed Mary Karlin pretty closely. After pressing, I brined a "medium-heavy brine" (~20% salinity, according to Karlin, ~55˚F) for ~12 hours, then air-dried at room temp for two days until dry to to the touch. Then I let it ripen for a week in my cave (wince fridge, ~55˚F but very low RH ~ 40%). Then I waxed it and put it back in the cave.

The figure shows after about 7 weeks in the cave.

My thoughts at ~7 weeks:

- Flavor is mild but tastes like a mild Gouda, but the paste has exactly the right semi-hard supple texture that it should.
- I would like it to be a bit sharper, and probably more salty. Consider using a more concentrated brine next time.
- I will re-wax half, and age for another few months.

So, I'm fairly pleased with this, but I'm anxious to see what the same cheese will taste like after another few months.

I like the paste texture very much, but I would like the flavor to be a bit more definite. Therefore:
- Should I just age longer and realize that aging is the whole secret?
- In my next make, is there anything I could do to deepen the flavor, but still have it be a Gouda (besides smoking)? e.g., a) can I ripen with mesophilic longer to increase acidity before adding rennet? b) can I only do one wash with warm water instead of two, to reduce how much acidity I remove during washing? c) am I just barking up the wrong tree by thinking that the ultimate "deepness" of flavor is related to acidity during the make? d)  would I be making a mistake to use a stronger brine (e.g., a saturated brine) to get stronger flavor by adding a bit more saltiness? 

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks,

Matt

PS: Anyone know how to get goat milk in the Madison, WI area that is NOT ultra-pasteurized? It's ok if it's pasteurized, but the three stores here that sell goat milk (Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Woodman's) all only sell ultra-pasteurized, which just does not make a proper curd even after 24 hours and a large amount of rennet + CaCl2. Please see a following post for how I attempted to rescue these failures.

[pickles]

Nice looking cheese!!

To format a post with images
insert some text.
press return.
use the 'insert image'  button to place an image.
press return.
insert more text.
use the 'insert image' button again to place next image.
the image will appear wherever the cursor is.
you can repeat as often as needed.

the 'insert' image button is on the bar at the top left of the reply box.
at the bottom right of the reply  box is a 'preview' button - you can use this as much as you need to check layout as you proceed.

at the top right of your posts is a 'modify' button - use this to change, edit or tailor any of your posts later if you feel the need.

I hope this is useful info. Always ask if you need advice. This is a friendly forum.
Its members are here and happy to help out.
 

here's a cheese to reward your progress so far.

[broombank]

yesterday I bought a piece of  aged Gouda from Gourmet cheese in Aberdeen. It is called Landana 500 as it is aged for 500 days  and a stunning flavour. I am afraid you just can't speed the process up. It sounds as if you did everything right apart from wait! The cheese looks great but after over a year it will have a bite which the younger cheese just doesn't.

[mathewjones]

@pickles
Thanks very much for the advice on formatting!

@broombank
Thanks for the info. I was afraid that waiting was going to be the only answer. It's excruciating. I'll have to start making cheese much more regularly, like once a week, so that after 500 days I'll have a steady supply of properly aged cheeses whenever I want one, like a conveyor belt of two year old cheeses. Hmm, but then I'll have to buy a much larger cave to store them while they age. Or maybe buy a new house with an actual large stone walled basement that I can use to store hundreds of cheeses during affinage. Oh, my wife is just going to love this...

By the way, do you recognize the scenery in the background of my avatar photo?

Cheers,

Matt