Firstly a BIG thanks to all contributors on this forum that helped to "mold" my recipe for my first Gruyere, opened and tasted last week, after 5 1/2 months aging. I compared it against an 18 mo REAL Gruyère brought back from Lausanne, Switzerland last year. Of course, no comparison! Much stronger, nuttier flavour and firm crystalline texture of the 18 mo cheese. But I am still enjoying my own, especially as I cannot buy real Gruyère here in Sarawak, Malaysia. But I have vacuum sealed some of my pieces and will TRY to save them for 18 months also, in the hope of a fairer comparison!
A couple of odd things I wasn't expecting: (1) it sank slightly in the middle, so the top and bottom were not completely flat, (2) it had a few irregular holes, although I did not add any Propionii shermani bacteria culture. Any advice from Gruyère experts would be most welcome.
This was a pilot project for me, and I am pleased with my small Gruyère; it has the 'beginnings' taste of a real gruyère cheese and a firm but flexible texture. So I am encouraged to make some larger cheeses, and MAYBE age for longer.
