Cahills Plain Porter Cheese

[chilipepper]

Any ideas how this is made? How do you suppose they get the stout to stay between the curds?  They must soak the curd in the beer before pressing...   More info here: Cahill's Cheese

[Cartierusm]

Chili, are you sure that's not modern art?

[chilipepper]

It sure looks beautiful doesn't it.  I have a chokecherry stout that I think would work out really well in such a cheese.  I was at a grocery store doing some R&D reconnaissance work and they had a Cahill's section but not this one. I was so bummed!

I did score some Stilton and some Wensleydale with blueberries and another with cranberries.  All in the name of research and development of course!  ;D ;D ;D

I do really want to find some info on making this Porter Cheese though!

[cozcoester]

Thanks for sharing this post, I was thinking of starting one myself inquiring about the use of beer in cheese.  I'm also a homebrewer and would love to incorporate my two hobbies into one another.

[chilipepper]

I'm going to give something like this a try this weekend and will see if I can sink or swim.  Looks to be a farmhouse cheddar recipe with the stout added.  By looking at it I would have to say it isn't milled or else it may be cut after it is drained.  I wonder if they replace a portion of the whey with the stout during cooking and when the curd is still tender after cutting?  It has to be somewhat absorbed into the curd or it wouldn't get that marbling effect.  If there are any other suggestions before I dive in let me know!

Ryan

[cozcoester]

Thats exactly what I was thinking.  would you want to add the beer at a lower temp to encourage absorbtion?  is that how it works?  Let me know how this works for you.  I'm intrigued.

[Cartierusm]

I disagree. If you look at the curds in the pics they do not have the liquid in them. It's between them. I would introduce the liquid at pressing time when the curd is the firmest. Also cheddar would be the best as it has the toughest curds.

[cozcoester]

Good point.  So add beer into the press prior to pressing?  This would be a cool cheese to make

[Cheese Head]

OK, while it looks great and all ends up in same place (stomach) anyway, I'd rather have my cheese and beer separate, in the form of a nice Ploughman's Lunch and beer in a pub garden in summer in British countryside ;D.

[chilipepper]

Not even lunch time and that looks really good!

As for the timely introduction of the beer into this cheese... If one were to introduce it to late it would just get pressed out like the whey, no? My thinking is that you would want to introduce the beer when the curd is firm but can absorb some into the outer edges of the curd and hold it there through pressing.

Looks like it might take a little experimentation..

[Cartierusm]

I would call the company. Just ask they I'm a big fan of your cheese and I was curious how the beer gets in there. I bet they will tell you a little. Then ask they to clarify if you don't understand what they mean. I bet they'll give you a little nugget you can decipher some info from.

[Tea]

I would tend to think that this is made in two parts, one softer cheese to which the stout is added, and one harder/cooked cheese with no stout.  The two are mixed together just before pressing.  Whether the softer cheese is taken early from the final cheese and treated with the stout, or whether it is a completely different batch I guess is the question.

That's my quess anyway.  Certainly looks an impressive cheese though.

[cozcoester]

I sent an email to Cahills inquiring as to the process, I am waiting to hear back though.  I also found a sage derby cheese that looks similar.  It is marbled the same way.  After some research it seems the sage derby was made using two sets of curds.  One was cooked with the sage to devolope a green tint, the other was cooked normally, then pressed together.  I wonder if the process was the same here.

[Cheese Head]

cozcoester, similar to your Sage Derby, picture below of Eldeberry Wine Derby, not that it adds much to a search for a recipe for this style of cheese :-\.

[cozcoester]

mmm does look tasty though.  :D