My first Traditional Cheddar.

[pliezar (Ian)]

I am glad things are going well with the cheddar Jeff.  I aged my first Cheddar for 9 months before getting into it, it was heaven.  I have one that will be almost 14 months when we get into it next Christmas

[JeffHamm]

Hi anut and Ian,

Yah, this one is doing fine.  Knit is staying together and it's got a good clean smooth skin.  Slowly I'm getting a good supply of well aged cheeses.  Mmmmm.

- Jeff

[JeffHamm]

This seems to have dried out well.  I've spotted some b.linens contamination though.  I decided to wax it today (that should shut down the b.linens).  It was 1166g prior to waxing, which seems to have gone well.  It will now be shifted to long term storage.  Will monitor for mold under the wax. 

- Jeff

[anutcanfly]

I just finished the last piece of 9 month old goat cheddar, and by mistake it was contaminated with mold from a blue I had cut at the same time.  It was just a touch, but the flavor combined with an 9 month old goat cheddar was over the top wonderful, both smell and taste.  I am definitely going do that on purpose a few times!   :P

[Crystal]

Wonderful when mistakes become our new favourite thing hey ;)

[JeffHamm]

I'm curious, did it become contaminated at the time you waxed it, or after you opened it up again?

- Jeff

[anutcanfly]

When it was done aging I divided it into chunks, vacuum packed and threw in the fridge.  As I was doing this with several cheeses, one being a blue, I must not have cleaned the knife between them.  I couldn't see blue so was very surprised to smell it so strong when I opened my last packet.  You know, when I think about it, the smell of blue has got to be the most delightful smell there is in the cheese world.

I'm thinking I will run a cheddar style and after it's ripened the way I like, I will then poke holes and inject some blue into the holes with a syringe and see if I can develop just a light kiss of blue.

[JeffHamm]

Hi,

yes, that should work.  In the cheese making course I took last year, one of the things we were told we could do was to buy a kilo of a mass produced, mild cheese (say, budge edam).  Then, you buy a small piece of your favorite blue.  Introduce your budget edam (or mild cheddar, etc) to Hannibal Lectur and poke holes in all directions.  Then, smear the foil wrapper from your blue all over the budget cheese.  Eat your blue, and wrap your budget cheese in foil and put it in the crisper of your fidge for a month or two.  Of course, one could take a bit more care in developing the blue. Basically, that's what you're thinking of doing so just letting you know that it should work.

- Jeff

[anutcanfly]

I hadn't thought to do it with budget cheese, but that's great idea!  :)

[JeffHamm]

You could buy 4 different small budget cheeses, say 250 grams each, and see what sort of hard cheese produces the kind of blue you're looking for.  A mild cheddar, an edam, a gouda, or colby for example.  That way, you know which hard cheese you want to take the time in aging in order to then turn into a blue.  Could be a cool project.

- Jeff

[anutcanfly]

I agree!  I'll try it and post the results.  :)

[JeffHamm]

Hi,

Hmmm, I've removed this one from the wax.  It seems to be swelling on one side.  I've not had contamination before, but I suppose it was only a matter of time.  I've moved it into a ripening box to see what happens.  Having never had this happen before, how do I tell if I should just pitch it?  Swelling early on is bad isn't it? (it's been 3 weeks.  It seemed fine last week, and I've only just turned it today and noticed it).

- Jeff

[anutcanfly]

That's a shame.  It's always the most time involved cheeses that suffer!

[JeffHamm]

Thanks anut.  Yah, I'm a bit dissappointed as the make had seemed to go very well.  I'm trying to remember if we made bread around that time.  It does feel a bit "spongy".  A shame.  Hopefully the Derby I just made escapes this fate.  That one took all day yesterday.

- Jeff

[JeffHamm]

Here's a photo of the cheese to show the swelling on the left side. 

- Jeff