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GENERAL CHEESE MAKING BOARDS (Specific Cheese Making in Boards above) => EQUIPMENT - Aging Cheese, Caves => Topic started by: qdog1955 on April 11, 2015, 07:35:36 PM
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I have recently come upon some recipes that call for a finish aging of cheese by wrapping in aluminum foil----3 to 4 weeks and more. I have to wonder if that's such a good idea, considering the Ph and salt of some of these cheeses.
I was brining a large cheese last week that wouldn't fit in my normal container----and having no lid for this, I covered the container with a piece of foil, and wouldn't you know it----a small part touched the cheese overnight, and ate a hole right thru it, leaving a bad looking stain and I'm sure not a healthy one----cut that part away with a knife.
So has any one used foil to age cheese? The results? Am I missing something here ? The only reason given, is to keep the cheese from drying out. Seems better ways are available. ANODIZED CHEESE---anyone. >:D
Qdog
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I share your concerns! If I were going to wrap cheese in foil, I'd first wrap it in plastic wrap. But that might defeat whatever purpose the foil is supposed to serve ...
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Blue cheese is typically wrapped in foil once aged. I believe a few of the sites even sell the thin foil for this purpose. It's a very normal thing. http://www.thecheesemaker.com/copy-of-blue-cheese-wrapping-2-ply-sheets-18x18-in-45-7cm/ (http://www.thecheesemaker.com/copy-of-blue-cheese-wrapping-2-ply-sheets-18x18-in-45-7cm/) http://www.thecheesemaker.com/blue-cheese-wrapping-2-ply-sheets-18x18-in-45-7cm/ (http://www.thecheesemaker.com/blue-cheese-wrapping-2-ply-sheets-18x18-in-45-7cm/)
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My cheese wraps are labelled "Silver Wraps". They are micro-perforated and have a paper layer bonded to the inside. (the cheese side)
Similar to these ones, except they are not perforated. http://www.urbancheese.co.nz/?product=silver-cheese-wraps (http://www.urbancheese.co.nz/?product=silver-cheese-wraps)
This wrap is ideal for making very strong blue cheeses. The material is 15 micron aluminium foil coated with cheese varnish with a white paper interior. The cheese varnish protects the aluminium foil from the acids produced by the cheese while the white paper interior absorbs any excess moisture during the maturing process.
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Speaking chemically, A) the reaction was probably with the aluminum and sodium chloride (salt in brine) under acidic (cheese contact) conditions. Aluminum is generally stable to weak acids and unstable in alkaline conditions (which is why you shouldn't put aluminum pieces in the dishwasher). It is relatively unaffected by salt water. So, the WAGNER in me says that it look the combination of the two to affect the aluminum. My disclaimer is that it has been a long time since I took inorganic chemistry. ::)
You may be able to get away with using aluminum in contact with a salty cheese like blue simply because of the difference in salt concentration here versus brine.
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Must be, you put bare aluminum in salt water and you got one big fizzy.
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from what I have seen roquefort is wrapped in real tin foil, not aluminium.
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I have done extensive trials with blue cheese and every kind of food grade foil commercially available. You can't beat regular aluminum foil with a varnish. Some foils will in fact dissolve when in contact with maturing cheese.
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So, Francois, where does one find varnished aluminum foil. I assume that one places the varnished side against the cheese if both sides are not varnished. Or are both sides varnished? Perhaps one varnishes the foil himself, no? ;)
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All of the major cheese wrap suppliers make it (aamcor etc). You should be able to find it readily on line. It's solid foil, not the perforated stuff. It comes varnished.