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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => ADJUNCT - Rennet Surface White Mold (Penicillium candidum) Ripened => Topic started by: OzzieCheese on November 08, 2014, 04:49:32 AM
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8 Nov 2014 Malembert
Well, time for the Christmas Cheeses the first is the Soft – White Mould ripened gooey piece of heaven.
This is my own cheese receipe, it may have a slight resemblance to a triple cream mold ripened cheese by another name but as I can’t find a recipe then I feel that ‘Malembert’ is appropriate.
I'm still using Tim Smith's basic recipe but have changed to 8 litres of Milk and 600ml of pure cream and 1/4 tsp Calcium Chloride. There is no way I can get milk of the cream content of a nice Jersey so I must add Calcium Chloride to get the fat molecules as fat as possible. This will also affect the draining time and therefore will have an all-night drain as well as a prolonged ‘flipping’ program.
8 litres of 3.9 Milk
600 ml Pure Cream
1/4 tsp Calcium Chloride - CaCl2
Flora Danica – A good full dose(pinch measure) of GLA FL.D
1/32 tsp of PC and half a 1/64 tsp of the G.C
3.5 mls of GLA Liquid rennet.
10:38 Heat the milk over 30 minutes to 32 Deg C.
11:15 Initial ripening stage pre-activate the Flora Danica @27 oC beforehand and add to the rest at 32oC.
With my rig I get the milk to 30 degrees and then turn off the heat and the residual heat in the water brings it nicely to 32 degrees C.
11:15 Add the P.C and a small mini smidge of G.C at the same time as the culture.
Added the P.C and G.C and F.D and stir in together. Keep the temperature at 32oC.
Ripening for 90 minutes.
Temp actually 33 Degrees C. Should still be good. Might affect the Flocculation time but seeing as I’m using the Flocculation Method to determine the cutting time the result should be acceptable.
@90 minutes add CaCl2 and mix gently.
No brine or Salt additions apart from the direct salting of the outside.
12:56 Add 3.5 mls Rennet. Flocculation time:- 08:30 * 6 = 51 minutes 13:46 cut curds
[Last time]Flocculation time 9:00 minutes flocculation time 6.0 Multiplier giving 54 minutes. This time is from the time you add the rennet not from the flocculation time. Watch for the
It should be clean and not mushy.
13:45 Cut curds to ½ inch and maintaining 32oC stir for 15 minutes. And then let settle for 15 minutes. Although the recipe normally uses 4 moulds the addition of cream will provide enough curds for 6. I have found that stuffing 4 moulds (100mm) wastes quite a bit and the final shapes tend to be too thick to ripen properly.
Set up the moulds and the cheese mats and boards getting ready to fill and eventually flip.
This time I am using my new flipping rig which consists of two boards big enough for 6 forms and a free vertical floating retainer – to stop the forms sliding off.
Drain the whey to the level of the curds.
Using a ladle, scoop the curds, one ladle at a time, into the moulds.
Let the curds settle into the forms and keeping filling until all the curds are used up. They will settle over time. Once all the curds are used, let settle for 1 hour and then flip once an hour for 6 hours. Let sit overnight. In the morning remove from the moulds and use 1 teaspoon cheese salt to rub over the outside. - ed. 10 Feb 2016. The salt application process is described below but it is only ever applied once - sorry for the confusion.
Place in the ripening containers and follow the ripening schedule of the previous makes.
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One of the things I had to improve was the 'Flipping over' technique. The issue was that sometimes I'd loose one of the forms out the side. No disasters yet but I decided to prevent rather than recover. The images below show a hand made lattice that acts as a 'seat belt' . Effectively using the other forms to keep one that might slip out the side. It is free floating vertically but keeps lateral movement to a minimum.
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Now it is the morning. Time to salt and start the most complex process that any cheese undergoes. It is bit like a caterpillar transforming into a beautiful butterfly. And it all starts with the salt. There have been a few question recently about how much, Hand salt or brining and there is not a definitive answer - it depends. The cheeses below are approx. 280 gms each and they only get a scant teaspoon of salt each - in total - for top bottom and sides. I have found it sets up the outside nicely and the end result is a slightly salty rind and wonderful inside.
My process.
1. measure out into bowl what looks like 5-6 flat teaspoons. - it's difficult to see but there really isn't that much.
2. Pinch out about 1 teaspoon.
3. place it on top of the cheese.
4. Rub on the top, turn over keeping your hand underneath to catch the salt. Rub the bottom and with the remaining salt rub the sides. It should all be about 1 salt crystal covered in depth - if that makes any sense.
5. I use these containers from décor. they have a nice little vent to control the air and moisture. I found that putting three into one of these slowed down the PC growth a bit too much. The moulds needs a good amount of Oxygen to grow and three in one container was too crowded.
6. Finally in the 'Cave'
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At the three week mark.
They have been in the 4 Deg C fridge now for approx. 2 weeks - a little less and the smell has gone from the sweet milky to the mushroomy smell. The GC has not got too carried away - that's what creates the wrinkly looking white covering and the PC is very well established. The resolubalisation magic is already started and is about 1/4 inch in from the edge. There is a balance here - where we are trying the get the process established without letting it accelerate out of control - this is where too much ammonia is produced and ruins the cheese. I'm getting about 1 teaspoon of water out of the containers every other day. This means that the process is continuing at a good rate. Too much water - it's going too fast and, not enough it will take longer to get all the way to the centre.
Just re-read the last bit and thought I'd expand on it.
The water is actually a by product of the mould doing its thing and as a result is continually affecting the pH of the outside of the cheese. As described in some books the pH starts at about 4.8 - remember the long sitting time overnight to start with? and during the ripening, the mould changes the outside pH, and increases (less acid) towards the high 6's. This process continues from the outside in. BTW the same sort of thing happens to Blue cheeses - only from the inside out !!
On target for Christmas/NewYear.. 8)
I'll post photos when I get my Cheddar into the press later today.
-- Mal
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Had 15 minutes - so here are the images of my 'Malemberts' at 3 weeks from 9th November.
-- Mal
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They are looking pretty good. :)
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But alas all good things come to pass. We ate the last one tonight. This has been maturing for quite a while and what a treat.. The paste was wonderful and the rind was chewy and tasty. The last photos... of a piece of heaven.. A)
-- Mal
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That must be a 100% perfect paste. Not to firm and not too runny. Looks great!
I'm making a blue right now - inspired of your latest adventure into the blues.
:-) Danbo
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Thanks for the accolade, I'm humbled and just a little bit chuffed that I could inspire another... Made my day ;). I hope to see note and photos of your Blue achievements. Mine was a first so it's been a bit of a scary journey but I'm sure there are many here that can lend a hand..
-- MAl
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That definitely deserves a cheese, well done Mal!
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Beautiful, have a cheese.
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Hi Mal,
It is very inspiring to see what you are doing. You are very good at providing photos and make notes - I'm really not that good at it (must improve).
If I'm feeling a bit to lazy to make cheese all I have to do is visit the forum. When looking at all the adventures in here I have no choice than to start up the vat.
:-) Danbo
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Love your rack for flipping Mal. I do my baby bries three at a time and am still using slippery dairy-lean boards. Haven't lost one in a while but the possibility is always there. May need to steal your idea and build a rack for a threesome. A cheese to you for your ingenuity. ;D
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Thanks All for the cheeses. Danbo, I too sometimes get a bit lazy and use this wonderful forum to 'Fan the flames' 8) It'ds hard not to start pineing for the smell of milk and ripening curds, the clatter of stainless steel and satisfied creak of a well loaded cheese press. Ahhh a piece of heaven.
-- Mal
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Mal, spot on! ;-)
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Australia Day !! - Celebrating this wonderful, wide, wild and Beautiful place on Earth
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Mal, I know this is an old thread, but I'm posting to it to thank you for the excellent discussion of molds, temperature, humidity, aging, etc. It'll help guide me with the Cambozolas I'm doing. AC4U.
Larry
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Im glad you found it useful. I come back to these posts on occasions to make sure im still following my own advice.
-- Mal
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Mal, I have two questions:
1) you say that at the beginning of week 3, the Malemberts were in the 4C cave for two weeks. What happened during the first week?
2) how long did they stay in the 8C cave all together? Did you move them to the regular fridge ( 2C) after the PC forms a white crust?
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HI Penny, Just trying to find where I say 8 DegC - sorry that might be a mistype - I can't type :o Here is my ripening schedule
Day 0 - approx 5-7 day in my Cave @ approx 12-14 Deg C . the thermostat is only internal in the fridge so it's around that. The thing I am waiting for is for the PC to cover the cheese in a fine white 'Peach Like' fuzz. Now this isn't a full on matt covering so don't let it wait too long. Also at this stage I flip and wipe out the ripening containers once a day.
Day 5-7 (when ever the fuzz layer is complete) I move them into the 4 DegC fridge. In here I turn and wipe out the containers every OTHER Day and give them a little pet down - makes a nice flat layer in the end product. They are in this for 6-8 weeks - now this is totally dependant on the desired firmness. At 6 weeks there is still a little firm layer in the middle - I like that, some don't. At 8 weeks they should be the same consistency all the way through.
I don't tend to wrap mine because my lovely wife lets me use a shelf for my cheese in the house fridge. But, that said, I wrap them if I'm giving as gifts or sharing at work - looks real neat 8). If you want to wrap them, use a proper cheese wrap. If you use a 'cling' plastic wrap they sweat and get a funky smell real quick. You could use greaseproof (baking paper) for short periods I should think.
I have kept these going out 10-11 weeks - but they are real gooey by then and past their best -but some might like it like that.
Hope this is useful.
-- Mal
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Sorry about the 8C vs 4C, it's my mistake, nothing wrong with YOUR typing. I've modified the post to not confuse anyone into thinking 8C is what you did. My mistake.
Thanks for the reply. In view of your comments, I think my cheeses got over-ripened when I kept them at 16C until they were completely fuzzy. Another difference is that I prepared the Flora Danica culture rather than use the freeze dried form. I figured if I cultured them, my dosing could be more consistent because the bacterial growth slow down as the pH decreases so that it is a self limiting process and causes the bacteria concentration to be more uniform, I think. So for my next trick, I'll get the fuzz going at a lower temperature. Also, you added more milk solids as you add more cream. Thanks for the help. I'll keep you posted in a few months. Right now I'm backed up in cheeses I have to eat.
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Penny, I add extra cream to make the curd less permeable - so it takes longer for the re-solubilisation process to complete. This has two main benefits. It reduces the production of ammonia, hence the pH is not rising as fast, and also allows you to store them longer, I've had these out 11 weeks (though they were a bit too gooey for me !). It is a form of what they call a stabilised curd - it also tastes great. Can't wait to see some more of you cheeses, what else do you have going at the moment ?
-- Mal
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I'm guessing that the longer ripening time also leads to more flavor in the finished cheese -- at least, that seemed to be true for my version of "Malembert." Of course, all that extra cream doesn't hurt the flavor either. :)
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Ummmm Cream.. sound like a cat..
The longer ripening certainly helps and I think using Flora Danica is a good choice in helping those 'buttery' notes. I've made Cams with what I call my standard cultures MO 36R from Sacco, it was nice but, not as nice as F.D.
-- Mal
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I made my previous "mals" using a mixture of MA11 and MD88 -- theoretically the bacteria in FD, but I just guessed at the proportions. I've got my second set of "mals" ripening in the fridge now, made with FD. Just have to wait for them to get ready ...
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Mal, I have a Reblochon that I just started eating. Gooey, very gooey. I think that is what it is supposed to be, and it melts very nicely. I managed to post one picture, but the others wont post although the pic is small. The mystery of it all.
http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,14743.0.html (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,14743.0.html)