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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => RENNET COAGULATED - Hard Cooked (Swiss) => Topic started by: MattK on September 13, 2010, 02:58:34 PM
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I have 2 2-lb Swiss rounds, nicely plumped, and now 3 weeks old. They spent the first week cool, getting holes (hopefully!), and the last two slightly warmer and more humid, getting turned and rubbed with brine. The rind is nice, and I'm thinking it's time for long-term aging.
Question - what to wrap these in for aging? Plastic? Butcher's paper? Wax? Nothing? Needless to say, these are my first Swiss-es, so I don't have anything to go by.
Thanks!
MattK
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I've decided to vac-seal these. Upon this morning's inspection and brine-wipe, I notices a small crack about 3 mils deep, with what looks like dark spot inside! I irrigated with brine, but didn't scrape it out. Should I sccop out a little cheese around this crack to make sure whatever that is (not even sure if it's mold) doesnt' get sealed inside, running amok under the rind? Or will sealing it keep it at bay? Help!
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To continue my soliloquy... :)
I had to excavate a couple of small divots to remove what looked like unfriendly mold, got clean margins, and dabbed a little white vinegar in the divots for good measure. Sliced the buggers in half for vac-sealing, and was quite happy to find a nice matrix of small holes! Hooray--- it's Swiss! Not the classic big holes I was hoping for, but for my first Swiss, I'll take it!
Cheese sealed, case closed....until tasting in month or so....
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Looks great, but you let all of the gas out. Would have aged better if you hadn't cut it.
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Nice looking cheese Matt. You did good cleaning out the unwanted molds but 3 weeks is young for a cheese that requires CO2 to make eyes. I woldn't have cut it - like Sailor said you've evacuated the gas now. Still good formation to this point. If you need bigger bags you can fuse them together to creat bigger bags for your cheeses. I have a thread on that somewhere. Ah I found it!