Big Stinky, my first Munster-ish cheese, kefir based

[olikli]

Yesterday I cut Big Stinky, my first serious effort to make a washed rind cheese. It still is a bit firm in the centre but it has a very nice munster aroma.

This was from a 3 litre make using only 3 tablespoons of homemade kefir as a starter and a regular dose of liquid calf rennet. Kefir Inoculation time was 1 hour at 35 degrees C, 90 minutes rennet set, curds cut to 1 cm, 30 minutes cooking at 35 degrees with occasional stirring and then drained into a reblochon mold.

I pressed lightly for about 2 hours. dry salted to 2.5% after a day and air dried unmoulded for another day. Originally I had reblochon in mind but the cheese turned out closer to a munster because I moved the cheese from my 13 degrees basement room to my 8.5 degrees fridge "cave" before geo hat fully bloomed (seems I was too impatient )

I prepared a brine from the whey and harvested b. linens from a commercial French munster to wash he cheese every other day until the rind was established. This was after roughly two weeks. The cheese was flipped every day but I had to leave for a 5 day business trip after a while which resulted in the rind getting overgrown with while mould. I didn't bother to remove it because the b. linens rind was already fully established.

I guess I shold have waited a week longer or so before cutting but the margin was already feeling rather soft. Not too bad for the first try.

[Kern]

Good looking cheese.  Have a cheese on me.    How's the taste?

[olikli]

Good looking cheese.  Have a cheese on me.    How's the taste?

As I said, it is very much like munster. I used pasteurized creamline milk, so it does not quite have the complexity of a raw milk munster, but it does taste very nice.

[Stinky]

Ow!

But really, that's a very pretty cheese. Congrats! +C

[Andrew Marshallsay]

Congratulations on this one. The rind and the texture of the paste look great. I can weel believe that it is a joy to eat.
Add another cheese.

[scasnerkay]

A cheese of beauty! And another cheese for you! Did you use your own kefir? I just started making kefir, and have been thinking of trying it as a started adjunct, but had not thought of it as a starter by itself.

[olikli]

I got hold of some kefir grains when I started out and I have been using them since then.

[Mermaid]

Wow! Beautiful!

AC4U!

[valley ranch]

Just found this thread, very nice looking ring!

Is kefir similar to Kombocha? Is it the same starter?

I seem to have forgotten how to give a Cheese, I'll have to look this over.

[Gregore]

Kombucha is a fungus and some other cultures , it will not make cheese .

If you want a great kefir grain  kefirlady.com  has them for sale , she ships in the mail.