Fourme d'Ambert style cheese, 1st attempt at cheese ever

[awakephd]

Hmm ... I had posted a reply, or thought I did, but I'm not seeing it now. So if this turns out to be a repeat, my apologies.

I generally let my Gorgonzolas go for 8 weeks or so, until the blue is well developed; then I cut them into quarters and *lightly* vacuum-bag them - stopping the vacuum when all the air is out, but before it really begins to squeeze the cheese. This lets the cheese continue to age without further development of the blue. After another month or two, the flavor is delicious ... and the cheese can continue to age in the vac-bags without getting too overwhelming for quite a long time. The first picture below shows the quarters of a 6-gallon make, just after they were cut and bagged; the second picture shows the piece of this that I am currently consuming, now at 11 months since it was made. I don't go through blues very fast, since I'm the only one in the family that likes them ... but this continues to be a really, really good cheese. Texture is firm, somewhat creamy / crumbly - seems just right to me! And now, with age, it is starting to develop a bit of the "crunchies" - something I associate more with a parmesan, but apparently it can happen with a blue as well.

[Danbo]

Wow! You do a much better job than me when vacuumbagging. My blue cheeses became way too soft and soked in water.

Honey Badger: As you can see some of the more experienced cheese heads in here master the art of vacuumbagging.

[Honey Badger]

Thank you guys, I really appreciate it.

I can't even formulate my questions, so many unknowns.

Next week my new vac-packer will arrive and after I check cheese with a trier I'll make a decision on what to do next.

I'm designing labels for my cheeses now.

[ATasker]

That's a great looking FdA! This is my next cheese to try (I almost had a crack over the weekend, but decided on a Castle Blue and Havarti instead), really looking forward to how this turns out for you.

[Honey Badger]

I've ordered vacuum-packer, should be with me in a day or two.

Now looking into pH metres. I wonder if the cheapo ones for aquariums will do the trick? Any advice on that?

Thanks.

[awakephd]

HB, I'm all about cheap -- as in, my primary cheese mold is a recycled bucket, my cheese press is made out of wood recycled from old desks, etc. But I have to say that I have yet to see anyone here who has found a cheap solution to a pH meter that really works for cheese. Not to say that you might not be the first ... but from one cheapskate careful and frugal shopper to another, this may be a place where you have to invest some money. Not sure how much it will cost in the UK; here in the US, many of us are using an Extech 100, which runs under $100 US - not cheap, but not outrageously expensive.

[Danbo]

I totally agree...

Invest in a good PH-meter - the cheap ones are just crap for cheese making.

Use PH-sticks if you don't have a good meter - they can give a rough indication (much better than a bad meter)...

[Honey Badger]

Thank you guys. I'll wait until I decide on my next cheese to shop for a good pH meter.

I've started to brine wash the cheeses. I use same brine I brined cheeses in, just take a small amount and boil it in a microwave together with a clean cloth. Once the cloth and brine cooled down, gently wipe the cheeses with.

Is that how it's done?

Sorry for bombarding with questions and thank you for everything so far. Cheeses are looking good and they (still) smell good.

[awakephd]

HB, there are a couple of reasons to wash the rind of a cheese. One is to clean off or at least knock back excessive mold. I confess that I've never used brine for this purpose, so I don't know the merits or otherwise of using a saturated brine (which is what you are getting by boiling down your brine). Instead, when I want to remove mold from the rind, I generally either use white wine or vinegar, perhaps with some salt crystals to provide a bit of abrasive action. I don't know if this is any better than using brine; it is just what I have always used. Maybe someone else can comment ...

The other reason to wash the rind of a cheese is to encourage growth, not of mold, but of b. Linens. For this purpose, you want a light brine, 3-5% if I recall correctly; many people will make this brine with some white wine in place of some of the water.

The question is ... do you really want to achieve either of the above results with this type of cheese? I have not made a FdA, so I don't know what the rind is "supposed" to look like. But for what it is worth, for the blues I am more familiar with, Stiltons and Gorgonzolas, you never wash the outside; you want to leave the blue that develops there as part of the nature of the cheese. The only reason I can think of to wash it would be if you are getting an infestation of some type of mold other than the PR that you added to the cheese. (If it is just the PR, why remove it -- it is the same thing that you have running through the inside of the cheese!)

Again, others with more experience may chime in ... that's part of the beauty of this forum; we can share what we know, but we all are eager to learn from others' experience as well!

[Gregore]

Go with out a ph meter if you can not afford at least the Extech  the next level up is the Bluetooth Hanna designed for cheese at double the Extech price.

It is best if you can find 3 sets that have a very narrow measuring range as possible that way they will be more accurate .  You will need to detect 4.7 to 4.8  for cams ,  blues   and 5.3 to 5.4 For tommes and Gouda and 6 to 6.1  for knowing when to put the curd into the molds . 

A strip,that measures 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5 will just be letting you know that  you missed the target you were shooting for so you would be better off with out .

Only the 5.5 will be useful

[Andrew Marshallsay]

Sorry for bombarding with questions

Never mind that. Keep them coming.

[Honey Badger]

Thank you guys. I will invest in a good meter for my next cheese. I really want to get as scientific on its arse as possible.

Tonight will be their first wine wash. I like the idea to involve wine with cheese and there will be no danger of over salting.

You da best, many thanks.

[Boofer]

Hmm, I really wanted to get vacuum packer for other things as well as cheese, now not so sure...

The vacuum bagger really changed the way I am able to make & preserve my cheese efforts. Check this link.

All of the blue cheeses I have ever purchased have all been wrapped in plastic wrap before being vacuum-sealed. They all have a "wetness" when the vacuum bag is opened. I do not recall any of them characterized by sourness or bitterness from the trapped whey. I have followed this same technique for my blue cheeses. The vacuum seal does stop further blue growth, but the Fourme d'Ambert cheeses I have made, sectioned, and vacuum-sealed have been wonderful...very satisfying.

Good looking cheeses, Honey Badger. Have a cheese.

-Boofer-

[Gregore]

The only cheese I have had moisture form in when vac- bagged is when the bag did not hold a perfect seal

My last machine would not seal perfectly and so it would allow air in and the moisture would form. And yes some sourness

[Honey Badger]

Thank you for replies and cheeses.

My vac-packer has arrived and I also have some waxed papers which I would wrap cheese segments in first, before vacuuming. Does that sound like a good idea?

The cheeses are 18 days old today. They smell really nice and I'm finding it dificult to leave 'em alone. I really want to taste it. Tonight I'll try and give them wine wash, dry outside for a bit and back to the cave.

What would indicate to me it is right/good time to take a sample? I bought cheap potato peeler that will do the trick I hope.