My first blue

[Hande]

Hello,
I'm a new rookie "cheesemaker" and I read this forum almost every day.
I have get a lot of information, thanks to you everyone 

Now I have made blue cheese by RC books p.166.
I ripening it in plastic countainer with cover. And humidity is 85-90 % and 53F.
I keep boxes open every day 2 times 15 min, so they can get fresh air.
They have been 3 weeks ripening now and I'm not sure are they okey, because the smell is powerful and not any pleasant.
Is that normal ?
And is the temperature too high ?

ps. sorry my bad English 

[Sailor Con Queso]

Looks great. At that age, the cheese is still giving off lots of ammonia. That's normal.

[Hande]

Thanks Sailor
Glad to hear. I'm just keep go on with those 'boys'

[MrsKK]

Your blue looks beautiful, IMHO.  I've just started my first blue cheese and am excited at the prospect.  Just have to get a plastic container to ripen it in and I'm all set.

[Hande]

Hello,
Now blues start to smelling good 
Those are 6 weeks now.
I taste it and hey, that tastes good. But they are still young and go back to ripening.
Perhaps little bit more piersing.

Hande

[Cheese Head]

Hi Hande, how did you remove the external mold growth?

[Hande]

I just scrape with small knife.
First they look like alien, but after scrape looking good.
Next time I make bigger wheels, those was in 4" hoops.

Hande

[Sailor Con Queso]

You scraped off all of the good stuff.

[Boofer]

You scraped off all of the good stuff.

So that rind is all edible?

-Boofer-

[Hande]

Sailor, yes meaby I take too much out rind.
Next time I be more smart and left more or hole rind.
I lost lot of taste now.

Hande

[Sailor Con Queso]

Boof - The rind is the best part. Since I vac bag, the rind stays really soft and the flavor is intense. I have chefs that scrape off the rind and use it in recipes. That still leaves them with the entire cheese to sell in their restaurants. One of my favorite appetizers is Stilton stuffed figs. Slice a fresh fig, stuff with Stilton rind and/or cheese, wrap with Prosciutto, pin with a toothpick, heat in the oven until warm. Mmmmmm..... I have yet to find anyone that doesn't love this easy appetizer.

I'm serving this for a meeting of the American Culinary Federation next Wednesday.

[george]

Oh, Sailor, I was just thinking about that dish yesterday!  Realizing how much I'm going to miss the fig tree at my old house when I start doing more Stiltons.  *sigh*

On the other hand, I like it so much half the time I don't even bother to warm it, just room temp.

[Brie]

Hande--your cheese looks perfect. We all do our own thing with rind development--and you will learn what what tastes best for you. For blues--I let the rind run wild for Stiltons and Gorgonzolas; yet for the smaller  varieties (such as your recipe), I tend to scrape every three weeks or so. Whatever route you decide, let them breathe out of their contained environment at least once a week for about a half hour. Blue mold needs oxygen to develop. Why not make a batch and allow one to develop a natural rind and scrape the other? Great experiment! Good luck and keep us posted!

[Hande]

Brie, thank you  , Next time, when I get bigger mold I try Stiltons and don't touch rind.


Hande