Going for Gooey and Sinful

[Boofer]

Had to test another one. My son has his birthday tomorrow and I wanted to give him one of these.

The semi-solid "core" is still there, although it does seem to minimize a bit more when left to room temperature. Very nice on crusty bread. Yumm!

The linens has started to come out but this sure looks more like a PC-ripened cheese. My next effort will exclude the PC.

The pic of the paste is while it was still cool from the cave. It does soften and ooze when warmer.

-Boofer-

[Helen]

Sure the color is a bit off but the inside looks quite right. Have you tried to melt it yet?

Great job, Boofer!

- Helen

[Boofer]

No, I haven't tried melting it yet. I imagine that would do just fine. At room temperature it smears just wonderfully on crusty bread. 

I expect delivery of 4 Reblochon molds with lids from Glengarry next week. That should resolve some of the ripening problem, permitting a lower profile pillow. I'm looking forward to trying this again with the new molds and without the PC.

Thanks, Helen.

-Boofer-

[JeffHamm]

They look really good Boofer.  On your next make, if you want the white dusting, you could try adding a bit of PC to the wash about two weeks before they are done.  Then it would just really be blooming by the time the cheese is finished.  Mind you, it wouldn't add much to the flavour or texture since there wouldn't be time for the PC to work on the paste.  Perhaps just adding some Geo would do it.  Geo is supposed to work well with the b.linens as I understand it.  Anyway, I think these are developing nicely.  It sounds like they taste pretty good too, and that's the key.

- Jeff

[Boofer]

Thanks, Jeff. Yeah, the recipe for this make came from somewhere...I didn't just pull it out of the air. It had pretty much everything in it, including Geo, SR3, KL71, and PC. That will be thinned out next time around.

It was a good initial start though. Pretty painless as far as the rind maintenance went.

-Boofer-

[Hande]

Boofer, that looking delicious  Good moist and creamy texture.
And no need PC, like you said.

Hande

[Boofer]

I believe the semi-hard core has disappeared. Now the paste is just what I was looking for and finally fits the Subject line of this thread.

Enjoyed it this morning with crusty bread and mango. Exquisite! 

Along with the Reb I also sampled my Stiltonesque #2. Both were very oozy and delicious.

-Boofer-

[JeffHamm]

Ooooooo!  Very nice.  Those both look very tasty.  Imust make some soft cheese again.

- Jeff

[Tea]

They look excellent Boofer, well done.

[JeffHamm]

I just had a quick review of this thread, and it's very impressive how, in the end, your rind is getting very close to the desired result.  It's showing quite reddish, with the PC fading to a dusting.  Earlier on, it seemed that the b.linnens were just not going to show and the PC was going to be the only name in the game.  Your washing regime seems to have done the trick.  Good job on keeping on with keeping on. 

- Jeff

[Boofer]

I just had a quick review of this thread, and it's very impressive how, in the end, your rind is getting very close to the desired result.  It's showing quite reddish, with the PC fading to a dusting.  Earlier on, it seemed that the b.linnens were just not going to show and the PC was going to be the only name in the game.  Your washing regime seems to have done the trick.  Good job on keeping on with keeping on. 

- Jeff

Thanks, Jeff & Tea. I am pleased with this first attempt.

I have ordered four Reblochon molds from Glengarry, which should arrive on or about the 15th. I'm curious whether I can duplicate (or improve) the product with the correct mold. However, the use of the small Kadova molds was expedient and contributed a nice smooth rind.

I was doubtful about the role of the PC, but it did finally take a back seat to the linens.

I found the whole process very different from my hard cheese efforts. Also, more rewarding and forgiving than my sorry attempts at Taleggio and Esrom, though I haven't given up on either of those.

Have you tried to melt it yet?

Yes, I tried today and it melted very quickly. It didn't have very far to go to get to the melting point.

-Boofer-

[Boofer]

My son reported back to me with results from the cheese selection I gave him for his birthday last week. He told me the Reblochon was pretty smelly. Funny, I didn't get that impression. He said he had to go get a glass of iced tea to wash it down. Hmmm, maybe he doesn't favor soft, washed rind cheeses....

I enjoyed a quarter round of the Reblochon at lunch today with some peach and nectarine slices. Wonderful! It can't be that I'm more attuned to the cheese character, could it? 

Also included in that selection were my Manchego #2, Tomme #3, and Goutaler #3. His 2-year-old son really liked the Manchego and Tomme. Surprising because the Manchego was made back in 2009 and was fairly piquant.

-Boofer-

[Boofer]

This is the last of the four pillows. The linens have developed nicely, but it seems like the cheese is drying too much at this point. The humidity in the minicave has protected it fairly well up to this point, but I have vacuum-sealed it (not tightly) to put it into the main fridge for a little extended affinage. I'd like to see what effect that will have on the cheese character after perhaps another month. I feel that the rind, which is dry now, will moisten and become something else. I haven't had much desire for the rind anyway. This one is not really favorable to me.

Anyway, this was a really nice little cheese to make and eat. I may do the small Kadova form factor down the road. However, the very next Reblochons I make will be in the proper style mold. I'll see how that goes.

-Boofer-

[OudeKaas]

I've been following along with great interest, and I must say I am very impressed by this initial effort. Been thinking about doing something soft but not boring and this seems like a wonderful candidate.

I'm curious though, Boofer - you mention that you did not care for the rind, and I recall that you were looking for a different mold balance, but I looked back and did not see any specific tasting notes on it. . . .can you tell us what the rind itself was like, taste-wise?

[Boofer]

I've been following along with great interest, and I must say I am very impressed by this initial effort. Been thinking about doing something soft but not boring and this seems like a wonderful candidate.

I'm curious though, Boofer - you mention that you did not care for the rind, and I recall that you were looking for a different mold balance, but I looked back and did not see any specific tasting notes on it. . . .can you tell us what the rind itself was like, taste-wise?

Let me say that, in contrast to the paste, the rind texture was tough, dry, and not really all that palatable. At the start, I tried the rind with the paste and decided it was too much of a distraction from the pleasure of fully enjoying the inner delight. From that point on, I just scraped all the goodness off of the rind.

For the minimal effort involved in this cheese, the results were very satisfying. I will be doing it again.

-Boofer-