I opened the Lancashire that I made with a touch of lipase -- to be exact, for a 3-gallon make, I used 3/16 tsp MA011, 1/8 tsp MD088, 1/16 tsp TA061, and 1/32 tsp calf lipase. How's that for a cocktail of cultures? :) Otherwise, I followed the make from 200 Easy Cheeses, with the modification suggested by MrsKK (not to leave the curds overnight before pressing).
I made a 3-gallon Caerphilly also with 1/32 tsp of lipase at the same time, and reported on it three weeks ago. Now the Lancashire has come of age (6 weeks), so time for a taste report.
It is very good, but pretty strong -- tastes somewhat like a really well-aged cheddar. A very smooth, firm but creamy paste, and a slightly chewy rind. Overall, I like it, but maybe not as much as the regular Lancashire. I might make it again sometime when I can make two Lancs at the same time, one with and one without lipase, so that I can compare them side-by-side.
You got a really nice curd knit on that Lancashire. It is fun to experiment with additives, isn't it? When and if you get around to making the two for comparison, I look forward to hearing your results.
Nice looking cheese! Having never tasted a lancashire, how does the taste compare to a cheddar? Is it pretty similar?
AC4U!
That's a nice looking lancashire! A cheese to you. I might try something like this too. There are just so many cheeses to try! :)
Quote from: Spoons on August 27, 2014, 08:15:03 PM
Nice looking cheese! Having never tasted a lancashire, how does the taste compare to a cheddar? Is it pretty similar?
AC4U!
Well now ... are you asking how MY Lancashires taste, or how a REAL Lancashire tastes? :)
I have no experience with the real thing, and have only made three of my own, including this lipase-charged one. The taste is definitely in the cheddar family, but the paste is softer/creamier. Each of the ones I have made have been left unwaxed / uncoated, but I have kept mold off, using vinegar/salt to rub away any that tries to get started. I suspect my "cave" is generally drier than it should be, so I have not had much trouble with mold. The rind gets somewhat dry, but I really love it -- it is a nice chewy contrast to the creamy paste.
I've just started into the second half of this lip-Lanc (my new name for it), and generally on my first bite I think, "I'm not going to make this with lipase again." Then after I finish a piece, my tongue begs for more, and I think, "well, maybe ..." As noted above, it may require side-by-side comparison to settle the debate.
Unfortunately, I have been on a hiatus from cheese-making, due to the semester starting up AND being part-way through a bathroom renovation that I am doing all the work on, and having three impatient women in the house who seem to think it should be finished sooner rather than later. That said, I may have to set aside a morning to make at least a Caerphilly -- the cheese cave is starting to look alarmingly bare. I've got 2 cheddars in there, one at 4 months and one at 2; 1-1/2 parma styles (the 1/2 is at almost 8 months, and the other is at 4 months); and 1 gouda and 1 manchego, each at a little over 2 months. I'd really like to let all of this age a good bit more. So when this lip-lanc is done, I will be in trouble if I don't find a way to get some more in the pipeline!
Thanks, Jeff and Eric, for the cheeses!