My First Blue
This has been a thing of terror and sleepless nights for a while and I am hoping that the Blue experts within these hallowed pages can provide a soft fall. Well . ... that's probably a little dramatic, but there is a little trepidation in this .. :o
Recipe:
8 litres (7 Melany milk and 1 litre of cream)
Flora Danica for 8/10 litres
P Roqueforti
1/4 tsp CaCl2
2 mls ¼ tsp rennet (200 ICMU)
This is the first blue I've tried and the first question I had was the amount of PR I was using. A quick call to the Supplier – Green Living Australia – where Valerie said that the amount to use was very very small as it a very aggressive mould and therefore the amount used was the tip of steak knife – not a lot at all.
9:30 Heated the Milk to 27 Deg C.
Added the 1 Dash of Flora Danica and the PR. Continued to Heat the milk to the target Temperature 32 Deg C.
9:45 32 Deg C reached. Added CaCl2 diluted in ¼ cup of non-chlorinated water
Ripen for 30 minutes.
10:22 Added 2 mls of Rennet diluted in ¼ cup of non-chlorinated water.
Floc of 15:30 In the book I'm using they say a Floc factor of 2 but I believe that the Floc factor should be 5.0 to 6 Therefore from 77 minutes to 92 minutes.
Cut time then 11:40... Keeping @ 32 Deg C.
Keeping my fingers crossed..
Back soon :)
11:40 Curds Cut
Let rest for 10 minutes – time to rinse off the cheese cloths and get the colander and boards ready.
This is where the fun starts. Getting the bundle of curds all sorted and back into the pot.
12:00 My lovely wife helped with the curd bundle and it looks like I'm really getting there.
Tighten the knot again in 1 hour and then let sit for another hour and let the bundle sit in the whey. The pH after this stage is 6.2 – 6.4
Looks like it is going to be a long night.
My first stilton knot in a pot !! They is a lot of whey coming out so I suppose it's working.
-- Mal
Good luck! I did a small blue and was surprised at how little drying time the recipe called for. The skin as quite sticky for weeks. It'd be interested to know how dry you take yours, as it seemed a tad odd to me putting it in so wet.
Shane
Who's recipe are you following? I used the WACheesemaking one and it went pretty good. https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10476.0.html (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10476.0.html)
I used the blue vein cheese recipe out of Mad Millie's Specialty Cheeses recipe book (http://www.madmillie.com/MORE/Downloads.html (http://www.madmillie.com/MORE/Downloads.html)). It was only a 2L batch. I'll take a look at the recipe you've used.
Shane
@Slayer.. I'm using the recipe from the 'Mastering artisan Cheese' but I have made a few adjustments. Seeing as I have no idea what she calls 'Single Strength' Rennet I went back through my notes and to get a coagulation time of about an hour using my 200 IMCU rennet, when 1/4 tsp of questionable rennet wasn't going to cut it. I also increased the cream as I had calculated to get anywhere near 6% fat I would need about 1 litre(1 QT) of the local 35% fat cream. In the end 2 mls gave me a the Floc time of 15 min 30 secs so not too bad.
Although I got a clean break with my cut time, when I cut the curds, the whey was whiter than I normally would have liked - will use the 6 Multiplication factor next time. As I have no access to the culture she uses I used the ever steady Flora Danica. It acidifies well and has a great combination of cultures to generate some nice flavour notes as they do their thing.
The only way to test the pH is using the 'Duo Test' strips but there is no way to get 6.36 !! I get 6.2 or 6.5 so somewhere in between is just a guess.
This is going to be an interesting journey..
--Mal
is now 2:15 pm and I have pH of about 5.9 so may be this going work. I didn't want to over press the curd bundle with weigh on the top as some people do. So I unwrapped the bundle and checked the curd was knitting well, which it was, and that there was no big puddle of whey in the centre, and there wasn't. All good so far. Retied the bundle refreshed the water in the outer pot in order to keep the inner pot @ 32. Re-tied the bundle and actually turned it upside down so the pressure of the knot applies a bit of pressure to the bundle.
Photos to follow..
-- Mal
My little bundle of joy !!
First one is the second hour tied up and the other is re-tied and turned upside down - the knot it on the bottom.
Lets check in a couple of hours ...
Till Then.
--Mal
Ozzie,
Maybe you can answer a question about Flora Danica that I have asked before on the forum. Hansen says to crush before using---which would almost certainly change the volume if dry measuring rather then weight. How much and how did you measure it?
https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,13243.msg102064.html#msg102064 (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,13243.msg102064.html#msg102064)
Yo. Q ! I suppose this is a 'It Depends' answer. The FD I get is very granulated and yes they do say to crush the larger granules. Here is what I do. I get the package and make sure it is dead cold frozen. My wife has a 3 foot rolling pin she uses for rolling out fondant for cakes. I place the package on the bread board and roll the crap out of it. by then it has defrosted. I then transfer the entire contents of the packet into a sterile jar (like the ones you pee into at the doctors). I then get another jar and count the number of dashes (from the mini spoon measures) I get when transferring it into the other jar. The packs I get are good for 500 litres and from there its a simple ratio. FD is always going to be clumped so I wouldn't get too hung up on the exact amount. In my last lot it came out that 4/5ths of a dash measure for 10 litres. But who can measure that so 1 dash does it for me.. Again I wouldn't get to fussy .... It's cheese !!
Hope that helps..
--Mal
Well, the pH only got to around 5.3 by 9:00pm last night so I made the decision to leave it overnight in the pot. In the morning the pH was approx. 4.7 - if the Duo Test Strips can be believed. But pH is not the whole story. I broke the curd ball into about 1 inch bits and added 2.5% (36 grams) by weight of salt and packed it into the cheese form on the last photo. But the smell was what surprised me the most. It was a wonderful cheesy sweet milk aroma and the curds had a wonderful creamy texture. The little one is an experiment !! I'm going to use the little one to gauge the mould development and overall performance of the ripening.
Going to turn these two 4-6 times today and then 4 times over the next 4 days before smoothing them over and putting them in their little 'Cave'. I'll try and keep the photos up to date.
--Mal 8)
That sounds good Mal... I look forward to seeing this progress.
Now that we are coming up to the school break I must get in and make some more cheese. ;D
Looks good Mal (http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/images/smilies/smilie_thumbsup.gif)
which strain of PR are you using?
I used PR/PV, I have bought this twice and have had two totally different tasting and outcomes
the wife and I love the taste of our last Stilton, I must get another one going in the near future ;D
QuotePV strain: Very fast growing blue culture with strong tolerance to salt. Used to make Blue cheese including Danablu, Roquefort and strong Gorgonzola. Characteristic properties are the very piquant aroma and a very good creamy consistency. The 2.5 dose packet will make approximately 300 4 in.(11cm) Blue cheeses. Use 1/32nd-1/16th tsp.(.14g-.07g) for 1-5 gal.(3.75liters-19 liters) of milk. You will also need to use Mesophilic Starter and Rennet.
PA Strain: Medium-fast growing blue culture used to make a milder Blue cheese including Roquefort. Characteristic properties are the very piquant aroma and a slightly tough consistency, longer shelf life; excellent for hard blue cheese. The 2.5 packet will make approximately 300 4 in.(11cm) Blue cheeses. Use 1/32nd-1/16th tsp.(.14g-.07g) for 1-5 gal.(3.75liters-19 liters) of milk. You will also need to use either Mesophilic or Thermophilic Starter and Rennet.
PS Strain: Medium-fast growth rate, a mild blue taste. Use this strain to make mild blues with that blue-green color. Can be used along with Penicillium Candidum(HP6 recommended).
I'm not sure of the strain of PR - Blue... I hope :o So, it's 3 days since I placed it in the hoop and been dutifully flipping it 4 times a day. I removed it from the hoop last night and smoothed it up and it has been placed in it's ripening box. The texture was still spreadable but firm, the smell was undeniably Cheesy and creamy. I sampled a bit that fell off during the smoothing and the salt level was wonderful. When the outside blues ups I'll pierce it. I'll post pictures of the cheese so far when I get time...
--Mal
Congratulations on being brave enough to attempt this! I am biding my time and making yummy hard cheeses before I do bloomy or blue cheeses.
WooHoo... I see blue !!.
Only little bits but its happening.
Attached are the progress photos.
1. Out of the form
2. Comparison size.
3. All Smoothed up
4. In it's house..
just tasted a little of the cheese crumbs and if they are an indication of things to come.. I wonder why I waited so long to make on of these.
They look great to me. Out of interest what mould did you use for the larger of the two cheeses? I'm assuming the smaller one is a camembert mould?
Thanks
Shane
The smaller one was a Cam mould - It was only 1/2 full - trying to use it as a bit of a control - but proably won't last the distance, I'll have to wait and see. The larger was a "Hard CHeese" suitable for up to 1 kg and I think I got it from CheeseLinks. I had a look on their site this morning but couldn't find it. I'll keep searching....
The Blue is progressing well and I'll see if I can get a photo this evening.
--Mal
Thanks Mal. I have their 2 kg hard cheese mould. I might try and get the 1kg one next time.
Shane
Found it
http://www.countrybrewer.com.au/products/Hard-Cheese-Mould-%252d-800g-with-Pressing-Plate.html (http://www.countrybrewer.com.au/products/Hard-Cheese-Mould-%252d-800g-with-Pressing-Plate.html)
If I had taken my time it would have held the 8 Litre make just fine with little wastage. I just have to pack it better :)
Merry Christmas and safe(and saner) 2015.
--Mal
Thanks Mal. That one looks good. I'll add that to my next shopping list.
Merry Christmas to you also. The new year is shaping up to being an interesting one.
Shane
Well, its day 12 and there is no doubt - it's a blue ! One thing I noticed is that the smoothing up part needed a bit of work but in my own defence the little one was a bit difficult to do. and that with there being little weight during the flipping stage it didn't settle as well as the larger one. I know that sounds a bit obvious but this milled style doesn't equate well to the smaller forms without some pressing.
Think that's why it looks a little dry.
The larger one is going great.. There is condensation within the container and without anyway to measure the RH I'm only guessing. Each has a few colonies of Blue with the a lighter growth with it. This I've since found out is one of the stages of growth of the PR, where the white is the mat growth and the blue/green colour is from the spores. So all in all I think it's going well.
Merry Christmas All
--Mal
Well, it 15 days and the blue is really going nuts. So I thought is time to pierce.
I did the small one and as expected is a bit dry and therefore started to crack as I inserted the stem of the thermometer. I got about 12 holes in the small area, so this will get blue really quick.
The main cheese was easier and got about 40 holes into it. I also tasted a bit of the paste from the centre and if it keeps up like this it is going to be wonderful. Creamy, slightly salty and getting sharp already. Yumm !!
--Mal
Hi Mal
It is going to get scarier and yummier, looks like it's coming along nicely :o
Well from all reports this is what it is supposed to look like. When does the rind start changing to that lovely brown ?
I re-pierced the cheese cos I like a lot of blue and I sort of hoping that I can wait for the 12 week mark. The edges are softening and the paste is smelling absolutely heavenly. The little one is still a bit of a hockey puck but the bigger one is coming along nicely. I hope...
Couple of questions then
1. is it safe to leave in my 10-12 deg C fridge for the duration ? or,
2. Do I transplant it into the 4 deg C fridge ? or,
3. Do I wrap it ?
My aims was for a nice rustic brown crusty rind. Are my aims achievable or should I just wrap it in foil ... ?
-- Mal
Quote from: OzzieCheese on January 11, 2015, 07:37:00 AM
Well from all reports this is what it is supposed to look like. When does the rind start changing to that lovely brown ?
I re-pierced the cheese cos I like a lot of blue and I sort of hoping that I can wait for the 12 week mark. The edges are softening and the paste is smelling absolutely heavenly. The little one is still a bit of a hockey puck but the bigger one is coming along nicely. I hope...
Couple of questions then
1. is it safe to leave in my 10-12 deg C fridge for the duration ? or,
2. Do I transplant it into the 4 deg C fridge ? or,
3. Do I wrap it ?
4. Do I scrape the side at this stage ?
My aims was for a nice rustic brown crusty rind. Are my aims achievable or should I just wrap it in foil ... ?
-- Mal
Hey Mal
my way may not be the right way, I haven't had one I couldn't eat and I have had some that I didn't care for and I have had some I wish I could replicate :P
all my experience is with Stilton style attempts.
so, my answers may not be relevant to your cheese ???
1. I have left all of mine in 55 deg cave for 90 + day's, had no problem.
2. the only time i transfer my cheese is after I cut and bag them, only a piece at a time while we eat them.
3. I don't wrap them I just vacuum bag them.
4. I absolutely never scrape any of the mold from a Stilton (unless it has a nasty rind.
I don't know if any of this helps it's just the way I do them.
H-K-J
Ozzie: You've created a monster! ;-)
Thanks for the info. Looks like I'll let Frankenstein be.
-- Mal
Hi Ozzie
I'm pretty new to this game but I do have some thoughts on measuring tiny amounts of Penicillium Roqueforti (or any other culture for that matter).
The first Stilton I attempted went entirely blue within about 3 days, as did the next. My problem was that I followed the recipe which stated I should add 1/8 teaspoon of the culture.
Having had the same problem twice I figured something was wrong so I had another look at the packaging and realised I had about 1 teaspoon left but the entire batch was enough to treat 500 litres. I had overdosed by a factor of about 6. I realised that there was no way I was ever going to be able to accurately measure the correct amount for a 6 litre batch
My solution, and no doubt the purists out there will shoot me down in flames, was to dilute the culture with powdered baby milk formula. (I only used the baby milk because I could not source normal dried milk).
I measured the amount of culture I had left and added several teaspoons of the dried milk and mixed it well. I can't remember the exact quantities now but basically I worked it so that when my recipe calls for 1/8 teaspoon that is what I add. Because it is diluted what I am actually adding is something like 1/50 teaspoon of Penicillium Roqueforti and about 1/8 teaspoon of powdered milk.
I figured, rightly or wrongly that adding that tiny amount of dried milk would not really make any difference particularly as it goes in right at the start and 1/8 teaspoon dried milk diluted in 6 litres of fresh milk was virtually insignificant.
All I can tell you is that my next effort, using the diluted mix worked out fine.
Guiseppe
Don't know if it will help Mal but you can comepare the outwards appearance to the one I did here (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10696.30.html). They gor through some scary stages.
@ Guiseppe. I'm not sure what the effect would be but I do know that other culture suppliers pack their cultures with filler to make it easier to measure. The packet of PR I use is so concentrated that the entire foil pack had no more than 1/2 teaspoon in it and was sufficient for 250 litres of milk. I used the barest tip of a steak knife for this make.
@ Al. Without a cheese trier I don't know what is happening inside my cheese. How long did yours take ? I was hoping to have a nice brown crust by now but it's still blue and white fluffy - is this ok or do I need to move it to a cooler enviromnet ?
-- Mal
I kept mine in the cheese cave at 54 F except for 1 hour a day when I left it out in the room at 70 F.
Ok... I now have another issue. After I pierced it I turned it and I looked at it last night - so two days - and it had started to slump and the ends of the are softer than the sides (mostly) Is it time to place it in the 4 Deg C Fridge to firm it up? These are uncharted waters for me. And if the cheese is softening already have I done something wrong or something I can correct ? The mini blue is not as soft but I think it is going to turn into a hockey puck before it is ready to eat..
-- Mal
Never came across that issue Mal. I had mine in the cave for a while before I pierced it. It has pretty much settled into its final state, exterior wise, before I pierced it and was fairly solid.
I had a similar issue with one of my first Gorgonzola Picantes. It was the first cheese I made with commercial (Dairygold) P/H Milk, and never did form a good curd. Anyway, it developed cracks and a serious lean so I did transfer it, box and all to my 40°F frig. I stopped turning it at that point, and opened the lid a little so it could dry out a bit. I ended up cutting it at 42 days. It had great veining in the interior and tasted really good. I vacuum bagged the rest of it in pieces. It still aged and got "spicier" as time went on. Just the blue stopped developing.
I know that's a different style blue, but hope it helps. Can you post a picture?
Larry
So at 37 days ... Here are the pictures of slumpy... The sides are still firm and the there is still condensation in the ripening box so something is still going on in there. But there is no rustic brown crusty rind as yet. This was one of my goals for this cheese.. Will it make it ?
Maybe I'm a little impatient
-- Mal
Oo, gnarnar.
It looks scary - and good! :-)
Let her run Mal that looks great :P
She ain't done yet, you may not get the browning your looking for, I am sure
You will be amazed with what does show up for the party.
As for the slumpyness, every one of mine have looked like this, so not to worry it's coming along nicely ;D
Here's a pic. of the cheese I mentioned above.
There's probably some nice brown crust under all that moldy stuff on yours. ;) Maybe a little less humidity and a little brush action???
Larry
Quote from: OzzieCheese on January 17, 2015, 12:57:48 AM
So at 37 days ... Here are the pictures of slumpy...
Looks good to me. Just because it has settled a bit does not mean that you have hit a slump in your cheesemaking. :)
Quote from: awakephd on January 17, 2015, 04:26:25 PM
Quote from: OzzieCheese on January 17, 2015, 12:57:48 AM
So at 37 days ... Here are the pictures of slumpy...
Looks good to me. Just because it has settled a bit does not mean that you have hit a slump in your cheesemaking. :)
and don't you dare brush that wonderful mold off (http://www.mycarforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/thumbsdown.gif)
Quote from: H-K-J on January 17, 2015, 04:43:32 PM
and don't you dare brush that wonderful mold off (http://www.mycarforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/thumbsdown.gif)
I thought that might get a reaction. >:D
Larry
The "moldy stuff" is what makes it taste great!! :o
Oh No !! I'm not touching the mould... I'll never be allowed to post here again if I did that :o.. Thanks for the encouragement. I'll make sure I keep the photos up to date..
Thanks
-- Mal
When are you cutting this baby, Mal? :)
Larry
When to cut ?? That is a question I'm not sure of.. Watching the Stilton make videos they say 12 weeks but I'm not make the size they are. So I made it on 12 Dec ... 6 weeks.. (42 days). The crust hasn't appeared and although I have a little case study going at the same time though I feel this is a lost cause. The big cheese is softening on the top and the sides are still firm so I'll take any advice I can get at this stage.. :) If I had a tryer I would be little more confident. My plan was to use the 'hockey puck' cheese as a bit of a measuring stick and let the main cheese go out to the full 3 months. Too Long ?? I'm unsure at this stage.
--Mal
It should still be OK at six weeks, as for the trier - do you have an apple corer?
That's a beauty, Bill! AC4U
Larry
Australia Day !! - Celebrating this wonderful, wide, wild and Beautiful place on Earth
Cheese update: it is now just over the 6 week mark for this make and I decided to put the "Test' Cheese to work.
Description: the blue is more Blue Grey with white:
Feel: The Cheese is displaying a certain 'give' in the way it feels - but not soft. The larger one is slightly more soft on the top.
Smell: there is no off smells and smells strongly of what a Blue smells like - just fresher, not moldy.
More in a bit :)
--Mal
Australia Day !! - Celebrating this wonderful, wide, wild and Beautiful place on Earth
As I'm really unsure of the best time to eat the larger blue - I decided see what other things I could do to the Rind to see if it would go nice and crusty. So decided to see what knocking back the blue one the outside would do. 1/2 teaspoon of salt for an exfoliating rub was the plan and one thing to note is although the outside seems dry to touch, as soon as you rub the mold you can feel there is still quite an amount of moisture under the matting.
I rubbed the cheese all over, carefully and then carefully brushed any remaining salt off the surface and is now back in the box for another 2 weeks. Don't fret - :o I've not done anything to the main cheese. One note: The Blue was not going to move very easily so all I managed was to take the top layer off !
At the two week mark I'll cut the small one to see what has happened inside.
-- Mal
Looks scary and gooooood! :-)
It looks like an aerial photograph of a jungle island. :) Mmmmm good!
Larry
If the larger one looks as good as that then you have a winner.
(Thanks for the cheese Larry)
I think now, that I can answer my own question !!. I've made cheese ! and by all accounts a damn good one. My First blue. Not having made one before and just going on the wonderful posting elsewhere in this forum, I cracked the 'Hockey Puck' today for lunch. It was something I've been putting off for the trepidation of venturing into the unknown. The results: AMAZING !
The first two images are just cut. The camera didn't do a good job as the paste is actually a creamy golden colour. The veining is about what I expected but the paste is not. The paste is firmish but soft and incredibly smooth - slightly salty and not too sharp. There isn't much rind but what of it there is has a slightly salty gritty (but dissolves in your mouth) type of feel.
The rind after I rubbed it with salt started to crust up but the whole environment was a little too wet as the outside of both cheeses was damp to the touch. BTW the larger
cheese ahs been placed back into the container after I washed and dried the ripening box and is back in the fridge.
The overall taste then is exactly as I imagined it to be. A back of the tongue PR taste, as only it can, it sort of dissolves into this Blue creamy slightly salty taste with the aftertaste of just a hint ripening going on. You still taste the salt and creamy paste and then there it is - that final tingle right on the tip of your tongue that is just what I was hoping for.
So what to pair it with ?
and for those Australians this beer is like blue cheese - you either hate it or love it - Coopers Pale Ale. It has a bitter hops that washes your mouth ready for the next bite of Blue cheese.
Blue cheese is my all time cheese love and today after three years, I have it !!
I'm sure the other cheese is going to be the same in a couple of weeks time but, in the future I'm going to continue the Hockey Puck size. This just worked so well.
Part of this success is to all you out there who watched, provided guidance are just as much a part of this success story. Please all, if I could, add a subliminal 'Cheese' to your count as you deserve it :)
Oh did I say how well this tastes ? -- AMAZING -- This is why we make our own cheese, because there is nothing like doing it yourself and 'Store bought' is just ..... nowhere.
-- Mal
Excellent Mal! A pale ale to you. 8)
I meant cheese...
May all your adventures be cloudy but fine. O0
ac4u
Congratulations Mal - your first blue cheese... And a perfect one!
The first couple of blues that I've made was really terrible. I think that I'm on the right track with the one that I'm currently ageing.
You have another cheese in your basket!
:-) Danbo
Thanks for the cheeses ! But I really feel honoured by the support of everyone else here who kept me on the straight and narrow. I finished off a 1/2 the cheese already - couldn't stop eating it !! Full now !! :) Wow ! what a journey !
-- Mal
WOW! Just WOW! Beautiful.
AC4U
Larry
See, I told you the ugly part tastes good! LOL Congratulations Mal on your first blue Mal!! AC4U ;D
Looks good Mal :o
AC4U ;D the larger one should be MMMMMMMmmmmmmmmMMMMMmmm!!!
Looking at the interior of your cheese is a perfect time to study the mechanics of the blue cheese. The roqueforti has only grown in the spaces between the curds and the areas left open by the piercing. For that reason we should strive to get the curd the right "hardness?" when making the cheese so when it presses itself together under its own weight it won't close up all of those crevices. That will make for more veining. Make sense to anyone else but me? LOL Be careful not to get them too dry or they won't bind under their own weight, and never press them.
Al, good points
I have aired in all the above directions and a few not listed :P
Me too! LOL
Quote from: OzzieCheese on February 01, 2015, 09:54:06 AM
Thanks for the cheeses ! But I really feel honoured by the support of everyone else here who kept me on the straight and narrow.
You are really helpful yourself!
:-) Danbo
Quote from: Al Lewis on February 01, 2015, 03:44:02 PM
Looking at the interior of your cheese is a perfect time to study the mechanics of the blue cheese. The roqueforti has only grown in the spaces between the curds and the areas left open by the piercing. For that reason we should strive to get the curd the right "hardness?" when making the cheese so when it presses itself together under its own weight it won't close up all of those crevices. That will make for more veining. Make sense to anyone else but me? LOL Be careful not to get them too dry or they won't bind under their own weight, and never press them.
Yep. That's exactly what we're trying to do. And that's why I like Gorgonzola Picante so much. It provides an opportunity to place hard curd on the inside for veining, yet softer curd on the outside to keep the thing intact.
Larry
Today is the great unveiling - Pics to follow. GOing to Vac Pack most of it and then time to get the Cube going.
Stand by :)
On tender hooks here!! :o
Can't wait to see... :-)
We're still waiting, where's the pics :(
Quote from: OzzieCheese on February 01, 2015, 06:59:57 AM
The overall taste then is exactly as I imagined it to be. A back of the tongue PR taste, as only it can, it sort of dissolves into this Blue creamy slightly salty taste with the aftertaste of just a hint ripening going on. You still taste the salt and creamy paste and then there it is - that final tingle right on the tip of your tongue that is just what I was hoping for.
A cheese to you, for this excellent description. I have really (really, really) enjoyed reading your story as it unfolded. 8)
Pictures!!!! We must have PICTURES!!! LOL We will not be denied!!! >:D
I so Sorry - I had a PC failure trying to convert them - I didn't mean to drive you all to therapy :) So here it is
Make date was 12th Dec 2014 - consumed date - started yesterday 8th Feb 2015.
1-2-3. As it came out of the container.
opps - 3 :)
I thought I'd wax lyrical about the wonderful aroma, firm yet still giving consistency, piquant yet smooth feel on the tongue, and amazing creaminess whilst still holding just a slightly salty and spicy after taste...
But I tease -- and I apologise for the quality of the images... Had to learn a whole new program to get the images down to size. I cut the whole thing in half and then into 6 wedges - not traditional I know but I think it shows off the veining nicely.
1. Cut in half
The texture was the same as the Hockey puck I opened two weeks ago. The top and bottom were showing the first signs of protein resolubalisation - going soft - the sides were firmer and very tasty. I know sometimes people say the rind is rather un-inspiring but in this case I beg to differ. The mould had almost totally died of and there the only thing left was little fungus remains. It was firm but not rubbery, as some say.
This image is of the wedges and showing what I think is a wonderful veining martrix. Each of the wedges is approx 200 gms
and a bit of a close up..
My lovely wife proclaimed this cheese as "top of the Class" (of my cheeses anyway) and has hence named it. I feel it deserves a name A) --- SHe dubbed it
"Silky Blue"
This has been one amazing journey and one that will be repeated.
-- Mal
Bagged and tagged
:)
Beautiful cheese, Mal! AC4U.
When do you start your next one?
Larry
I could practically taste it. It looks so perfect - well worth a cheese!
Congratulations! :-)
Very nice. :-) Another cheese for your efforts.
Shane
Thank you all for the cheeses. I'll start another shortly.
-- Mal
Yep -- deserving of a cheese!
Excellent Mal
The veining looks great and it looks very creamy.
Have another cheese this one looks like a great success 8)
You are all very kind ... I couldn't have done this with the excellent advise offered by those more learned than I. There are a few lessons to be had here and the first is Trust. The process works just sometimes it is unexpected and not to what the time frame you expect but it works. The second is moisture and wiping out the container needs to happen more often. Three, learn to read the cheese - the softening on the ends should have been sufficient to realise that it was getting close to ready. And, finally, fell free to experiment. I'm planning on my next ones to 6 week ripening slightly larger versions of the Hockey Puck - it worked - tasted wonderful and it will allow my to do Blues and other cheese at the same time without too much concern of the PR 'Escaping'.
Thanks again for all your help - :)
-- Mal
Fine looking interior!! AC4U my friend!!