I started another blue in October based on the recipe for Rindless Blue from Caldwell's book but using mould culture prepared from a commercial blue last year.
The make notes are as follows:
Milk: 8l Fleurieu Jersey pasteurised, non-homogenised. P = 3.3%, F = 3.8%
Cultures: MM100 mesophilic, recommended dose (2/5 tsp - dash); Penicillium Roqueforti (cultured on sourdough bread from Adel Blue*)
Calcium Chloride: 2.5 ml dissolved in 50 ml of water
Rennet: 1.5ml animal rennet (140 IMCU) dissolved in 30 ml of water
- Heated milk to 32C added P Roqueforti culture and sprinkled starter culture on top. Left for 2 min.
Stirred in cultures for 3 min.
Allowed to sit for 35 min.
Stirred in CaCl2 and allowed to sit another 5 min.
Stirred in rennet.
Allowed to stand and checked for flocculation (19 min). Use a multiplier if 4x to calculate a coagulation time of 76 min. (Target 2 hours.) Cut after 90 min at which time the curd mass was very firm and pulling away from the sides of the container.
Cut to 2-2.5 cm
Stirred gently every 10 min over 60 min and allow to settle for 10 min.
Transferred to cloth lined colander and mixed in ½ tsp salt.
Transferred to lined moulds with follower on top but no weight.
Drained for 2-3 days at room temp. Turned at 1, 3, 6, 19, 28 and 44 hrs.
Unmoulded to draining rack at 57 hours after transfer to moulds. Rubbed 2tsp of salt into the cheeses, divided according to weight (~900g and 300g). Salting done in two stages, 10 min apart. Kept at room temp (24-20oC).
One day later, salting was repeated.
After another day they were moved to the aging space. Temp ~13C. Humidity supposed to be about 95% but, in reality, all over the place from about 805 TO 99 %
Pierced after 9 days. Pierced again after another 2 weeks.
Washed several times with a strong vinegar brine to reduce wild moulds and BL. Occasionally moved to a less humid environment for short periods of time. Scraped once at about 2 weeks.
Smaller cheese opened at 72 days. Larger cheese opened at 73 days, quartered and waxed.
The resulting cheese has turned out well. It is probably a little drier than the recipe intended due to low humidity at times during the affinage but still good eating. It is also not really rindless and should perhaps have been scraped rather more often although this, again, is not a real problem.
Looks great - I'm hoping my efforts come somewhere near yours.
-- Mal
Wow. That looks ugly. :o Have a cheese.
Thanks Andrew, Mal & Stinky.
Sorry for being slow to respond - out of town for Christmas.