So I decide to try my first Blue Cheese after looking at many threads on this forum. I follow Al Lewis advices on mold https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,13807.0.html (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,13807.0.html) and other steps from this thread. I also took notes from the linuxboy's site.
ok so I did a 4 gallons make and added heavy cream( don't remember how much)
1/4 tsp Danisco Choozit MA 19 and 1/4 tsp Flor Dania . At first I was going to use only the choozit one but looking at other threads I added the Flor Dania
1/4 tsp CHR Hansen PR1 (Penicillium Roqueforti)
1 tsp Calf rennet
I follow the steps from the wacheese site
It took long to show some signs of blue compare to other threads. I started to see some signs by the 7th day. Today I took the last picture and is the 10th day. Don't know if my PR is not too aggressive or that I have struggle to keep at least 90 of humidity
Felku, I'll chime in with the vast wisdom of a total of two blues made, one of which is still aging ... :)
7 days to seeing blue does not seem excessive to me, but 1/4 tsp of PR does! I don't think you need to use that much, and it is relatively expensive, so you may want to cut back ... for the 4 gallon Gorgonzola recipe that I made recently, I only used 1/32 tsp. Of course, that was in just 2 gallons of the make, but still -- plenty of blue showed up.
Hopefully others with greater experience will offer corrections or other input!
Quote from: awakephd on April 23, 2015, 04:51:00 PM
Felku, I'll chime in with the vast wisdom of a total of two blues made, one of which is still aging ... :)
7 days to seeing blue does not seem excessive to me, but 1/4 tsp of PR does! I don't think you need to use that much, and it is relatively expensive, so you may want to cut back ... for the 4 gallon Gorgonzola recipe that I made recently, I only used 1/32 tsp. Of course, that was in just 2 gallons of the make, but still -- plenty of blue showed up.
Hopefully others with greater experience will offer corrections or other input!
Thanks for that advice I was following the recipe from linuxboy site and now that I re-read he says it could be less. Something I will take on consideration for next make. I'm starting on this so I still have many question. Any advice is welcome.
New update , the cheese is already pierced. Something that I notice and don't like is that when I was piercing the cheese some pieces were falling.
Another update
Looks great apart from that one spot that didn't smooth over. Great job!! AC4U!!
Quote from: Al Lewis on April 28, 2015, 12:41:51 AM
Looks great apart from that one spot that didn't smooth over. Great job!! AC4U!!
Yes, that is what I don't like from this make. I think I let the cheese dry too much since as you can see temp here is hot and that was in the morning.
It should be fine. Just be careful when piercing and only pierce to the center.
Thanks for the advice
Quote from: Al Lewis on April 28, 2015, 02:20:42 AM
It should be fine. Just be careful when piercing and only pierce to the center.
Al, say more about this -- is this to keep from getting crumblies? For my grand total of two cheeses, I've pierced through (side to side and top to bottom); my sense is that the crumblies occurred as I pulled the skewer out, not as I poked through the other side.
Of course, if there is another reason ... then I've been doing it wrong!
If you have loose curds in the sides or bottom there is a good chance they will push out of the cheese when piercing all of the way through. It can also cause a large void in the center of the cheese where all of the piercings cross over. If you pierce every 1-1.5", both around and top to bottom, and stop just short of the center you will hit all of the areas you need to with air. I pierce at an upward angle in that grid and then pierce through he same holes in a downward angle on the second piercing always stopping short of the center. If you watch the machine they use to pierce these at the creamery you will see that it does the same thing. Watch this video and pay close attention to the piercing machine at the 3:42 mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unVdU4MgRAA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unVdU4MgRAA)
You raise a good point -- I had worried about all my piercings crossing over the middle. What I did to try to compensate was to pierce a few across the diameter, but mostly across a shorter chord, something like the picture below. The picture is actually misleading from what I hope I accomplished -- since I too was piercing at an angle, in 3-d space these lines shouldn't actually intersect as they appear to in the 2-d picture.
Or at least, that's what I was hoping that I was accomplishing. :) But I'm not sure but what your way isn't both easier and better!
Works well for me!! ;D
Nice, I like to see all this information. It helps a lot. Ok here is an update. The cheese has already 20 days , should I pierce at the sides?
I would certainly pierce it at this point.
Quote from: Al Lewis on May 01, 2015, 09:29:42 PM
I would certainly pierce it at this point.
Thanks for replying, I will pierce it tomorrow when I get the cheese to hour I put it to get air.
Another update, this one already have 28 days
Looks like it is coming along nicely, have you pierced it??
AC4U looking like a true blue ;D
Quote from: H-K-J on May 10, 2015, 04:24:44 PM
Looks like it is coming along nicely, have you pierced it??
AC4U looking like a true blue ;D
Thanks , yes I pierced, although the holes seems kind of small. I used the thermometer to pierce the cheese.
The long cheese thermometers work great for piercing. Just be sure to pierce every 1"-1.5" at an angle. Usually 30° up and down. Looking great!!!
Quote from: Al Lewis on May 11, 2015, 01:30:50 PM
The long cheese thermometers work great for piercing. Just be sure to pierce every 1"-1.5" at an angle. Usually 30° up and down. Looking great!!!
Thanks, I will do that today.
On another thread, Al offered a great technique: Pierce almost to, but just short of, the center of the cheese (obviously, this will be approximate) -- the idea is to avoid creating a large void in the center where all of the piercings overlap.
I have tried to avoid the center because looking at other threads. I hope it ends well is my first cheese greater than 2 gallons.
Quote from: awakephd on April 23, 2015, 04:51:00 PM
and it is relatively expensive
There's an inexpensive way to generate your own mould: https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,13658.msg103504.html#msg103504 (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,13658.msg103504.html#msg103504)
Well this already have almost 6 week. I wonder how it looks in the inside.
Quote from: felku on May 22, 2015, 03:20:10 AM
Well this already have almost 6 week. I wonder how it looks in the inside.
Have knife, will travel! ;)
Will probably cut it next week.
Quote from: Kern on May 22, 2015, 03:52:12 AM
Quote from: felku on May 22, 2015, 03:20:10 AM
Well this already have almost 6 week. I wonder how it looks in the inside.
Have knife, will travel! ;)
To Puerto Rico?
This has already 7 weeks. I'm thinking in cut it but don't know if wait a little more. I think I read someone recommending 7 weeks. Anyway I have a question about the rind, if a rind like this edible? It looks scary for my taste.
Quote from: felku on May 29, 2015, 04:58:15 PM
This has already 7 weeks. I'm thinking in cut it but don't know if wait a little more. I think I read someone recommending 7 weeks. Anyway I have a question about the rind, if a rind like this edible? It looks scary for my taste.
Member Sailor likes 90 day affinage. He is also a big fan of the rind. Check out his signature (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=662).
-Boofer-
Interesting thanks for pointing that out.
Well since I don't have a trier I used an apple peeler to see how the inside is looking.
Looks really good :P I want some ;)
May as well peel an apple to go with the cheese. Apples, blue cheese, walnuts, raspberry vinegrette, yum ;D ;D.
Thanks, I think I will be cutting the cheese by the end of the week. Save a piece in the fridge for eating and vacum seal the other piece.
By the way I ended peeling an apple for my daughter.
A CHeese your excellent looking blue !
-- Mal
Fine looking blue!! Great job! AC4U!!
Thanks, I couldn't wait and just opened. Don't have a lot of experience with eating Blue Cheese but this taste good, a little salty but still enjoyable
The movie (your last post) was better than the preview (peeler post). So, AC4U! ^-^
Quote from: Kern on June 05, 2015, 12:46:51 AM
The movie (your last post) was better than the preview (peeler post). So, AC4U! ^-^
Thanks, I'm glad it was 4 gallons make because, I made the mistake of open the cheese when I had visits from my family. You can imagine what happened
Blue cheese smilin at me nothin but Blue cheese do I see (http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/images/smilies/smilie_thumbsup.gif) sorry couldn't resist ::)
BEEutifull looking cheese, veining looks just right,I bet it tastes wonderful :P
ACFU (http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/images/smilies/smilie_thumbsup.gif)(http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/images/smilies/smilie_thumbsup.gif)(http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/images/smilies/smilie_thumbsup.gif)
Quote from: felku on June 04, 2015, 11:25:53 PM
Thanks, I couldn't wait and just opened. Don't have a lot of experience with eating Blue Cheese but this taste good, a little salty but still enjoyable
Put a big old slice on some beef and cook it so the beef is medium rare and the cheese just melts. Then you're in cheese heaven! :P :P :P :P :P
Oh that is so funny... Oh more blue. I left mine out over 80 days as OMG what a great taste and YES the rind is so edible.
-- Mal
Yes , it taste great, I haven't taste the rind, but I will eventually do it lol.
The beef thing sounds delicious and I will follow the advice.