Made my first blue weekend before last. Ricki Carroll's recipe. I think I took it out of the mould too soon as it has slumped some what (but never mind - the second one last weekend is much better).
It now has a good coating of blue, but rather alarmingly, it looks a bit like a Camembert, with a wrinkly skin. Do you think I have cross contamination with Geo?
The recipe says to scrape the blue off after 30 days, but that is going to be tricky with this. Any recommendations?
Nice looking cheese for a first try! AC4U
Not sure if that is geo or not but if it is geo , you can try a brine wash with 3.5 to 4 percent wash and or cooler temps . geo likes it a little warmer than blue and like less salt than blue
Could be your curd is too wet
Air it out for an hour a day and the rind should form from the blue. Don't know if you smoothed it after taking it out of the mold but if you didn't it looks like the curd may have been a little too wet before molding. I normally leave mine in the mold until I can slide the mold up and down without the cheese deforming. Outside molds on blues can get scary but don't normally represent what's going on inside. AC4U!!
I agree with al Lewis , on the occasions that I have had curd too wet and the cheese wanted to slump I would let it dry in the mold for a day or few , this allowed the cheese rind to help hold up the inside.
Thanks everyone. What do you mean by smoothing after taking out of the mould?
What am I think trying to achieve by this?
Watch this from a master. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3o04QQCZTI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3o04QQCZTI)
Thanks for the link - very informative.
I think it is too late to smooth the first one, but I made a second a week later, so I tried to smooth that one (on day 9 so perhaps a little late?). Pics below for those interested.
Your curd looks much dryer in this cheese than the first one, so,it should age better .
AC4Y Lloyd for a nice cheese and BTW nice smoothing job.
John
Looking great! ;D
Well cracked these two open for Christmas.
First, the one that slumped and seemed to have toad skin (and is a bit of a stinker!) - made 5th November 2016
Inside was very creamy, which, together with the toad like skin, makes me feel I had some geo contamination, probably due to poor hand hygiene after turning cams. Taste was very strong blue - much too powerful for my wife, and a bit strong for me.
And this is the second one. Same recipe - made one week later, and kept in the mould for a day or so longer. Firmer, but still nice and creamy, and slightly milder. Will make this one again.
Wow! That's what I call sucess.I would be very proud if I'd made those... AC4U!
:) Danbo
Nice job. Same technique and culture mix?
Have a cheese.
-Boofer-
Quote from: Boofer on January 01, 2017, 04:14:00 PM
Nice job. Same technique and culture mix?
Basically the same. The second one had CaCl added (which I thought made little difference at the time), and it stood in it's mould for a day or so longer and had it's outside smoothed, which the first one did not. Both were supermarket unhomogonised, but pasteurised milk. Different supermarkets.
Great looking Blues Lloyd! After reading through this thread a definite job well done. AC4U
Nice blue!! Ac4U!
Ok so i think I have a similar problem that I did not dry the curd enough?
I started with a meso culture and a spike of a small piece of my favorite blue cheese
After a month the 'cheese' started to drip a yellow goo..see picture and tasted metallic.
Advice? I just purchased some blue mold.
Help!!
Basically you made a soft cheese that appears to have mostly b linens on it , and that is what softened it , next time a little more salt and leave it in the mold a little longer . This will allow more draining for a firmer curd and reduce acid a little more , giving the blue a little head start over the b linens. anything above about 2.5% salt slows down PC and b linens
Try airing it out of the fridge for a few hrs and see if the metallic taste goes away .