Pretty happy even though there was a step or 2 that I was not prepared for.
Full album https://imgur.com/gallery/I87sUqx
Wow, why an incredibly well knit rind. Nice work!
Thanks. I've been having pressing issues since I bumped up to a 8 in mold (M2).
awakephd sorted me out.
Quote from: awakephd on February 01, 2019, 04:07:17 PM
And you are quite right - going from 6" to 8" molds reduces the psi (for the same weight applied) by a factor 9/16 - nearly a factor of 2. Again, my apologies for telling what you already know, but wanted to spell it out for the sake of others who may read this but not know. :)
Glad it helped! And AC4U for a lovely cheese.
Now comes the hard part - aging it for 2-5 years. :)
I think the mass and aspect ratio will prohibit a long aging. The plan was one year and adjust the recipe. I'm watching the weight lose.
Weigh in. What lose is expected?
It will lose a fair bit - this is a very dry, hard cheese, after all. That said, I do think the only way to age it for extended periods is with some sort of seal to keep from drying out to a brick. I age mine in vacuum bags, and yes, it does actually work - not as authentic, but after 2-3 years, lots of flavor and the texture is right on the money.
I'll hold as long as I can 8) The edges will dry faster so I might use some olive oil on the edges like chap stick. Later on I'll use OO over the whole wheel if required. I could bind it but I'd rather not.
My wheel size has outgrown my vac system. This was pressure to create a better environment so it's a good thing. 85% RH @ 54 F is in play.
Image is my large fridge cave.
Looks nice! For the larger wheels if you want to you can join the vac bags together and seal all but one corner. Then vac it thru that corner and seal .
Ah, yes, the problem outgrowing the bags. I developed a way to combine bags into an octagonal shape to allow a very large cheese while still being able to seal each seam - it's somewhere here on the forum. If I get a chance I'll search it out.
33 Day Update
It's hanging in there. I don't do anything to it now except flip a couple times a week. Maybe brush off some blue dust but that's been a while.
It's got some swelling which was not requested but it lives in a commune without protection so...
Minor pocks and pits.
Watching the weight lose (3/4 lb so far) See graph.
Might be time for some olive oil it's not screaming for it. Maybe 45 days.
Hmmm ... surprised to see any swelling if you did not put any PS in. That may indicate blowing ... not so good.
I read an article (maybe wiki) and watched videos on the parmesans made in Italy.
You can google the information. Seems like they started with 100 lb wheels and when they were finished they were 83 lbs. So they lost 17% of their weight in a perfect environment. So that's what I do, measuring the weight loss.
Yours seems to be at 12-13% weight loss (moisture loss) so far. Nice job on it! Parmesan needs to age so long to get some really good flavor going, it is nice to have some confidence that the moisture is 'just right'.
I noticed that the rind on the parmesan was rock hard when it finished drying and I vac packed or waxed it. When it finished aging, the rind was rehydrated to some extent and not rock hard anymore, a nice texture. I've made about 10 or so of them (3 lbs each), some without lipase, some with mild lipase, some with strong lipase, they are all very good.
I suspect the LH100. Consider the attached image from today. The Gruyere and the Parm both got LH100.
I've made a about 10 Gruyere and my avatar Asiago. All of them TA61 only. I've never had swelling like this.
Does it look like blow or eye development?
I read hear that the TA61 needs balancing with LH100 so I gave it a go. I have a new 7.75 lb Asiago in the same boat.
My next rotation I'll exclude the LH100 from the three thermophilic cheeses. That should answer it.
To the best of my knowledge, LH100 does not produce gas to any significant degree. The "aroma" mesophilics (MD88, Flora Danica, etc.) produce a little, but nowhere near enough to provide that sort of swelling. The only desirable agent that gives that sort of swelling, as best I know, is Proprionic Shermanii. If you didn't add that, I would really, really be worrying about early or late blowing (depending on when it occurs).