How long into the aging process do you wait before you sample?
thanks!
It really depends on the cheese type.
Sometimes I'll test (with a trier) early if I had a concern about salt levels or curd knitting, etc, and I might need to make an adjustment for later batches.
But if I am simply eager to sample it to see if it's ready to cut, I wait until it's predicted to be fully ready according to the recipe/normal aging length for that style.
So many cheeses do not even come close to resembling their final form until they have aged adequately. And so if they are sampled too soon you may encounter a plastic-y texture, bitterness, or other not so great traits that will correct with further aging. I simply haven't found any benefit to sampling early. But that may just be me :)
I'm new at this game too.... but I look at the recommended range of aging for the cheese, go at least as long as the shortest one, figure out a plan for the maximum I want to age, and then aim for four equal periods, at least the first time around.... For instance if a cheese recipe says age 3-6 months, but you can age it for a year or more, I would plan on eating 1/4 of it at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months, vacuum bagging the remainder each time to age further.... Based on the results of these widely spread tastings, and assuming we liked the result enough to repeat it, I would adjust what I do the next time....
As an example, our first Edam, in various recipes, said to age 1 to 6 months.... We tried it at 1, 2, 4 and 6 months, and decided there was a big improvement between 1 month and two, but almost no change from 4 months to 6.... For our second one (in about 10 days), we plan to age and sample it at 2, 3, 4 and 5 months.... If we wanted larger pieces (ie 1/2 a cheese) to eat each time, we might have chosen 2 and 4 months....
Bob
Yeah, I would hate to try a cheese too early and be severely disappointed simply because I did not wait long enough.
This cheese making schtick may help me develop some much needed patience.
Been there.
Did not like the results and therefore learned to be patient.
One of my first attempts was to make a Gouda. the recipe said it would be ready for tasting at one month of age. I actually believed it. :o
Cut it open. It was bitter and crumbly. Ended up throwing it out.
A year or two later, after much more experience under my belt, I tried it again. This time I waited three months. Results were much better... but not good enough. Now, I know that this cheese needs AT LEAST six months before cutting it open ... and my preference is for one or two YEARS before cutting it apart. I make a new wheel every six months so I have a steady supply of it ready to eat when the mood strikes and some aging away. ;D
Live and learn.
Wow... 2years? I cannot imagine waiting that long for ANYTHING! I would hate to wait two years just to break it open and find it's awful!
just imagine you made malt whisky - you aren't even allowed to call it whisky until its been in the cask for 3 years and its rarely sold before 8 years.