Started this cheese 2-20-2012,molded on 2-21-2012, smoothed and caved on 2-26-2012. Then a pic from1 week post caving at 50 deg. P roqueforti source was a Tuxford and Tebbert creamery Stilton.
Looks like I can finally post pics. Thanks Boofer!
HI T-Bird, your stilton looks great. I made one yesterday but the recipe didn't mention anything about smoothing the rind. Can you elaborate please.
I got the procedure from this board and from a series of Stilton cheese making videos that someone posted here a couple of years ago. Basically what I do is when I unmold the cheese after flipping 2 times a day for 5 days at room temp I take a very clean knife and scrape the curds to smear them over each other to form a skin when they dry more in the cave. This helps to seal the cheese and make a pretty rind. Another thing counter to my recipe is I don't pierce initially, I wait 5 weeks and I only pierce once. I also don't periodically scrape the mold off the rind like my recipe called for. All procedures I learned here.
when I smoothed mine over I just rubbed it by hand until there were no cracks or holes, just kind of rubbed and sealed the outside
Looks lovely!
I can't wait to try one of these one day soon :).
Thanks for those tips, I'll try them and report back.
Quote from: T-Bird on March 04, 2012, 05:51:02 PM
Looks like I can finally post pics. Thanks Boofer!
It's great to have a good Support Staff, huh? Hurray for your daughter!
Great looking cheese, T-Bird. Will watch this one with curiosity. How long will you age it?
-Boofer-
I plan to age it 9 weeks. That has worked well for the last 3 that I have made. When I started (2008), I was aging for 12 wks because that is the time that I read that was proper, but as soon as I was able to get a method that would give me a good blue penetration into the paste, 12 wks was too long- too much "eating of the cheese" by the mold for my cheese size . I was however, using generic mold powder then. I began using Stilton harvested mold at the same time I decided to shorten my ageing time. I have read that blues "just get better with time" but I don't know if that includes the small "home owner" style cheeses that I make.Maybe with this more cheese specific molds, I could age longer and get a better result? My Christmas Stilton posted here was typical of my last 3 that I made and didn't know how to post. I think that is about the best that I can hope for given my skill level and equipment ect. So, after all that-9wks.
Pierced today at 5 weeks, smells good. I can feel some voids with the skewer , hopefully it will turn out! At least now I can send pics.
Is it my laptop or did it turn purple?
Ha! it does look a little purple!-it a'int purple in person. I'm still getting this whole lighting, picture taking thing together.
Mine always looks yellow. Maybe the lights alot of butterfat too.
I does look kind of neat in purple though. ;D
Opened this rascal today! Tastes as good as it looks. This is such a cool hobby!
wow! That looks fantastic!
Great blue coverage, T-Bird.
Good job.
-Boofer-
Excellent T-Bird :P
I have one that is about 10 days behind yours. I am trying to let it age for 12 weeks, an earlier one I made we only waited 7 to 8 week's ( it was all my wife's fault ::))
Having one to eat make's it easier to stay away from this one ;)
great job! it looks deliciously blue.
HKJ I saw yours and posted on the thread- looks good. When I let my cheeses go for 12 wks, they were overripened once I got my internal bluing better. I guess it's because I only make a 2# cheese. Mine are much better now that I ripen for 9wks. I think this cheese was ready last week tho. May try the next one 8 wks. This cheese was only pierced 4wks before opening and still got all that veining.
What a great looking result! A cheese to you. I'm really hoping my adventure into the wide blue yonder is as successful.
- Jeff
Just finished this cheese I thought it was fitting to post notice of it's demise like I did it's creation. I started to post a pic of the empty wrapper but it was too sad. :'(
Quote from: T-Bird on June 19, 2012, 08:54:28 PM
Just finished this cheese I thought it was fitting to post notice of it's demise like I did it's creation. I started to post a pic of the empty wrapper but it was too sad. :'(
RIP O'L Blue :'(