• Welcome to CheeseForum.org » Forum.

Fourme d'Amberg #7 (my struggle for perfection)

Started by Boofer, November 01, 2017, 05:20:05 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Boofer

Status update: The electric blue from last week has faded into the background and the darker blue has settled in.

The ambient temperature in its cave is 51F/10.5C and inside its minicave the humidity hovers in the 90's.

Next Wednesday will mark 2 weeks since the first piercing, and I expect to pierce for the second time then.

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

Al Lewis

Making the World a Safer Place, One Cheese at a Time! My Food Blog and Videos

curiouser_alice

Boy would I love to taste this. Maybe I'll try to make some.

Boofer

Quote from: curiouser_alice on November 28, 2017, 05:30:56 PM
Boy would I love to taste this. Maybe I'll try to make some.
I agree with your profile comment "homemade is better". And most of the time...less expensive and greater complexity of character. If you want some motivation, find a local cheese shop and check the pricing on a Taleggio or other fancy French or Italian cheese. You'll most likely be shocked at the $25/lb price tag. Plus which, that cheese could have been mass-produced.

Here in the forum we are a collection of aspiring cheese artisans. How do you make a great cheese? Same as getting to Carnegie Hall...practice, practice, practice. Over time, we transition from sour, crumbly efforts to sweet, creamy marvels. 8)

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

Boofer

Time to inject a little character wine into this cheese. This will mark only the second time I have injected my Fourme d'Amberg.

Here is my last effort.

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

GortKlaatu

Boofer,
This is so intriguing to me. I've not injected a cheese, never eaten one, or even seen one. 
Somewhere, some long time ago, milk decided to reach toward immortality... and to call itself cheese.

Boofer

One week later and time for a second injection. :D

I'm on a short timeline. I wanted to mature this and slice it for holiday gifting. Hopefully, ten more days will be adequate for this cheese to be cut & packaged. I could have left it at one injection, but the paste seemed dry enough to accept the second time around and still be ready in time.

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

Boofer

This is about the 7th week and I decided to cut into this cheese.

The paste is moist, but not excessively wet. It sticks just a little when being sliced. The blue has modestly developed more towards the center of the cylinder. This cheese has a traditionally mild blue character and this effort reflects that. The salt level is adequate and the creaminess is perfect. Amazingly, the double injection of wine has enhanced but not devastated the cheese character. The starting character was more dry than my previous effort and so may have readily accepted the extra moisture.

All things considered, this is a true delight to share in gifting and for my own personal gustatory pleasure. :P :D

It will continue to age in the colder fridge but the blue will go no further.

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

Al Lewis

#23
I just vacuumed up my Taleggio and Bleu d'Auvergne to prevent any cross contamination in my cave while they mature a bit more. I had planned on doing another Stilton but this cheese has intrigued me.  May have to "borrow" your recipe and try one.  I have a all mold that I may be able to use for this.  What size was the mold you used buddy?  BTW  AC4U for an outstanding result!!   P.S.  Disregard on the mold.  Turns out I have the mold that they sell to form this in. 5 1/8" X 11 3/4".  LOL
Making the World a Safer Place, One Cheese at a Time! My Food Blog and Videos

GortKlaatu

Somewhere, some long time ago, milk decided to reach toward immortality... and to call itself cheese.

H-K-J

Never hit a man with glasses, use a baseball bat!
http://cocker-spanial-hair-in-my-food.blogspot.com/

Boofer

Thanks for the cheeses, guys. :)

Al, that mould you mentioned is a lot wider and taller than the large Bûcheron mould I used.

Have you made any cheeses in that tall mould? What's the volume?

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

Al Lewis

Not yet.  I bought it to make small tall blues.
Making the World a Safer Place, One Cheese at a Time! My Food Blog and Videos