CheeseForum.org » Forum

I brought this up from the cave today. Both have a natural rind. A natural rind Parmesan aged 10 months. Even though it is a little young it has a rich Parmesan flavor with no hint of goat 

Good for you! Both your cheeses look perfect.

It looks fantastic.   Congrats How hard is the rind?

The rind is very hard. The other cheese I brought up was a Swiss, the rind on that one was also very hard but it had some give to it and felt kind of like wax. It was very interesting because I cared for both rinds in the same way.

Christy-that is a nice lookin goat parm. The rind development look good even though you mentioned that it was pretty hard. Congratulations

Great looking cheese Christy your on a roll! First time I think I have given two thumbs in an hour to the same person!

Question 1: Is it the light or do all the aged goat cheeses always have a tan coloring as oposed to the yellowish cow milk cheeses?

Question 2: How do you get rid of the "Goaty" flavor?

Beautiful cheese!

The rinds are tan-ish but the cheese is white-ish

Since goaty flavor is caused by the breakdown of capric and caprylic fatty acids, my goal is to prevent breakdown. I start by filtering the milk after each doe is milked. the tote is set in a well chiller, like the ones used for wine. The milk is cooled to 38F within minutes of leaving the goat. I am also careful to never agitate the milk. So, quick chilling as well as my breed, Nubians and what I feed them all work together for a very clean tasting milk that rarely gives me goaty cheese.

I should add that this is just my cheese making style and many people LOVE the goaty flavor. 

Thank you Christy. I wasn't crazy about the goaty flavor. If I ever spring for more goats milk I will have to ask how they handle it.

looks good!  My goat parm efforts have generally been kind of greasy on the outside (due to the butterfat)  I assume yours is full fat , and since you have nubians, pretty rich. What time of year did you make it, and how do you deal with the butterfat  ?

This was made in the spring with early lactation milk, full fat. I was able to begin rind development in a cool room before moving it to the cave. I have only had problems with oozing butterfat when temps are too warm.

I'm very impressed.  My first parmesan is unbreachable it is so hard.  I haven't tried Wayne's idea of sterilizing a hack saw to cut into it to see if there is something left at the center, though.

Beautiful!

There is a special knife for cracking parm wheels.  I'm sure there is a video if it on Youtube, but if works like a splitting maul.

I suppose this is the knife FRANCOIS is talking about