Hi guys,
I’ve been noticing a problem with my Stilton for the last week and even though I’ve tried several things, it doesn’t look like it’s going to make it.
Shortly after making this cheese I decided to go ahead and give it it’s first piercing and when doing so I caused a pretty large crack down one side of the log.
Over time, this crack has gotten worse and now the cheese has turned really barrel shaped (bulging in the middle) due to the size of the log and the pressure on this cracked place.
The initial crack has turned into two cracks and the cheese is just about ready to fall in half.
I tried pinning the crack together with sterilized toothpicks, which did work for awhile. It was only after giving the cheese another piercing that it began to fall apart.
The cheese itself is still very moist and the taste is unbelievable, even at this early stage. The problem is that it’s a leaning tower that is eventually going to collapse (probably sooner than later).
Here is my take on why this failure occured:
1. I didn’t smooth the cheese nearly well enough so that the natural rind could form. I did give it a cursory smoothing but had waited too long to do it and never got even close to a smooth surface. On my second Stilton (now in the cave) I smoothed the sides immediately upon removing from the mold and it has a perfectly smooth texture.
2. I pierced the cheese WAY too soon after making. I gave it the first piercing within a week of making the cheese before any type of a rind could begin to form. I’ve since read that a Stilton is to receive it’s first piercing after 4 weeks so this is not a mistake I will make again.
3. When I pierced the cheese I pierced it from top to bottom (all the way through) and from side to side (all the way through). Not only did I go past the midway point (as you are supposed to do) I also put way too many holes in the cheese. I’ve done a lot of reading about Stiltons since making this one and again, will not make these mistakes again.
All in all, I don’t consider this cheese to be an absolute failure. I am going to eat the cheese, even though it will be a month earlier than I had planned on doing. I have tasted some of the samples from the piercing needle and the taste is unbelievable and the texture is nearly perfect.
I am going to try to wait it out until Christmas Eve, unless the cheese collapses. Then I will take half of the wheel out to share with my dad and brother and then wrap the other half in foil and wait until New Years Eve.
I actually had considered wrapping the log in foil to see if this would help hold it together but I’ve read some horror stories about this method. The last thing I want to see is this thing start melting down as some have said theirs did.
As I said above, my second Stilton is in the cave and has been given the right surface to form a proper rind. With my newly found knowledge concerning Stilton cheese, I think this next one will turn out better. At least I hope so!
I’ll let you all know how this first one tastes, once I give in and give it a crack.
I hope by posting my mistakes, this will help someone who plans on making one of these cheeses in the future.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Dave
I thingk the whole story here is that u have learned allot so this cheese no mater what is/will not be a flop.
If u like bloomed cheese and plan of doing a few I suggest investing in cheese paper, I bought the biggest sheets (they were all the same price), they work well for the 4-5 gall batches.
Congrats on your success !!!
Yeah, I agree with you Neil….
I’m not totally depressed about this cheese not being perfect. I went into it pretty much blind and will still have an edible cheese for my efforts. As you said, I also learned a lot from making this one so all is not lost.
I have purchased some cheese papers which I have used with my attempts at Camembert. I’ll know within 2 or 3 weeks how those attempts have turned out.
Only another 5 - 7 weeks to go until I can see how my second Stilton turns out!
Dave
Dave I notice you are referring to your Stilton as a “log.” I’m wondering if you’re still making 4” diameter cheese? If so, that may also be a part of your problem. It sounds like you have a lot more height than diameter, which translates to weight per square inch of bottom area. You might try it with a 6” and see if it helps. That’s my 2 cents worth.
Rich,
I think you’re right. I have been using a 4” mold which turns out a 4” diameter x 7” high log. The cheese itself was holding together really nicely until I cracked it. Then it all went downhill from there.
Earlier this evening I ordered two different molds that I think might really help.
One of them is a 7-3/4” diamemter x 8” high hard cheese mold and the other is a 6-1/2” diameter x 5” high Tomme mold. According to the website they will do 5 gallon to 10 gallon and 4 gallon to 5 gallon respectively.
I plan on using the 6-1/2” diameter for the next Stilton I will be doing in a couple of weeks. Hopefully this will also get me closer to seeing success.
I mainly went with these molds becasue I want to start working with 4 - 7 gallon batches of cheese. I figure I can do a 7 gallon batch using two different cheese vats and then mixing the curd.
I recently purchased a 5 gallon heavy bottom pot that I’m going to try with direct heat. If the direct heat is too hard to control then I do have a large enameled pot I can use as a water bath.
My main reason for jumping to the larger size is in hopes that I can get a longer aging time without sacrificing texture. Also, I think the larger wheels will look really cool.
Thanks for the advice and as I said before, I think you are right on with your logic.
Dave
LOL, and last allot longer, a week instead of a day
U have to be careful with direct heat, the temp can jump quick, water bath is the best i found or a nice cast iron cauldron LOL. Thats the problem with doing bigger batches, controlling the temp. Guess it helps if the room temp is the same as the milk LOL.
You know, Neil….I honestly have a lot of trouble controlling the temp with a water bath. Not that it heats too quickly but that it heats too slowly.
I’ve always used a cheap set of stainless pots (really thin) for my cheesemaking but for some reason, I have to get the water about 20 degrees hotter than I want the curd to be. Most times this works okay, but there have been times that even 5 degrees warmer will cause my curd to overheat.
I’m thinking that direct heat will be a learning experience but at the same time I think it might be the better way to go. I will start by heating the curd on the lowest possible setting and see how quickly it raises the temperature. If it is too slow, I will increase slightly. If too hot, I will simply turn off the heat and let the curd temp. stabilize.
I’m not deluding myself into thinking this will be something that is easy but I think that once I get the feel for it, it will be just fine. I really want to start doing larger batches but I don’t want to have pots so big that they take up space in our living room.
As I said before, if direct heat is a problem, I do have an enameled pot that is large enough to work for a water bath. I am hoping this won’t be necessary though.
Tomorrow I plan on trying a Gouda over direct heat. It will be a typical two gallon batch, just in case I have trouble with it.
This is one of the easiest cheeses I’ve made and I know the process like the back of my hand. I’ll be sure to let you all know how this works out for me.
If it works well, my next try will be with a swiss in two seperate vats. One will be over direct heat (5 gallons) and the other in my typical water bath (with thin walled pot) 3 gallons.
If in fact this pot does work out, I’ve already given my wife fair notice that I’ll be spending another $50.00 on another one of the heavy bottom stainless pots. That way I can make a 10 gallon batch with both being done over direct heat.
I’m not sure she still feels as if artisan cheese is a bargain but she’s a good person and understands my need for a good hobby. Besides it’s been easier convincing her that I need $75.00 worth of cheese making supplies than it has been convincing her that the newest and best $250.00 racquetball racquet is exactly what I need to take my game to the next level.
Thanks for all of the input guys. I really do appreciate your opinions.
Dave
One more thing….
On the bright side, I gave my Stilton a flip a few minutes ago and it is still holding together.
I went back to my sterilized toothpick method and did pin it together, at least somewhat.
It’s turning out to be an ugly cheese but the smell is fantastic. I just really hope that there is some interior veining going on so that I can be proud of this when I cut it on Christmas eve.
Also, let me give you all a suggestion.
There is a brand of cracker, that my cousin introduced me to, that is perfect for not only blue cheese, but pretty much every cheese I’ve tried it with.
Look in your local supermarket for “Cracked Pepper and Olive Oil Triscuit”.
I can’t begin to tell you how well this cracker pairs with different cheeses. I’ve tried it with blue, swiss, cheddar, colby/jack and a typical holiday cheese ball. In every case, this cracker both brought out the flavor of the cheese while adding it’s own very distinct taste.
This flavor might not be compatible with every palate, but in my opinion it is the perfect cheese cracker.
If you are able to find them and give them a try, let me know what you think.
Dave
Something that might help on the direct heating, I use the canning pots that are the enamels, 18L I thingk it is, I like it because its wide and my biggest knife just reaches the bottom with the top grazing the hilt. I have a stainless one as well that i got from wallmart but their tall and the knife does not reach the bottom so this causes a problem with cutting the curds. Back to the direct heating, what I do is place a .... hmm dont recall what their called, its a ring thats placed on the element so that the pot does not have direct contact, this prevents burning to occur in the pot, sometimes if the heat is too high u end up with a pattern of the elements burnt at the bottom of the pot. Even curling a metal coat hanger into a ring will help, (if they still make the heavy ones)
Neil,
One advantage that I have is we have a natural gas cook stove. Because of this, I can turn the flame down to where you can just barely see it burning.
I did finish my Gouda a few minutes ago (it’s now in the press) and the direct heat worked out beautifully.
I put the burner on the lowest possible setting and watched the thermometer closely.
For the first 20 minutes or so I wouldn’t leave the cheese pot. I was convinced that either the temp would jump up on me or that I would scorch the curds but after seeing a very slow but steady increase of the temperature, I finally walked away and only went back to give the curds a stir every 5 minutes or so.
With this method I went from 85 degrees F to 102 degrees F in a little over 45 minutes. Not only is this a perfectly acceptable time frame, this was the most steady increase I have ever achieved.
So far, I’m completely sold on using direct heat with this particular pan.
Now I do know that I will have to continue adjusting the heat for the larger batches I plan on making. It will still be a learning experience but I’m now convinced that it is doable.
I also want to say that the only reason I am able to try direct heat is because this pan has a triple layer, very heavy bottom. If anyone is using thin bottomed pans (like I still have and also use) forget about it. They simply will not work.
Okay, gotta run.
Dave
LOL….Christmas day. In fact I guess we’ll now have three new digital cameras in the family next Thursday. Both of my older daughters are getting 12 MP Pentax models.
Maybe one of the three will actually turn me into a passable photographer.
Dave
