Hi - been lurking and making cheeses for a while. Mostly hard cheese and love to try for a 90 day Abondance style cheese.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abondance_(cheese)

I’m a home winemaker and using my wine cellar to age the cheeses in, all waxed so far, I have never done an open rind cheese. Been using Veal Rennet, TA61 Thermophilic culture, LP400 Kid/Lamb Lipase, Proprionibacteria, Calcium Cloride. The temp is only 59-60 where the shelves are in the cellar. (They are up high).  I see that “The Cheese Hole” have used the rind from cheeses and introduced this on his cheeses. Think this would be possible for making a Abondance style cheese? I have plenty of this cheese on hand right now.  If so any pointers on how to proceed? Any ideas for a receipt and what kind of Thermophilic culture to use?

SG Brix

Hope you find what you’re looking for.  The French are very protective of their cheeses. It borders on a religion with them as I understand it.  Have you eaten Abondance?

Yes, of course, we have several great markets to find these cheeses here in Tampa Bay Florida, mainly because of a large Italian population. Have a look at this one;

http://www.mazzarosmarket.com/cheese.html

http://www.cheesemaking.com/store/pg/133.html pictorial of the makers. basically a washed rind cheese made from milk from specific cows.

Thanks I have studied these photos many times, and specially the one that shows the press. How do they know with a screw press what pressure it should be? And what do they do, keep turning as the pressure loosens?

Being into winemaking I know a little about hydrating yeasts but in this case it is mold I like to propagate into a water solution to spray the cheese with. Would it be advisable to start it of in my 60F cellar and then when/if the mold took I would move it to a fridge at 45f ?

I could use any input you guys have on this. I’ve seen the The Cheese Nun: http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/289928/The-Cheese-Nun-Sister-Noella-s-Voyage-of-Discovery/overview so I’m fully aware of the impossibility in re-creating a true Abondance cheese, but some kind of version of it maybe?

SG Brix

Im going to check with some contacts and see if I get any more info tomorrow.

SO what I have heard back is that its basicaly a Gouda type washed rind cheese that uses B Linens culture at a wash.

So you suggesting that I just put my rind mixture into my brine and leave it with that? The original Abondance slice I have here is only 3” thick, but have holes in it towards the rind top and bottom. If you ever smelled or tasted this cheese you know what I’m after, and this after 90 days… I can’t believe it!

it smeared on the surface of the cheese and wiped daily to keep it moist. Use some of the brine to moisten it every day. till the surface turns orange or sticky.

So as I understand it, washed rind cheeses are usually kept moist with a brine solution but can also be bathed in wine or beer or perry or ... anything.

Do you know if the wine, beer etc. has to be boiled before applying?

yes most things can be used. No dont boil the wine because it changes the taste and some of the alcohol is evaporated. Washed rind cheese that are well washed develop a orange rind and some times generate a strong smell like Limburger. Stinking bishop is a cheese thats washed with Perry if I remember right.

It seems to me that something is trying to happened to the surface on these cheeses, ( I now have 6 different once). But after wiping them of with the mixture, It seems to me that I’m wiping off whatever is happening?! Having grind up the rinds of authentic Abondance cheese and soaked in a 100% salted brine solution, this solution is staring to look kind of nasty so I have changed the solution twice already.

I fully realize that there is no way in hell to achieve a “real” Abondance cheese. But I appreciate any input you guys have to see me through this experiment.

I been using a green Scotch Bright pads dipped in the solution and been scrubbing the cheeses down.

At this point they all smell like Abondance cheese at least. (If hope you know what that means), 3 of the first made cheese have begun to have a small bulge on top/bottom.

Look, have anyone actually ever tried to re-create such a cheese in the first place??? I have tried several things. In my experiment I kept the Ph and temp all the same, but I have varied the way I stirred the curd. The first with a whisk etc, the last slowly lifting the cut curd up at slow intervals. So they are from very hard to a spongy feel.

I have been using whole milk period, but as anyone knows that have tasted an Abondace cheese, it is intensely very creamy for being a hard Swiss type of cheese. Should I add some heavy cream to my batches?

So many questions, so little time.

SG Brix

PS. Today they tell you that eating red beef shortens your lifespan. But they said nothing about eating cheese did they…

sgbrix - 25 March 2009 02:21 AM

I been using a green Scotch Bright pads dipped in the solution and been scrubbing the cheeses down.

I have been using whole milk period, but as anyone knows that have tasted an Abondace cheese, it is intensely very creamy for being a hard Swiss type of cheese. Should I add some heavy cream to my batches?

So many questions, so little time.

SG Brix

PS. Today they tell you that eating red beef shortens your lifespan. But they said nothing about eating cheese did they…

well if the cheese is the cheap processed type then I would say it will def shorten your life, the more live enzymes the healthier it is as far as I am concerned. heck their even making yogurt with starch nowadays and no (or very little) enzymes.

I thigk its up to your tase if u want to add cream to it, u can always try and compare the 2.

U used a dish scrub pad on your cheese ??? :(

Ricki carrol says to wet your palms with the brine adn smear it over the cheese.

This page gives a very curt description of the process. I imagine the creaminess comes from the action of the bacteria.
http://www.cheeseonline.fr/french-cheese/cow-milk/abondance.html

Fat content is 48% so I would guess it doesn’t need extra cream .

But I am hardly an expert! Anyone else??