2 replies to this topic

[roysha]

A couple of days ago we peeled the wax off a half wheel of Colby style cheese that was 3 months old. It is VERY good. This was made from the milk from our goats. According to most of the information we have, Colby style should age at least 3 months, with 6 months being the ideal minimum. If this cheese improves as much in the next 3 months as it did in the first 3 months , it will be among some of the best cheese we have ever made or eaten!
When I waxed it my wife was very concerned because it had hard, dried out corners and some of the coloring had turned dark (from air drying for several days after pressing). Texture wise, it was a little coarse and although it stuck together nicely, when I cut the wheel in half to wax it, a very small amount of crumbling occured. However, after 3 months all is well. It has the correct texture, when you break a piece the broken edges are slightly pebbly, slices wonderfully and tastes great.
A glass of beer, (a rather nice pale ale we homebrew), or a tumbler of chilled homemade Dried Elderberry wine, some crackers, pickled sausage and this cheese, and life is GOOD! I can hardly leave it alone. Fortunately, we have several pounds of it, plus all the other cheese we made, so it will hopefully last till next season.
Has anyone else made a aged cheese?
Our Parma should be ready to try in a month or so. We are really hoping it is good since we use Parma in many recipes. We don't have a proper cheese cave so I made a wooden box that fits into the back of the refridgerator so the drying environment can be controlled a little. It seems to be working quite well.

[skflyfish]

Reading your post made me realize I had some 7 month old cheddar to sample again. Even nicer now that it was at 3 months. A bit more bite, but a smoother texture and nice aftertaste. I like the taste of raw milk cheeses.

I have not made any Colby, but another washed curd cheese I make is Gouda. In fact I have tired of Mozzarella and my last two batches have been Gouda. I like the crumbly nature of Colby and Pinconning cheeses. When I first started making cheese and my patience was low (like it is now with my first wine kits) I would eat some of my Cheddar at 1 month and it still has that crumbly texture to it. Mmmmm good.

Funny you should mention Parmesan. I was thinking yesterday that Parmasan should be my next adventure in cheese making.

Jay

[littleblondespaz]

Hello cheesemakers!
I'm new to the whole cheese making thing. Working on my second batch tonight. I found a local lady who will sell me raw milk and I'm really glad that I can make some cheese for my family that is chock full of good stuff. I have a question for anyone who can help. I live in Alberta and I'd really like to find a business in this province that sells equipment and supplies for making cheese. Anyone know of any?
Thanks.
I sure enjoyed reading all the posts about cheesemaking.