A washed Rind Cheese.
Matured for 2 to 10 weeks.
This should get quite smelly!
INGREDIENTS
9.0 l Cow's whole milk (16 pints) (add 500 ml extra if you are making a new mother culture)
1 g Mesophilic culture (1 sachet Mad Millie Mesophilic)
0.5 g Brevibacterium linens culture
2.5 ml CaCl2 mixed into 50 ml cooled boiled water
2.5 ml Rennet mixed into 50 ml cooled boiled water
Salt
Brine
MOTHER CULTURE
I used frozen cubes of mesophilic plus B.linens instead of the separate cultures.
To make this, add the bacteria infused milk to an ice cube bag before adding the rennet.
Ripen for 24 hours then freeze.
RIPEN AND CULTURES
Warm the milk to 32°C.
Add the mesophilic culture. One sachet of Mad Millie or four mother culture ice cubes.
Add the Brevibacterium linens. Ice cubes as above.
Wait 5 minutes. Stir in the cultures.
>>>> Separate off the portion to be frozen <<<<
Add the CaCl2 in 50 ml cooled boiled water.
Add the rennet in 50 ml cooled boiled water.
Stir for less than one minute.
Let the milk stand for an hour or until there's a clean break.
CUT THE CURDS
Cut the curds into centimetre cubes.
Wait 5 minutes.
Restore the temperature to 32°C.
Stir the curds very gently for 5 minutes.
Wait 30 minutes.
DRAIN THE CURDS
Ladle the curds and whey into a cheese cloth.
Allow the whey to drain.
Use the whey in other recipes. Don't store. It'll get stinky! Freezing might be OK.
Before the curds are dry, transfer them into four moulds.
Let the cheese drain in the moulds.
Sheets of kitchen paper speed up this step.
Invert the cheeses frequently and replace the wet paper towel sheets.
Once they are self supporting, remove the moulds.
SALTING
Salt the wheels on all sides.
RIPEN FOR 1 plus 3 DAYS
Stand the wheels on a mat for a day at room temperature. Discard any
expelled whey. Cover the wheels under a plastic box to allow humidity
to build up and air to circulate.
Ripen the wheels in a humid box at 12°C for 3 days.
Stand the wheels on a mat to allow whey to drain.
Invert the wheels daily and drain and wipe dry the box.
BRINE WASH THE RINDS
After the 4 days of ripening, wash the rinds with brine solution. Repeat every
second day for two to ten weeks weeks allowing a stronger flavour and colour
to develop. I just dunked the wheels in brine for a few seconds and allowed
the surplus brine to run off. Return the wheels to the humid box, drained
and wiped clean of condensation.