Things You'll Need:
- Stainless steel stockpot with lid
- 1 gallon whole milk
- Cheese thermometer
- 1/16 tsp. blue mold, Penicillium roqueforti
- 2 oz. mesophilic starter
- Stainless steel long-handled spoon
- 1/2 tsp. liquid rennet
- Cheesecloth
- Colander
- 2 large bowls
- Cheese salt
- 2 cheese mats
- 2 cheese boards
- Plastic 2 lb. cheese forming mold
- Sterile ice pick
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Step 1
Heat the milk to 86 degrees over low to medium-low heat. Use a cheese thermometer to insure that the temperature is reached.
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Step 2
Add the Penicillium roqueforti and the starter to the milk and stir thoroughly with a long-handled stainless steel spoon. Cover the pot and let sit for 30 minutes.
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Step 3
Add the rennet to the milk and stir for 1 minute to distribute. Recover and let sit an additional 45 minutes at 86 degrees.
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Step 4
Pour the curds into a colander lined with cheesecloth.
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Step 5
Bring up the corners of the cloth and tie together to make a ball. Hang the ball over the kitchen sink to drain for at least 8 hours or overnight.
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Step 6
Make the second batch, the same way as the first, 8 hours later. Hang this ball for 1 hour to drain.
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Step 1
Unwrap the first batch of curds and cut into 1 inch cubes. Place the cubes in a large bowl and mix in 2 tbsp. of cheese salt. This is best accomplished using your hands.
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Step 2
Unwrap the second batch and cut into cubes and place in the second bowl. Add salt.
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Step 3
Place a cheese mat on a cheese board and place the forming mold in the center.
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Step 4
Place 3/4 of the youngest batch of cheese into the mold. Press the cheese across the bottom of the mold and up the sides.
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Step 5
Place all of the oldest batch of cheese on the inside of the curd covered mold.
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Step 6
Place the remaining amount of young curds over the top of the older curds, spreading to cover the top of the mold.
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Step 7
Place the second cheese mat on top of the mold, followed by the second cheese board.
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Step 8
Set the cheese in an area between 55 and 60 degrees. In many modern homes, this temperature can be found directly in front of an air-conditioning vent.
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Step 9
Turn the cheese every 15 minutes for the first 2 hours and then 3 times daily for the next 3 days.
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Step 10
Remove the cheese from the mold after 3 days. Sprinkle salt over the entire cheese and shake off any excess.
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Step 1
Place the cheese in an area where the temperature is approximately 55 degrees with high humidity.
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Step 2
Rub the cheese with salt daily for 4 days, shaking off any excess.
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Step 3
Poke holes in the sides of the cheese using a sterile ice pick and working from top to bottom.
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Step 4
Scrape off any mold that forms, in the first 30 days, on the outside of the cheese using the back side of a long knife.
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Step 5
Age the cheese in this manner for 3 to 4 months.
