Author Topic: Grasshopper Cheddar Cheese # 31 *** Update***  (Read 2235 times)

Offline scasnerkay

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Grasshopper Cheddar Cheese # 31 *** Update***
« on: September 24, 2012, 03:36:51 AM »
I opened this cheese today at 4 weeks. In spite of the make having a very short flocculation, and the pH dropping too fast, the cheese is very good! Especially the after-taste! Lingering on, it makes me want another bite, and another!!  Nice texture too. I am not sure how long to keep this cheese, so half will go to a potluck tonight!
My daughter says this is her favorite cheese I have made so far!  Especially with a slice of tart apple!

In other words, I am lacking in patience.... 
My cheese cave is essentially empty with only 2 lonely Romano cheeses made in November 2011.  Everything else has been eaten, the most recent a baby swiss that matured 4 months. Too many potlucks, and my daughter's wedding....  So I was looking for something that could ripen quickly and went for a sort of cheddar that was a cross between others found here on the forum that were targeted for a quick turn around.
 On this make, the flocculation was way shorter than I expected, using the same amount of rennet I usually do, but the pH was low when I added the rennet and maybe that was the reason for the 5 min flocculation.  I am not sure what that does for my plan to eat this early.  The other problem which I encountered, was that the pH was dropping too fast, so I did not do all the cheddaring I wanted to, but instead went ahead and milled/salted.

Cheddarish - My second try at a "Cheddar"

2 gallons pasteurized non-homoginized milk (Strauss dairy sold as Cream top at Trader Joe's) pH 6.7
1/8 tsp MM100
1/8 tsp Thermo C
¼ tsp calcium chloride in ¼ cup water
1.75 ml liquid calf rennet (Mad Millie) in ¼ cup water
1.5 T salt

8:30  Milk out of frig and into pot with 1/8 tsp MM100 stirred in with pot on diffuser on very low flame
9:30  Milk to 76 degrees. Held at temp.
11:00 Temp 76, pH 6.6
11:40 Temp 76, pH 6.6
12:00  pH 6.5, began heating with goal of 90 degrees
12:15 Temp 90 degrees. Sprinkled on, then stirred in 1/8 tsp of Thermo C and let rest 30 mins.
12:50 Temp 88, heated briefly. Stirred in calcium. pH 6.4
12:58 Temp 92. Stirred in rennet about 10 strokes.
Argh!!  Flocculation in 5 mins!  Multiplier of 3, so check for clean break at 15 mins.
1:15  Clean break, cut at ½ inch, and rested a few minutes.
1:25  Slow gentle stirring and slow heating with goal of 100 degrees in about 20 mins.
Argh!!  pH 6.0 already!
1:45  Temp is 99 degrees, pH holding at 6.0.
2:00  Temp 100 degrees, pH 6.0 and now feeling squeaky and firm, so drained off whey, and returned to pot in cloth and strainer to keep warm.
2:13 Flip in cloth and kept warm
2:30  Cut into 4 pieces and stacked and kept warm
Argh!!  pH of whey now 5.5 !
2:45 Milled and salted and into form and placed into pot with 10# on top, keeping warm.
3:10  Added another 10 #, pot kept warm (about 85 degrees inside)
3:30  Flipped and redressed, starting to knit up well, back into pot with 20 # on top.
4:00  Into press with 52 #.  It is all I have.
5:00  Flipped and redressed. Measured pH of whey at 5.3 or 5.4 (meter flipped back and forth). Weight put back on.
6:15 Flipped and re-dressed. Back into press at 60 # (found a little more weight), pH now 5.3.
8:00  Enough tending for this one…  pH now between 5.2 and 5.3 trying to gauge by the very small amount of whey coming off the cheese. Into an aging box on the counter, partly covered, to be turned in the morning.
Weight: 2# 1 oz


« Last Edit: October 30, 2012, 03:50:23 AM by scasnerkay »
Susan

Offline scasnerkay

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Re: Grasshopper Cheddar Cheese # 31
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2012, 03:28:01 AM »
Can anyone tell me if the low pH (6.4) was the reason for the very fast flocculation? I used the same amount of rennet from the same container as several previous makes....
Susan

JeffHamm

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Re: Grasshopper Cheddar Cheese # 31
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2012, 04:00:49 AM »
Hi,

I believe the Mad Millie's rennet is 280 IMCU, and assuming 2 US gallons, that's just under 8 litres.  By my calculations you would use about 1.2 ml of rennet.  But, temperature and acidity also influence how the rennet works with the milk, so I would guess the fast floc could be a combination of factors.  But, my first suggestion would be to cut back on your rennet by about 0.5 ml.

- Jeff