Hi,
I can't believe it's been so long since I've made one of these. Anyway, I'm just into day 2, and the curds are in the moulds. I've decided to try splitting this into two smaller cheeses, to see how they ripen. The others have always been just one of these moulds. The curds should drain down to about half the height shown in the photo. Once they are firm enough to come out of the moulds, I'll give them a quick wash with some brine with b.linens (just the once) and a decent surface salthing. After that, it's just waiting for the pc to show up, then wrap, and move the fridge for a few weeks. Yum.
- Jeff
Jeff’s Experimental Semi-Lactic Cam (Chaource like): Sat, Sept 8, 2012 (sunny, 19.5 C)
2 L Farmhouse creamline milk
1 ice cube buttermilk
Scrapings of mould from store bought cam (Waimata Brie)
1 drop rennet (750 IMCU) in 1 tbls water
salt
1) Place scrapings of mould in warm water and mash about until water is a bit cloudy
2) Warm milk to 25 C with ice cube
3) Add mould
4) Cover, and place in hot water cupboard (12:45 pm)
5) After 6-8 hours at 1 drop rennet diluted in 1 tbls water (6:45 pm)
6) Wait until curd forms and separates from whey (12-24 hours: 11:15 am next day: Sunday)
7) Ladle curd into 2 moulds (Lots of curds. Filled both moulds and letting drain down, still a fair amount of curds left. Don’t seem to be draining through the moulds, but lots of whey is coming out. Hopefully won’t lose curds during the draining!. Finished filling moulds at 11:40 am)
8) Drain, flipping every 2-3 of hours or so until night, then drain overnight (flipped @ 1:20pm – 3:30 pm – 6:15pm – 7:05pm pm ; each cheese ½ the height of the mould at 6:15)
9) drain until Monday am; 210g and 204g at 5:24 am, Monday).
10) Wiped each cheese with 3% brine with b.linens solution then salt each face of the cheese (time 5:20 am, Monday)
11) Place in cave (10 C; 210g and 204g ; Monday 5:20 am), flip daily, until mould covers the cheese
12) Wrap and move to regular fridge and age 2 – 4 weeks.
???, Sept ??, 2012: ?:?? am/pm, first sighting of PC mould.
??, Sept ?, 2012 : good mould coverage – wrapped in foil moved to regular fridge 4 C (1 week from prev)
???, Sept ??, 2012: ???g. Cut the cheese. (2 weeks from prev)
Down to 1/2 mould in height by the 6:15 pm flip on Saturday. Not losing curds, just moisture.
Monday: 5:20 am - weighed the two cheeses. 204 and 210g, for a total of 414g of semi lactic joy. Not bad repro of last make, where I had 408g of curds at this stage. Nice.