Author Topic: 15 Gal Farmhouse Cheddar Batch 11  (Read 11678 times)

Offline Cartierusm

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15 Gal Farmhouse Cheddar Batch 11
« on: February 14, 2009, 08:39:38 AM »
Starting farmhouse cheddar tomorrow. Things to get accomplished with this batch, good knit (always a concern although I've got it down to a science now (I think)), drain sufficiently so there is not excess whey leaking out like my last batch so I can wax it in a timely manner (but I won't rush it). I will use CaCl2, check my post in ingredients after this. Oh, the biggest thing to accomplish with this batch no mess!! New cave is up and running, although one hygrometer says 98 and the built in one on the humidistat says 85, so we'll see. At least it's not low.

Tea

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Re: 15 Gal Farmhouse Cheddar Batch 11
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2009, 09:05:32 PM »
Watching this space........

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: 15 Gal Farmhouse Cheddar Batch 11
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2009, 09:15:21 PM »
LOL, thanks. I just added the culture a few minutes ago. So Pics will be a while. I gotta find a new frig or freezer for a cave, long story.

wharris

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Re: 15 Gal Farmhouse Cheddar Batch 11
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2009, 12:40:59 AM »
Sorry to hear about your cheese cave.   

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: 15 Gal Farmhouse Cheddar Batch 11
« Reply #4 on: February 15, 2009, 05:11:50 AM »
Oh like you didn't know before this post. Doesn't matter I've already got the shelving for the wine cellar and I'm sure the space for having just waxed and separate natural rind caves will be good in the long run.

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: 15 Gal Farmhouse Cheddar Batch 11
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2009, 05:53:09 AM »
Here's some pics of the making of. Tomorrow I'll have some of the wheel out of the press.

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: 15 Gal Farmhouse Cheddar Batch 11
« Reply #6 on: February 15, 2009, 10:58:46 PM »
This is out of the press and it has a good knit but not great due to a couple reasons maybe. The curds clumped together as I was milling it, so it was sticky?, anyway I didn't mill it prefectly as my arms were cramping up working 16 pounds of curds. Also I'll be looking into it but maybe I need higher pressures right off the bat. I have some prefessional reacipes I can look at. But the little nubs I got are still from using plastic cheese cloth so I think those as well as any not perfect knit areas will heal themselves while air drying in the cave. Enjoy.

wharris

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Re: 15 Gal Farmhouse Cheddar Batch 11
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2009, 01:38:52 AM »
Lots of character in those.  A couple of requests:
1> pictures with a ruler for referance.
2> a picture of your mould.

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: 15 Gal Farmhouse Cheddar Batch 11
« Reply #8 on: February 16, 2009, 01:50:18 AM »
When I was born they threw away the mold, rumor has it they beat the hell out of the mold maker too.

Pics shortly.

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: 15 Gal Farmhouse Cheddar Batch 11
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2009, 01:56:46 AM »
Pics, and as always Diet Coke for the Ladies.

I didn't have a ruler in the house that would show up clearly on cameras and it's pouring rain outside, so tuff.

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: 15 Gal Farmhouse Cheddar Batch 11
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2009, 02:17:44 AM »
I've just checked out some professional recipes and they do press with higher pressures at the beginning and do vacuum chambering. So next time I think I'll go with higher pressure to begin when the curds are still plyable. I was thinking maybe more milling but a true traditional cheddar you put large blocks into the press, but I guess those large blocks already have good knit within themselves.

Likesspace

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Re: 15 Gal Farmhouse Cheddar Batch 11
« Reply #11 on: February 16, 2009, 02:18:50 AM »
I never get tired of looking at the monster wheels you make.
Fantastic!

Dave

Likesspace

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Re: 15 Gal Farmhouse Cheddar Batch 11
« Reply #12 on: February 16, 2009, 02:21:26 AM »
Oh,
The comment about "beating the hell out of the mold maker" cracked me up.
Pretty sure I'll be using that line in the future (with your permission, of course). It's easier than thinking up witty remarks on my own.

Dave

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: 15 Gal Farmhouse Cheddar Batch 11
« Reply #13 on: February 16, 2009, 02:27:58 AM »
Dave do you have any pics of the set on your cheeses? You know with fingers in or right after you cut? I've got a problem and wayne agrees he says my cuts are ragged where the curds get torn and says that's either too much CaCl2 or too much rennet, but the funny part is I get the same set with way too much rennet, don't ask, or no CaCl2, so I'm not sure what's wrong, waynes pics on his parm, his curds look freakin' beautiful but got the ragged ones the day before, then he cut down on the CaCl2 and everything's fine.

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: 15 Gal Farmhouse Cheddar Batch 11
« Reply #14 on: February 22, 2009, 12:36:01 AM »
This was the batch that made the spalsh heard around the world.

Pics after waxing the top is smooht those are just fingerprints in the dew that settled from the frig.