I have been wanting to try this cheese for a while now, and my last attempt was a failure. As I had made a successful batch of yoghurt I decided that I would give this another go.
The only quantities Reg gave were for the yoghurt starter and I wasn't sure whether this was a separate starter that was added to milk or not. As there was no other measurement given I assumed that this was for a 1 gallon cheese. So here is what I did.
10ltr of milk heated to 20C
3/4 cup of fresh yoghurt
Stir in yoghurt well and let sit 12 hours over night.
(NOTE:) As it is hot here I placed the milk pot into another larger pot and did a water bath using ice water to try and keep the milk at around 20C over night, as the last batch I made had separated and gone off by morning.
Next morning I skimmed off the cream that have settled to the top, (and made some cultured butter), and heated the milk to 30C. Added 2.5ml rennet in the usual method, and let set.
(NOTE:) Reg said to let set for 1 hour before testing for clean break, but I decided to check at the 1/2 hour mark and found it to be ready for cutting.
Cut the curd as per Reg's instructions. Allowed the curd to settle a little and scooped out around 2ltr of whey which I heated to 50C. Continued to cut the curd while stirring and added some of the hot whey every five minutes to heat the cheese to the reguired temp fo 38C over the next 1/2 hour.
Stirred for another 1/2 hour, until I could hand press some curds but they would then fall apart when you ran your finger over them. They were also quite firm to touch.
Drained into a collander then spooned into my press. Here things got a bit tricky, as I had way too much curd for the press. So over the next hour I gradually managed to get all the curd into the press and pressed at 50lb over night.
Unhooped the next morning and was not at all happy with the press. The top and bottom melded together well, but the sides did not come together at all. Considering I stuffed so much extra into it, I am really disappointed.
Brined over night in a saturated solution, and I am now going to dry for couple of days, and then into the oil bath with the provolone.