I'll Update the timings and add pictures as the day progresses.
10 litres of Milk
Today I found some wonderful Un-homogenised milk 4 liters to 6 litres of Pauls ‘Full Cream’ – That’s a bit of a stretch considering what they do to it....
1/8 tsp of Calcium Chloride diluted in ¼ cup of de-chlorinated water.
full MO 030 dose.
Mad millies vege rennet .2 t .5 ml per litre instead of ½ tablet of rennet diluted in ¼ cup of de-chlorinated water.
2 tabs of Cheese salt.
3Nov 9:22 – 16o C
Last time
One small change to this mix will be adding the CaCl2 just before adding the rennet.
Last time the cheese swelled so this time I’ll just use the STD Mo030 Mesophilic
Heating the milk start temperature 16 C the target is 32 C and as this has a 1 degree temp change I’ll pull the pots off at 3 degrees shy of 30 because as the bath will increase the temp to 33 without further addition of heat. The 1 degree change is important
No need to prepare the culture this time.
add the Cultures at temp of @32C. Needs 30 minutes to ripen.
10:05 Added Culture.
Add the Culture at the same temperature and let ripen for 30 minutes at 32 oC.
Add CaCl2 and stir for 1 minute.
Add rennet and stir for 1 minute – gently :
Mad millies vege rennet .2 t .5 ml per litre instead of ½ tablet of rennet diluted in ¼ cup of de-chlorinated water. ½ a tsp = ½ a tablet so I’ll see where that takes us. 5 ml = 1teaspoon 1/5 teaspoon = 1 ml Last time a little more than half gave a Floc time (see later) of 20 minutes
Today adding 4 mls. Measured using a Syringe
The recipe says to sit for 40 minutes but have found the Flocculation method to produce more accurate results.
For those who are reading for the first time here is how you do it. --Corrections welcome
Float a small sterilised bowl in the milk. What we are watching for is a change in behaviour in the movement of the bowl from the time you first add the rennet. You will need a stopwatch for this activity. Add the rennet. Now, some say to start timing from the instant you add the rennet but, I start timing after I have finished stirring the rennet. Stir the rennet for the appropriate time – usually 1 minute. Note the time, this is important in the final calculation and start the stop watch
Give the bowl a little tap sideways and note how it moves freely.
Now, as the curd mass develops this movement amount will change. Check the movement in 5 minutes, there should not be much change, maybe a little. Check in 2 minutes and if no change check in two minutes. What we are waiting for is the movement of the bowl to be arrested by the matrix forming underneath. This will indicate that the enzymes in the rennet are linking all the molecules of milk together.
Check in two minutes. If no change continue waiting but, start noting the time now in 30 second intervals until when you tap the bowl just wobbles and doesn’t move across the surface of the milk as when you first started. What we are trying for is this movement to stop in around 9 to 14 minutes. What we are working towards is determining when to cut the curd as there is a direct relationship between the cutting time, the curd cutting size and the moisture of the finished cheese. Note the time in minutes and seconds. This is the Flocculation time. The next step is to apply a multiplier to this elapsed time. Each type of cheese is a little different. The following is a guide to some of the cheeses and their multipliers.
2 - 2.5 Swiss, Alpine, Grana, Montasio - Cutting to rice size
2.5 - 3 Gruyere, Reggianito, Morlacco, Parrano, Reypenaer- Cutting to rice size
3 Caerphilly, Tomme, Parmesan, Wensleydale, Mozzarella, Gouda, Port Salut, Manchego, Beaufort, Ossau-Iraty, Munster, Oka, Kashkaval. Cutting to pea size
3 - 3.5 Chedar, Hard British Scandinavian, Kashar, Mozzarella, Provolone, Butterkase, Dunlop, Morbier - Cutting to Pea size
3.5 - 4 Monterey Jack, Lancashire, Butterkase, Havarti, Reblochon, Morbier
4 Gouda, Mozzarella, Feta, Blue Cheese, Reblochon, Form D’Ambert, Bryndza, Garrotxa - Cutting between pea to hazelnut size
5 - 6 Brie, Camembert, Stilton, Crottin de Chavignol, Coulommier - Cutting to walnut size or ladle
Take the elapsed time and multiply by the figure for your cheese. For example say the movement stopped after 11 minutes and in this case we are making a Caerphilly – has a multiplier of 3 = 33 minutes. Now add the number of minutes to the recorded rennet adding time say 9:30 am 9:30 + 33 minutes = 10:03am. This is the time you cut the curd. I check normally for a clean break as well at this time – just to be sure and if it is still a little mushy I’ll give it another 2-3 minutes.
Added Rennet 10:41
Flocculation Time: 15 minutes
Curd cutting time @ 10:56
10:56 Curd Cutting time. Cut the curds as closely as possible into ¼ inch(6mm) cubes.
This cheese has a very gentle cooking of the curds and a medium stirring time. Slowly raise the temperature to 33C over 10 minutes.
Stir gently @ 33C for 40 minutes and let rest for 5 minutes. As there is no additives in this cheese the whey can be saved to make ricotta at the end of the day.
The next step is a mini ‘Cheddaring’. This helps to drain the whey and increase the ph of the curd mass.
The rig is a simple one where I use a cleaned glass board over a sink of hot water on one side of the double sink and the press setup on the other. This way I can keep the curds warm and hopefully a better knit.
Drain for 5 minutes into a colander lined with Cheese cloth, saving the whey this time for ricotta. While still in the colander maintain the 33 C temperature by covering the curd mass.
After draining cut the mass into 2 inch slabs and I turn them out onto the warmed glass board.
The aim of the Cheddaring processing is to maintain the curds at 33 C. With the lid over the curds and the hot water below the temperature is maintained pretty close to 33 C. Turn the slices over twice in 10 minutes. The whey should just be dribbling out at this stage.
After the cheddaring the slices will have started to firm up. Break into thumbnail size pieces and blend with the salt.
Getting the press ready and calculating the weights and distances.
Pressing and Dressing procedure
1. Press for 10 minutes @ 10 lbs. Remove from the mould rub salt in the top, bottom and sides - redress .
2. Press again with @10 lbs. for 10 minutes. Repeat the salting as well.
3. Repeat and re-press @ 15 lbs. for 20 minutes. Repeat the salting as well.
4. Unmould re-salt and redress and press again @ 25 lbs. for 16 hours. On the press I am using .75kg @ 60cm and 1.5kg @ 70 cm which gives me 8Kg at the cheese and 2kg @ 80 for 25lbs.
Set the final pressing @about 18:30 pm but the whey is nice and clear.
-- Mal
