Author Topic: Through the looking glass...an adventure in Cheshire (cheese making).  (Read 2296 times)

bbracken677

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I was inspired by a post with a link to an old book on cheese making from an earlier time in history. I found the recipe for Cheshire to be interesting, and even though I did not follow the recipe exactly as described, I incorporated parts into a more recent Cheshire recipe I had.
I did not use Cheshire cat cow milk, but rather our local indigenous Texas Jersey milk. So this would be, at best, a Cheshire-like cheese make, very similar to cheddars I have recently made. My pH meter went bonkers (time for a new one) so I just winged it. It was mentioned in the "ancient text" that it should be sweet initially, so I didn't allow much time for acidification early on, but counted on that happening later in the make (during cheddaring) 

Cheshire Cheese

11/21/2012

Targets:
Floc multiplier: 3.5
Rennet:  6.65
Drain: 6.4 -6.3
Mill/salt: 5.6

Ingredients:
2 gallons raw whole milk
1/16th tsp. MM100
1/8th tsp. Kazu
1/4th tsp.  rennet (20 drops diluted in ¼ cup water)
Salt at 2.5% by weight

Procedure:

1.   Warm milk to 94 degrees, adding cultures at 75F. 

2.   Add rennet and wait for floc.  Floc in  14 minutes x 3.5 =  49  minutes.

3.   Cut curd into ¼ inch cubes.  Stir, and then let rest 15 minutes, then drain whey to top of curds. ( I cut to a larger curd size, 3/8-1/2 half inch)

4.   Warm curds slowly to 94 degrees, stirring every ~15 minutes .

5.   Cover pot and let sit 40 minutes.  Drain when pH is 6.4 to 6.3. 

6.   Drain whey and pile curds to side of pot.  Press with hands several times over next 30 minutes.  Flip the curd mass every 10 minutes and maintain heat for 40 minutes (I let the cheddaring process last for an hour). Target pH 5.6

7.   Stop cheddaring at pH  5.6.  Mill the curds into small pieces, about the size of a pea. Salt curds  by adding 1/3rd of salt at a time until fully incorporated.  Salt at 2.5% by weight

8.   Load curds into cheesecloth lined mold.

9.   Press  at 2 psi in the pot for 30 minutes.
               Flip, rewrap and press at 4 psi in the pot for 1 hour.
               Flip and press naked at 4 psi for 5 hours.
               Flip and press at 8 psi overnight.


Offline H-K-J

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Re: Through the looking glass...an adventure in Cheshire (cheese making).
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2012, 06:22:58 PM »
 bbracken677, looks real good so far :P
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bbracken677

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Re: Through the looking glass...an adventure in Cheshire (cheese making).
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2012, 06:26:17 PM »
Thanks!  Thanks to you and others' tips, I think I have the knitting thing solved.  :)

Now if it will just tasted great after a few months...that's the true test!

JeffHamm

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Re: Through the looking glass...an adventure in Cheshire (cheese making).
« Reply #3 on: November 25, 2012, 07:03:10 PM »
Looks good!  I've made Cheshire once following a make posted by fied (who doesn't seem active any more).  Anyway, The last bit of it is now over a year old.  I would highly encourage you to age this at least 6 months, and, it wouldn't hurt, to make a 2nd to age out to a year.  It's a very nice cheese, but it is so much nicer when aged out a while.  This one looks worthy of long life too. 

- Jeff

bbracken677

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Re: Through the looking glass...an adventure in Cheshire (cheese making).
« Reply #4 on: November 25, 2012, 07:14:34 PM »
Sounds good Jeff. I love an aged cheddar...which is one reason I have like a half dozen or so in the cave now. This make turned out pretty well, and smells heavenly. It is about to be vac bagged.

Funny story...I took the container to the wife to smell, and I had to assure her it wasnt a stinky cheese before she would even get close to it   haha

Offline Al Lewis

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Re: Through the looking glass...an adventure in Cheshire (cheese making).
« Reply #5 on: November 25, 2012, 09:15:38 PM »
I did a 4 pound wheel of white Cheshire for the wife, she's from London, and it's in the cave, waxed, for at least 6 months, maybe longer.  Does this really get a lot better waiting for a full year or is the difference noticeable?
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JeffHamm

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Re: Through the looking glass...an adventure in Cheshire (cheese making).
« Reply #6 on: November 25, 2012, 11:07:13 PM »
Hi Al,

I found it really started to peak around a year.  There was a noticeable improvement, but that could also just be the make I followed.  Finally, I found that it was best to remove the wax, then let the cheese sit for a few days (in the cave), as there was always some fruity flavours that needed to dissipate.  Probably due to trapped moisture, etc.

- Jeff

Offline Al Lewis

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Re: Through the looking glass...an adventure in Cheshire (cheese making).
« Reply #7 on: November 25, 2012, 11:32:25 PM »
This one sat in the mold being pressed at room temp for 2 days.  I then kept it in the cave for about 4 days before waxing. Hopefully that will take care of it.  I'm very new at this so I'm pretty much at the mercy of the web sites recipes.  Noticed a lot of differences between sites and recipes for the same cheeses.  I am trying to find about three for each one I do and adopt the similarities.   :o
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