Author Topic: First Hard Cheese - Farmhouse White Cheddar  (Read 5098 times)

j_tupper

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First Hard Cheese - Farmhouse White Cheddar
« on: December 17, 2012, 11:48:54 PM »
After several Mozzarella makes, I have finally got my press made and cultures ordered and now am in the process of making my first hard cheese. I am currently straining the curds which look awesome as far as I know. I will try to get some pics up here soon.

Following the Farmhouse Chive Cheddar in Artisan Cheese Making At Home without the annatto or the chives


2 Gallons Hiland Store Bought Whole Milk
1/2t Meso A
1/4t Calcium Chloride
1/4t Liquid Rennet
2t Kosher Salt


j_tupper

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Re: First Hard Cheese - Farmhouse White Cheddar
« Reply #1 on: December 17, 2012, 11:53:15 PM »
so just figured out i grabbed the wrong bottle and used citric acid for the calcium chloride. I know the purpose of the calcium chloride to make the milk coagulate easier but will any harm come from this mistake.

thanks in advance

bbracken677

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Re: First Hard Cheese - Farmhouse White Cheddar
« Reply #2 on: December 18, 2012, 01:46:02 AM »
your make will be much too acidic, more than likely...this will affect taste and texture, but since it is done. you might as well age it for 2 or 3 months and give it a taste   :)

margaretsmall

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Re: First Hard Cheese - Farmhouse White Cheddar
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2012, 03:13:29 AM »
I guess this is why you have such awesome curds. I'd agree, though, press on, you never know, it could turn out well.

j_tupper

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Re: First Hard Cheese - Farmhouse White Cheddar
« Reply #4 on: December 18, 2012, 07:08:32 AM »
Just turned after about 5hrs in press and here is what she looks like. I'm using a homemade mold while waiting for mine to get here. The ridge should go away on this turn. For the mistakes and first time hard cheese I think the knit looks good and other than the ridge there arnt many blemishes so far. For now overnight in the press @ 45lbs.  Then Brine Tomorrow. We will see what happens in a month or so.

Total weight 1lb13oz


bbracken677

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Re: First Hard Cheese - Farmhouse White Cheddar
« Reply #5 on: December 18, 2012, 01:20:49 PM »
Great looking knit! 

j_tupper

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Re: First Hard Cheese - Farmhouse White Cheddar
« Reply #6 on: December 19, 2012, 04:35:13 AM »
thank you

 I'm not sure how I did that though being the first time around. I did press it with quite a bit more weight than what was required but like I said I used a homemade press. It is a pitcher bottom with a follower cut from a piece of type 5 plastic. Then its got some smaller containers stacked inside the pitcher to get the leverage on my homemade dutch press. I can have 3-3.5-4:1 mech advantage. By the end of the pressing i had a 1 gallon pitcher of whey, a full 3# box of salt and a half full box of salt stacked at 4:1 so I'm guessing around 50# not including the weight of the press arms and such. its drying in a box cracked open at room temp ~75% humidity. Ill leave it there for around hours then wax and put the whole box I'm my fermentation chamber outside currently being held@55F. Ill Keep an eye on it and open in a month.

Hope for the best.

j_tupper

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Re: First Hard Cheese - Farmhouse White Cheddar
« Reply #7 on: December 20, 2012, 05:33:22 AM »
Question.....

It said to let dry for 24 hours at room temp. Yet my house is very dry so it is currently resting on t a rack in its ripining box near 72F @ 75% humidity. How long should I let this dry before waxing. Keep in mind this is my first cheese, so what sort of signs am I looking for?

bbracken677

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Re: First Hard Cheese - Farmhouse White Cheddar
« Reply #8 on: December 20, 2012, 12:54:43 PM »
Since you are drying in a box with a cracked lid, you should be fine for a day or even 2...Very dry here in North Texas as well, so I fully understand. Once the cheese is dry to the touch, you should move it into your cheese cave, still in the box and let it dry there for a couple more days with the lid just cracked and then wax or vacuum pack it.

tnbquilt

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Re: First Hard Cheese - Farmhouse White Cheddar
« Reply #9 on: December 23, 2012, 03:05:34 PM »
I have that book by Mary Karlin and I think all of her pressing weights are too low. That recipe says to use an 8"mold and press at 10 lbs. She has one that is a traditional cheddar and she presses it at 10 lbs in a 5" mold.

I have made the ale washed trappist cheese and it didn't knit on the outside, and I made her recipe for Just Jack and it didn't knit on the outside either. All of the weights are way less than in my other books. I like her ideas and the recipes, and I also like the fact that she doesn't call for generic culture, she calls it out by strand like Messo II or M4001. She has a nice chart in the beginning of the book about different strands of culture. I just won't be using her pressing weight information anymore.

I hope the cheese comes out well, I didn't mean to be negative in my post, I am just noting the differences in her pressing weights. You said that you didn't use her weights, so that's probably why yours knitted so well.

bbracken677

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Re: First Hard Cheese - Farmhouse White Cheddar
« Reply #10 on: December 23, 2012, 04:18:13 PM »
Actually...I have learned on this forum that the key to a good knit is pressing temperature...  If you can keep your curds warm through the first pressing or 2 your knit will be much much better.

Search "pressing in the pot" ...there are a number of ways to do it. The one I have evolved to is I have an el cheapo stainless stock pot I bought at wal mart for $7 that I press my cheeses in....if the curd isnt sufficiently warm, I will place the mold inside a plastic container inside the stock pot and press it there and will add some warm/hot water to the pot (outside the plastic container) and then will cover the stock pot with a towel to keep the heat in. This will do wonders and is much better than jacking up the pressure, which still may not produce the results you are looking for.

One of our members makes cheese for a living and he says he presses cheddars normally between 3-5 psi (I think ... that is based on memory). That comment is what really sent me into the pressing temp mode since I was pressing at 10psi and still not getting quite the smooth results I wanted.

Offline Boofer

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Re: First Hard Cheese - Farmhouse White Cheddar
« Reply #11 on: December 23, 2012, 04:54:23 PM »
One of our members makes cheese for a living and he says he presses cheddars normally between 3-5 psi (I think ... that is based on memory).
That would be Sailor who also gets credit for the "pressing in the pot" technique.

I've attached a doc I created from info I grabbed a while back from linuxboy.

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

bbracken677

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Re: First Hard Cheese - Farmhouse White Cheddar
« Reply #12 on: December 23, 2012, 05:21:15 PM »
Thanks Boofer!  You sent that to me long ago. I think I may have accidently deleted it tho... I think I will post it in our Library section.