Author Topic: My 3rd Tomme  (Read 7650 times)

JeffHamm

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My 3rd Tomme
« on: February 10, 2013, 05:42:35 AM »
Hi,

Well, it's been really busy this new year.  No cheese made at all in January.  So, this is my first cheese of the new year.  I decided to have a go at a tomme again, this time determined to let it develop a wild natural rind.  My 2nd one I did as a washed rind, and it will be ready for cutting in a couple weeks (should be close to 6 months by that point).  The first time I tried this the cheese was very very soft, and I think I was too gentle on the stirring and didn't expel enough whey.  I washed rind treated it, but it sagged so much the rind split.  That one got vac sealed, and ended up being a brilliant result.  The 2nd make went really well, in that the resulting cheese was not so soft.  I used a creamline milk, which makes great curds, but there wasn't enough of it at the store this time (only 5 litres) so I went with the milk I usually use. 

I think I've become a bit overly gentle in my stirring, so this time I was a bit more firm.  Didn't shatter the curds or beat them up, but not so much on the jiggling and got into the actual stirring.  Lots of change of directions, and lifting from the bottom to cut up the chunks that didn't get cut, etc.  The result seems to be good.  I was quite pleased with how the curds held up, and how much whey got expelled, and just sort of how everything seemed to be working.  The cheese doesn't appear to be a hugely tall one, which usually means the curds are still full of whey.  I recall Pav saying that most of the whey should be expelled by the time it goes into the mould, and as I set it aside for the evening, it does seem that this make looks closer to the final dimentions than usual.  However, as I say, it's been awhile and I suspect any cheese would look good to me right now. 

I was really pleased with my heat rising.  I really nailed it this time, as you can see in the chart below.  So, as long as I end up with a good knit in the morning, this has the potential to be a good outcome.  Fingers are crossed! 



Tomme (Pav’s instructions) Sunday, Feb 10, 2013

11 L Homebrand Blue Top (3.3% fat; 3.3g/100ml protein; pasturized & homogenized)
6.5 ice cubes flora danica
¼ tsp 50% CaCl in egg cup of water
1.77 ml 280 IMCU calf rennet (probably closer to 1.6 ml) in egg cup water

1)   Add ice cubes
2)   Warm 11 litres milk 31.10C (31.1 C : reached at 8:00 am)
3)   Ripen for 30 mins at 31.10C (88 F) (8:00 - 8:30; 31.1 C)
4)   Add CaCl (8:25)
5)   add rennet (8:30:00 31.1 C)
6)   floc time (8:43:45 = 13m 45 sec 3x = floc time 41m 15sec = cut time 9:11:15)
7)   Cut into 1/4 inch cubes, let rest 5 mins (9:26 - 9:31)
8)   Stir and increase temp to 37.80C (100 F) over 30 mins. (9:26 – 10:01, temp reached 37.8, nailed it)
9)   Hold at 37.80C (100 F)  until the curd is at the right texture. You can tell this by pressing a tablespoon of curd in your hand. It should mat together slightly and be somewhat firm. (10:01am - 11:00)
10)   Drain in vat or warm colander (11:00-11:15 – scooped it with measuring cup, had to empty 2nd pot to store whey in jugs.  Curds are matting under their own weight while sitting in the pot). pH should be 6.35 or higher. Let curds mat (draining in colander over pot in cheesecloth and press slightly under whey. Drained and by 11:33 into mould. 
11)   Put into cheesecloth lined molds. This cheese sticks, so soak the cheesecloth in pH 5.2 whey beforehand. (at 11:33)
12)   Press under own weight turning at 15 min (11:48), 30 min (12:20), and 1 hour increments (1:25, 2:30). (normally flip through the day; with 2.5 kg as weight to emulate stacking, but went out.  Flipped again at 6:10 pm)
13)   Press until pH is 5.4 or overnight. (Pressed until 5:50 am ; rind has lots of imperfections forgot to press under whey and this resulted in a v.poor knit)
14)   Brine in fully saturated brine 3-4 hours per lb of cheese. (1.360kg = 9.00-12.00; 15.6 x 6.6 = 1.35 g/cm3 ; hours 6:00 am – 5:00 pm 11.0 hours;  1356g out of the brine, 16.0 x 7.0 cm = 1407 cm3 = 0.96 g/cm3 ; the expiation is probably due to brine getting through the imperfect rind)
15)   Leave at12.8-18.30C  (55-65 F) for a day at ~70% RH for the outer rind to dry a little before moving to the cave.

Made Ricotta from approx. 9 litres of whey ; raised to 91.8 C, added ¼ cider vinegar, let sit 10 minutes scooped it out into cheesecloth lined colander.  Got  approx. 280g.  Added 4 g salt.
Age 3-6 months at 10-12.80C (50-55F), 85-92% RH (or higher if using special rind treatment or making a b linens variant). Natural or oil rubbed rind.
« Last Edit: February 11, 2013, 05:10:34 AM by JeffHamm »

Back 2 The Frotture

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Re: My 3rd Tomme
« Reply #1 on: February 10, 2013, 12:46:10 PM »
hey jeff, curious about the 3x waiting period.  Was your recipe for a particular style of tomme?
thanks

JeffHamm

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Re: My 3rd Tomme
« Reply #2 on: February 10, 2013, 05:25:03 PM »
Hi Back2,

This is Pav (Linuxboy's) general instructions for tomme.  I've done this as a washed rind twice (one still to be sampled) and will let this one go wild, as in Tomme de Savoi.  Pav would be the one to provide details on the specifics of its background.

Here's a photo of it before the brine.  I realised I skipped pressing under whey, and the knit is not as good as it should be as a result.  Oh well, we'll see how it goes.  Anyway, at the moment it is 1360g and measures 15.6 x 6.6 cm, so 1.35 1.08 g/cm3 density.  At the 3-4 hours per lbs brining recommendation, this is 9-12 hours in the brine.  So, I'll probably take it out around the 11 hour mark.  The extra stirring does appear to have expelled more whey, as my last few makes have been very wet sponge feeling, and tended to weigh in over 1.5 kg, and then dry out to around 1.1 kg. 

- Jeff
« Last Edit: February 11, 2013, 06:09:21 PM by JeffHamm »

JeffHamm

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Re: My 3rd Tomme
« Reply #3 on: February 11, 2013, 05:12:41 AM »
Well, it's out of the brine.  The poor knit seems to have allowed it to take up quite a bit of brine and it has swelled!  It's now 16 x 7 cm, but the mass has dropped to 1356g (so the density is now 0.96 g/cm3 - first time it's been under 1!).  So barring this being some sort of contamination, then I'm suspecting this will dry out over the next few days then into the cave for further aging.  Will see how that goes.

- Jeff

Offline Boofer

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Re: My 3rd Tomme
« Reply #4 on: February 11, 2013, 02:26:23 PM »
Anyway, at the moment it is 1360g and measures 15.6 x 6.6 cm, so 1.35 g/cm3 density.
Hey, wait a minute! Now we have to track our cheese density?!! ::)

Looks good, so far, Jeff. Here's hoping for good results. I've been pretty fortunate with my most recent Tomme and The Dark Side and must be doing something right. ;)

Thank goodness for Pav's Tomme guidance.

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Offline H-K-J

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Re: My 3rd Tomme
« Reply #5 on: February 11, 2013, 03:11:54 PM »
I don't know about you guys but I know what my cheese's destiny is going to be.
OH wait a minute, density?
Never mind  :o
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JeffHamm

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Re: My 3rd Tomme
« Reply #6 on: February 11, 2013, 05:13:43 PM »
Hi Boofer,

Yes, we must track density because, it's destiny for density is keeping us all from dentistry.... hmmm .... I'm not sure if that indicates I need more or less coffee? :)

I thank blame H-K-J for the density/destiny inspiration. 

- Jeff

JeffHamm

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Re: My 3rd Tomme
« Reply #7 on: February 12, 2013, 07:28:07 PM »
hey jeff, curious about the 3x waiting period.  Was your recipe for a particular style of tomme?
thanks


Here's a link to a thread on Pav's tomme, where he talks about a few ideas for variations (such as a washed curd version, etc).  I just followed the basic "classic" style, and I'm going to see what shows up mould wise. 

http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,1591

linuxboy

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Re: My 3rd Tomme
« Reply #8 on: February 12, 2013, 08:19:03 PM »
That multiplier is to target a general 35-40% MFFB for a semi-firm style.

Offline Tiarella

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Re: My 3rd Tomme
« Reply #9 on: February 13, 2013, 12:34:01 AM »
That multiplier is to target a general 35-40% MFFB for a semi-firm style.

Oh, man!  I must be tired.  I won't even mention the possibilities I came up with for MFFB before I looked it up in the forum glossary.   :o

Back 2 The Frotture

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Re: My 3rd Tomme
« Reply #10 on: February 13, 2013, 08:54:14 AM »
I use a varient recipe that calls for pea sized curd, and a multiplier of 1 (amongst other differences).  MFFB = whey that has been trapped in the curd?  How are moisture percentage calculated?  This seems laboratorious...

linuxboy

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Re: My 3rd Tomme
« Reply #11 on: February 13, 2013, 03:09:26 PM »
MFFB is classically calculated by putting cheese in an oven and calculating before and after weight. With a 1x multiplier, are you using French convention, which typically measures the additional time from when the milk flocculates before cutting?

JeffHamm

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Re: My 3rd Tomme
« Reply #12 on: February 13, 2013, 06:12:48 PM »
I've moved this to the cave today.  It seemed to have picked up extra brine, but now that's gone and it's down to 1222g, and 15.5 x 6, for 1.08g/cm3. 

- Jeff
« Last Edit: February 15, 2013, 05:12:12 PM by JeffHamm »

JeffHamm

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Re: My 3rd Tomme
« Reply #13 on: March 08, 2013, 05:16:49 AM »
Just a one month update.  It's 1148g and the wild rind is comming along just great.  :)

JeffHamm

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Re: My 3rd Tomme
« Reply #14 on: March 22, 2013, 06:26:56 PM »
Hi,

This one is looking pretty good.  It's down to 1100g, and the wild rind is coming along nicely.  It is now very little work and care required, just turn it morning and evening and keep the ripening box free from excess condensation.

- Jeff