Yum! Nicely nutty and smooth. In fact it tastes like Jarlsberg! It had some nice eye formation but some cracks as well. I held it at 50 degrees for about 2 weeks for rind formation, then rubbed it with olive oil. It was about 4 weeks at 70 to 75 degrees, and smelled wonderful. Then 7 more weeks in the cave! I will vacuum half of it and return it to the cave for some more aging. Scroll down for the picture!
Last time I tried Jarlsberg (about 1 year ago) it swelled up nicely with some eyes even though it was just a 2 # cheese. The make had been with a thermophillic blend from cheesemaking.com. This time with Flora Danica. The recipe suggested heating the milk to 98 degrees, and then scalding at up to 108 degrees, but I was apprehensive about cooking the culture, to I went a little lower. The make went pretty well with the exception of flocculation happening in 10 mins (still too fast - I need to cut back the rennet), and the pH being very slow to drop after rinsing and while in the press. I think the pH meter was working, but the rinse water pH must have been pretty high (our water usually measures about 7.5 when I use the pH meter). I will post pictures when the cheese is in the warm phase, to see if it swells!
Jarlsberg style 4-14-13
2 gal pasteurized cream top milk
¼ tsp Flora Danica
1/8 tsp PS
½ tsp Calcium Chloride in ¼ cup water
1.7 ml single strength calf rennet (Mad Millie)
Floc X 3
Targets for pH: 6.4 partial drain/wash, 5.4 brine
12:20 Temp = 95, pH 6. Cultures in, resting 5 mins, then stirred in. Resting 45 mins.
1:15 Temp = 96, pH 6.6 Calcium stirred in and resting 5 mins.
1:20 Temp = 96, Rennet stirred in. Flocculation 10 mins
1:50 Clean break, cut in 1 inch, healed 5 mins, then gentle stirring and breaking up larger chunks, progressing to stirring with a whisk.
2:30 Temp = 96, pH 6.4 Letting curds settle, then remove about 30 % whey (about 1-2 inch above curds)
2:45 Adding water at 140 degrees, stirring in a few scoops at a time, planning to add water to about ½ the volume of whey removed over a period of time
2:50 Temp = 98
3:00 Temp = 102 (final goal) with stirring
3:40 Temp =102, pH 6.6 Curds are springy, and sticking to top hand after squeezing out the whey. Let settle 5 mins
3:45 Press in pot under whey with about 10 #.
4:10 Out of pot into press with 10 #
4:30 Turned and redressed, starting to knit nicely, back in press with 18 #
5:10 Turned and redressed, well knit, back into press with 27 # whey pH still 6.6
6:15 Turned and redressed, back into press with 27 #
9:30 Turned and into press NAKED with 10 #, whey pH 6.4
6:00 AM Trimmed off edges of cheese to measure pH: now 5.4. Weight 2 # 1 oz. Into saturated brine with salt on top, at 50 degrees for 8 hours.
2:00 Out of brine and into cave at 50 degrees.