Author Topic: Mutschli #1  (Read 9005 times)

Smurfmacaw

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Mutschli #1
« on: May 15, 2013, 08:44:42 PM »
Had a day off so I decided to make a Mutschli after being inspired by Alp's treatise on the subject of Swiss Mountain Cheeses.

I decided to give raw milk a try, finally found a place that sells it.

Make consisted of:

1.5 Gal raw milk
1.5 Gal creamline pasturized milk (I decided to use this due to the price.  Once I'm a little more accomplished at making cheese I'll spend the $12 per gallon to do a fully raw milk make.)
1/4 tsp CaCi (for the pasturized milk)
1/4 tsp TA 61
1/2 tsp LH 100
38 drops of single strength liquid calf rennet

I brought the raw milk to 70 degrees separately then added the cultures.
I brought the creamline milk to 71 degrees and added the CaCl (diluted of course)
Slowly brought the raw milk to 108 degrees over 20 minutes
Added the creamline to the raw milk resulting in 90.4 degrees.
Added diluted rennet and stirred in very well.  Rennet resulted in a 17 minute flocculation time.  I let it gel for 35 minutes.
Cut into 1 inch squares vertically only.  Let it set for five minutes or so and then started pulling the long curds up using techniques in Alp's recipe.  Actually it worked pretty well.  Took me about 10 minutes to get relatively uniform 1 inch cubes.
Next used a whisk in slow figure eight stirring motion to further cut the curd for the next 10 minutes resulting in curds about the size of a kernel of corn.
Next, stirred gently for 30 min.
Next heated to 98 degrees over 30 min while gently stirring.
Into a 7.5 inch mold in cheese cloth.

Pressing schedule is:

10 Min under whey at .5 psi
20 min under whey at 1.0 psi
40 min under whey at 1.5 psi
1 hour at 1.5 psi
2 hours at 1.5 psi
4 hours at 2.0 psi
8 hours at 2.0 psi
1 hour naked at 2 psi to remove cloth marks
Brine for ??
Wash for ten days every day
wash once a week for three months

Pictures to follow.

Smurfmacaw

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Photos of Mutschli #1
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2013, 11:31:54 PM »
First photo is the milk.  Got it at Jimbo's.  Only place close that sells raw milk.

Second photo is the starters.  TA 61 and LH 100.  Larger pile is the LH 100.

Third photo is the floc bowl sitting in the milk.  Well sanitized of course.  I use my trusty stopwatch to time the floc.

Fourth photo is the break.  A little softer than some other makes I've done but then it was only a 2x multiplier.

Fifth photo is the curds.  You can see that they hold together in long rectangles per Alps technique.  Actually worked pretty well.

Sixth photo is the Whey.  Nice greenish yellow color.

Seventh photo is the final size of the curds after cutting with the whisk.  About the size of a grain of corn.

Eighth photo is the press.....you've seen on you've seen them all.

Last photo for now is the knit after 10 minutes at .5 psi in the press.  Subsequent presses consolidated the curd well.

Had a little sticking in the cheese cloth with the third press under whey.  Minor damage that will be trimmed off when I make the edges look nice and beveled.  It's in the press now for its two hour press at 1.5 psi.
« Last Edit: May 16, 2013, 12:32:21 AM by Smurfmacaw »

Smurfmacaw

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Re: Mutschli #1 Final Photo for Today
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2013, 12:19:22 AM »
After two hours in the press at 1.5 psi it looks pretty good.  Minor defects from the cloth sticking are disappearing rapidly.  Got a new cheese cloth and soaked it with brine and no more sticking!


Offline Boofer

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Re: Mutschli #1
« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2013, 12:20:57 AM »
Let me guess...you're using an iPad.  ::)

Love to watch the progress of this make.

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

Smurfmacaw

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Re: Mutschli #1
« Reply #4 on: May 16, 2013, 02:10:07 AM »
iphone.  Doesn't matter which way i rotate it the forum software insists on showing it sideways.  Guess I'll get the real camera out for next time.  Two more hours til the next flip!

Smurfmacaw

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Re: Mutschli #1
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2013, 02:00:11 AM »
Ok,

12 hours in the saturated brine and it's ready to wash.  Dried it well with paper towels and then gave it its first wash with the gooey wash I've been using on the Gruyere.  Not sure whether I should cut all the little pips off or not.

Mike


Alpkäserei

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Re: Mutschli #1
« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2013, 02:02:46 AM »
E Guäte

Looks good

How long will you let this one go?

The coagulation time could maybe be a little longer, maybe 45 minutes. But it will still be good.

12 hours in brine should give you a good saltiness. I like these cheeses salty, if anything I often don't make mine salty enough  :o


Smurfmacaw

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Re: Mutschli #1
« Reply #7 on: May 18, 2013, 02:12:04 PM »
I'm probably going to let it go for three to four months.  I'm not sure I like the nubbins though, will it compromise the rind to cut them off?  I was surprised at how easy it was to cut the curd using your recommended technique.  I've always liked Swiss style cheeses so I see a number of these in the future.  Maybe I'll make another next week and let it coagulate 25% longer just to see how they differ.

thanks again for all the informative posts.

Mike

Alpkäserei

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Re: Mutschli #1
« Reply #8 on: May 21, 2013, 07:26:27 PM »
I hope this cheese turns out good for you.
This I think is a great cheese for hobby cheesemakers. It's not too hard to make, and a large number a variations are allowed. Also It is a great springboard for other cheeses, lets you master the techniques and methods you would use for a harder cheese like Gruyere, Emmentaler, etc.
Also lets you experiment and develop your own cheeses.
I am using the basic Mutschli as a model for a number of my own specialty cheeses -which is great because it gives me good cheeses that I can bring to market fast. 

Smurfmacaw

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Re: Mutschli #1 Update
« Reply #9 on: June 11, 2013, 03:10:57 AM »
Just wanted to post a picture of of the rind progression.  Some minor surface crazing but that is just in the dried schmeir.  Washing on Mondays and Thursdays.  Center is still pliable so it's not looking like it's going to turn into a really hard cheese.  It's been fun so far and the color change is much more noticable looking back at the pictures.  It's been pretty gradual.  Three more months......



« Last Edit: June 11, 2013, 03:25:48 AM by Smurfmacaw »

Offline Boofer

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Re: Mutschli #1 Update
« Reply #10 on: June 11, 2013, 05:17:39 AM »
Just wanted to post a picture of of the rind progression.  Some minor surface crazing but that is just in the dried schmeir.  Washing on Mondays and Thursdays.  Center is still pliable so it's not looking like it's going to turn into a really hard cheese.  It's been fun so far and the color change is much more noticable looking back at the pictures.  It's been pretty gradual.  Three more months......
Looking good! Man, I do love a sweet rind!

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

Smurfmacaw

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Re: Mutschli #1
« Reply #11 on: June 22, 2013, 02:43:37 AM »
Core sample today.....more because I just got my really cool tryer from Yoav than anything else.  Texture is right on......flavor is really mild but seems to be developing..  I think in a couple of months it's going to hit the mark.  Alpkase, what do you think it should taste like after a month.......It's buttery and smooth.  I'm looking forward to trying it at 3 months.

Smurfmacaw

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Re: Mutschli #1 Latest Update and Photo
« Reply #12 on: July 07, 2013, 05:31:32 PM »
I was doing regular cheese maintenance chores and decided to get a good photo of the Mutschli.  The rind has developed a nice color.  I've pretty much reduced the washings to just whenever I feel like it about once a week or every ten days.  Probably could have washed it twice weekly for another month but since I'm going to eat it in just one more month I decided to taper it off.  Smells nice, slight cheeses funk from the washing.  It's definitely firmed up some more and seems to be doing really nice overall.  I thought it was going to remain white but it did finally color up.

Now if I can just keep my hands off it for another month!


Smurfmacaw

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Re: Mutschli #1
« Reply #13 on: July 21, 2013, 01:26:43 AM »
Well, I was planning on aging it another month before cutting it but my mother in law is in town and wanted to try the cheese I've been making.  This is the only one that is close so I cut it.  Took out a quarter and vacuum bagged the rest (you know you are a cheese geek when you get a vac bagger for fathers day ::) )

It has a piquant aroma as expected from B. Linens D-day.  Very cheesy aroma as I would expect from an alpine cheese though not insanely strong like really old alpine cheeses.  The taste is mild but really nice.  Very "swiss" in the first impression.  I am really happy with this cheese and will definitely make it again and may make it the "house" cheese.  The one thing I would do differently is I would brine it about 20% longer.  You can taste the salt but I would really like it a little bit saltier. 

Really happy with the appearance of the cheese, great knit, the inclusions are mechanical not propionic but it still tastes really good.  My 19 year old declared it a success and demanded I give her a wedge to take to work to share with her co-workers.

Hopefully I can age some of it out a little longer but judging from the hungry eyes around here I don't know.  I think on Friday I'm going to make a goat version since I can get good goat milk for less than 1/2 the price of raw cow.  :-\

In any case, it's easy and this is a great cheese! (and it's entirely enjoyable after only 2 months!)
« Last Edit: July 21, 2013, 03:40:15 PM by Smurfmacaw »

JeffHamm

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Re: Mutschli #1
« Reply #14 on: July 21, 2013, 02:05:58 AM »
Well done!  It looks really good.  A cheese to your success.

- Jeff