Author Topic: pH Targets for Caerphilly  (Read 4342 times)

Smurfmacaw

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pH Targets for Caerphilly
« on: May 16, 2013, 11:53:37 PM »
I plan on making another caerphilly next week both to have something to eat relatively quickly and to practice techniques and improve this particular cheese.  I'm going to try a cheddared make this time with this recipe that I stole from Jeff Hamm.  Sounds like he had pretty good results.  Only real mod I'll make is the starter since I don't make cultured starters.  The information I'm really looking for is recommended pH targets for this make to turn out a somewhat creamier result than my last one which was a little chalkier than I thought it should have been.  Thoughts on the effects of moving the targets slightly either way would be appreciated as well since I'm really trying to wrap my head around this whole cheese making thing.  I also want an excuse to play with my new extech 110 pH meter.  Recipe is:
11L Home Brand Standard milk
½ tsp 50% CaCl.
Calf rennet to achieve 15 min floc
2.5 tlbs salt (and more for salting during pressing)

1)   Warm to 320C, 3 ice cubes mesophillic culture (Flora Dancia) : 11:40 (right on)
2)   Ripen 60 min (target time 12:40) Time: 12:40 3)   add ½ tsp CaCl in egg cup water
4)   Time 12:44:00 Temp 31.0 0C, add rennet (0.66 ml, in water), stir  What pH should I look at here?  -.1, -.2?
5)   Floc time 12:56:30 so 12 min 30 sec, 3x floc so wait 37 min 30 sec (40 min by recipe) Target cut time: 1:21:30
6)   1:21:30  Cut into 6mm cubes.  v.good curd
7)   Rest 10 minutes to heal (start 1:29-1:39)
8)   Raise temp to 33 over 10 minutes  (reached 33 at 1:55, starting temp was 30.0 ish)
9)   Stir for 40 min with curds at 330C (Start time: 1:55-2:35; temp continued up to 35.5C)
2:35-2:40 : Pitch and drain after 5 minutes (temp is 34.0? 0C)  Believe this is the next pH target....what pH?
10)   2:40   drain in cheese cloth for 5-10 minutes to form curd cake (press lightly if necessary; ie 2 litre milk jug filled with water placed on top of follower on top of cheese cloth “bag” of curds in colander)
11)   3:10 : cut into 1 inch slices, stacked (in the pot; in sink with warm water)
12)   Flipped stack every 10 minutes over 30 minutes (so flip at 3:20 and 3:30) What pH????
13)   Milled into thumbnail size bits (start ?:??)
14)   Added 2.5 tbls of salt
15)   Pressing in the pot under 10 kg (4:10-4:20). (10 minutes; warm water in sink; 0.72 PSI)
16)   Flip, salt, and re-dress 
17)   Press in the pot under 15Kg (4:20-4:40) (10 minutes; 1.08 PSI – went 20 minutes)
18)   Flip, salt, and re-dress
19)   Press in the pot under 25.0 kg (20 min) (?:??-?:?? 1.79 PSI) didn’t record time
20)   Flip, salt, and re-dress
21)   Press overnight under 35.2 kg. (starting at ?:??pm; 2.53 PSI – 7:13 am)  didn’t record start time 

Is there a particular pH to stop pressing for a salted cheese like this?

thanks in advance for any advice.

Mike


Spoons

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Re: pH Targets for Caerphilly
« Reply #1 on: December 17, 2013, 04:41:49 AM »
I'm bumping this old thread because I'm planning on making a cheddared caerphilly. I did Peter Dixon's recipe twice and compared it to a caerphilly cheese I bought at the cheese store. Both the cheeses from Dixon were bang on at only 1 month old (other halves currently still aging for sharper taste).

I still want to make a cheddared version. I had problems with the netting making caerphilly because it acidifies quite a bit during pressing. CHeddaring should resolve that problem. Dixon's recipe is not cheddared though, so I was wondering when I should mill and salt? Both cheeses I made were brined between PH 4.9 - 5.0 as recommended by the recipe. But if chedarred, should I follow cheddar ph levels and mill at 5.3-5.4? or should I go as low as 5.0-5.1?

Anyone got a take on this?

steamairship

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Re: pH Targets for Caerphilly
« Reply #2 on: January 01, 2014, 06:02:20 AM »
Hi Spoons.
Where can I find the Peter Dixon recipe?

Cheers

Digitalsmgital

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Re: pH Targets for Caerphilly
« Reply #3 on: January 01, 2014, 06:54:27 AM »
I had problems with the netting making caerphilly because it acidifies quite a bit during pressing. CHeddaring should resolve that problem.

I'm sorry to pick nits but is this a typo or another word for cheese cloth, or something else I don't understand?

I ask because I made my first attempt at cheddar today, and the cloth actually had to be peeled off the knitted wheel after the last press, the wheel looked terrific but when I was pulling off the cloth it actually slightly pulled one milled curd in the center almost out of the cheese! It repaired easily and is air drying now, but it was a frightful end to an exciting day!

Also steamairship wants the Peter Dixon recipe.

Spoons

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Re: pH Targets for Caerphilly
« Reply #4 on: January 01, 2014, 06:56:09 AM »

Spoons

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Re: pH Targets for Caerphilly
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2014, 06:59:22 AM »
I'm sorry to pick nits but is this a typo or another word for cheese cloth, or something else I don't understand?

When I refered to "netting" I wasn't referring to cheese cloth. I was using a KADOVA MOULD that has an integrated net to replace cheese cloth. very convinient as it leaves no crease in the rind as a cheese cloth does, but it has some severe sticking issues. For now I'm using my Kadova mould without the netting and using cheese cloth until I feel more confident abot the whole issue.

The pic below shows the caerphily I tried with the Kadova mould and its netting. You can see that it stuck real bad.

steamairship

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Re: pH Targets for Caerphilly
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2014, 07:20:35 AM »
Thanks guys. Much appreciated. Turned one out today. My first.

Digitalsmgital

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Re: pH Targets for Caerphilly
« Reply #7 on: January 01, 2014, 03:35:05 PM »

The pic below shows the caerphily I tried with the Kadova mould and its netting. You can see that it stuck real bad.

Yikes! How did you fix that?!!

I read somewhere that if the cheese is sticking to the cloth you can spray it with a calcium chloride, vinegar and water solution. I should have used that on my cheddar last night but I didn't know the formula. Where is LB when you need him?  ???

Digitalsmgital

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Re: pH Targets for Caerphilly
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2014, 03:39:11 PM »
Thanks guys. Much appreciated. Turned one out today. My first.

Dude! Er, I mean sir! That looks better than my fifth one! Is that a 5 gallon make?

steamairship

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Re: pH Targets for Caerphilly
« Reply #9 on: January 01, 2014, 08:01:50 PM »
Hi Dave. 8 litres a bit over 2 gallons :)

Spoons

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Re: pH Targets for Caerphilly
« Reply #10 on: January 01, 2014, 08:53:55 PM »
Thats a nice looking cheese Steamairship! I really that 2-gallon mould. It makes a nice tall cheese.

steamairship

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Re: pH Targets for Caerphilly
« Reply #11 on: January 02, 2014, 09:23:20 AM »
"Thats a nice looking cheese Steamairship! I really that 2-gallon mould. It makes a nice tall cheese."

LOL We will see after Affinage