Author Topic: My first Manchego  (Read 6199 times)

hoeklijn

  • Guest
My first Manchego
« on: May 27, 2013, 06:17:40 PM »
Finally got an address for sheep's milk. Disadvantage is that it's a 45 minutes drive, advantage is that they milk whole year.
So last Saturday morning I went out and bought me 20 liter of fresh sheep's milk for 1 euro 50 per liter.
Seemed a lot to me compared with what I pay for cow's and goat milk, but it turned out to give a nice yield of 1 kilo per 6.5 liter.

I used the Manchego recipe from the forum's home.
 
First image is a part of the open stable:


Cooking the curd:


The remainder of the curd was enough for a small Kadova. After brining it was 505gr.


The Tomme was totally filled and after brining it was over 3100gr.


Despite the lastest naked pressing, there were still some wrinkles:


JeffHamm

  • Guest
Re: My first Manchego
« Reply #1 on: May 27, 2013, 08:20:39 PM »
Nice!  Looking forward to hearing how this turns out.  How long are you going to age it?  If you end up making a lot of these, you can get moulds that provide that wicker basket look that manchego often has.  A cheese to your find.  Your 1.50 Euros/litre is slightly less than I would have to pay for store bought cream line cow's milk, so I'm shedding no tears for you on that front! :)

- Jeff

hoeklijn

  • Guest
Re: My first Manchego
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2013, 05:36:16 AM »
Yes, I know them. They are looking wonderful, but I've got a new Tomme and for know it's doing fine for cheeses like this. And since I'm not going to sell them....
Can you buy sheep's milk in New Zealand? I heard you have a lot of sheep over there...

JeffHamm

  • Guest
Re: My first Manchego
« Reply #3 on: May 28, 2013, 08:50:28 PM »
Hi Herman,

I've not seen any sheep milk for sale, nor heard of any.  Most of the sheep here are for wool or meat, but I'm sure there will be some milking sheep around somewhere.  There are millions of them here! 

- Jeff

Smurfmacaw

  • Guest
Re: My first Manchego
« Reply #4 on: May 28, 2013, 09:58:32 PM »
Raw cow's milk here in SoCal costs $14USD/gal - I shudder to think what a gallon of raw sheep's milk would go for  :o  Probably one of those situations where if you have to ask then you can't afford it!

tnbquilt

  • Guest
Re: My first Manchego
« Reply #5 on: May 29, 2013, 12:58:07 AM »
WOW $14! I'm paying $5 a gallon, but know of other farms that sell for $8 a gallon. I'm amazed. I did the math conversion for the sheep milk and it came up to $7.25 a gallon. That's about the same as the cow's milk, but a little cheaper. I don't know of anybody selling sheeps milk. I know of a farm selling goats milk, and it is 4 times the price of cows milk. I've never bought any.

orion113

  • Guest
Re: My first Manchego
« Reply #6 on: May 29, 2013, 08:57:45 PM »
Nice!  Looking forward to hearing how this turns out.  How long are you going to age it?  If you end up making a lot of these, you can get moulds that provide that wicker basket look that manchego often has.  A cheese to your find.  Your 1.50 Euros/litre is slightly less than I would have to pay for store bought cream line cow's milk, so I'm shedding no tears for you on that front!

From the above, does anyone know where to order "moulds that provide the wicker basket look"?  I am thinking of making some cheese for gifts and that would be a nice look/touch.

Offline Boofer

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Lakewood, Washington
  • Posts: 5,015
  • Cheeses: 344
  • Contemplating cheese
Re: My first Manchego
« Reply #7 on: May 29, 2013, 11:36:12 PM »
You're so lucky, Herman. Someone on the forum actually making a Manchego with sheep's milk! What a concept!  :) A cheese to you for scoring this coup!

I really want to hear how this turns out.

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

hoeklijn

  • Guest
Re: My first Manchego
« Reply #8 on: May 30, 2013, 11:47:28 AM »
Thanks Boofer. Again I realize that I'm lucky to live here:
60 cents for a liter raw cow's milk
1 euro for a liter raw goat milk
1.50 for a liter raw sheep's milk.
Plus the advantage that the sheep's are milked year round, which is not a habit here. I read from other milking sheep farmers in Holland that they only milk/sell/make cheese during spring and early summer.
And, the wife of the sheep farmer is working in a hospital nearby a couple of days during the week. He already told me that it would be possible to arrange something when I wanted to have milk, so I could save me the trip to his farm....

Smurfmacaw

  • Guest
Re: My first Manchego
« Reply #9 on: May 30, 2013, 04:26:28 PM »
Nice!  Looking forward to hearing how this turns out.  How long are you going to age it?  If you end up making a lot of these, you can get moulds that provide that wicker basket look that manchego often has.  A cheese to your find.  Your 1.50 Euros/litre is slightly less than I would have to pay for store bought cream line cow's milk, so I'm shedding no tears for you on that front!

From the above, does anyone know where to order "moulds that provide the wicker basket look"?  I am thinking of making some cheese for gifts and that would be a nice look/touch.


Here's a cool manchego mold.  I've been thinking about buying one for myself.

http://artisangeek.com/manchego-mould-with-pressing-follower-lid-and-pattern-strip-heavy-duty/

meyerandray

  • Guest
Re: My first Manchego
« Reply #10 on: May 30, 2013, 07:34:58 PM »
Those are great milk prices Herman! I pay 1 euro/ liter for raw cow's milk, although if I buy 50 liters at a time I can get a better price. Raw goat's milk, 1.30/liter. I haven't found sheep's milk yet.

Spellogue

  • Guest
Re: My first Manchego
« Reply #11 on: May 31, 2013, 02:02:29 AM »
The only sheeps milk I've had access to is the precious little I've milke from our own babydoll southdowns last year.  It was a mud bog this lambing season and I couldn't practically take any from them.  I wish I had a source to buy some.  Sheeps milk is a bargain at any price.  Until then I'll have to satisfy myself with making my "goat milk Manchego".  I call it "LaManchaga". ;)

Your wheel of the authentic version looks great BTW.

hoeklijn

  • Guest
Re: My first Manchego
« Reply #12 on: September 17, 2013, 05:16:46 PM »
On the open day at the "Kaaslust" dairy (loosly translates into Cheese joy...) my first Manchego and first cheese of sheep milk was cut and tested by the visitors and some professionals. And everybody liked it  :-*
Here's the remaining part....

JeffHamm

  • Guest
Re: My first Manchego
« Reply #13 on: September 17, 2013, 06:52:26 PM »
Nice looking result.  A cheese to you.

Offline Boofer

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Lakewood, Washington
  • Posts: 5,015
  • Cheeses: 344
  • Contemplating cheese
Re: My first Manchego
« Reply #14 on: September 17, 2013, 11:55:39 PM »
Sweet-looking cheese, Herman. A cheese for dazzling everyone there...and here!

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