Author Topic: Got milk...what to do?  (Read 4463 times)

Offline Boofer

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Got milk...what to do?
« on: July 26, 2013, 01:48:13 PM »
My dear wife is heading out for a brief visit with other of her family members today. I'll be alone with my Yorkie and my cheese press over the weekend. I picked up 4 gallons of whole creamline milk and 4 gallons of one of my favorite whole raw milks. Now...what do I do? I figured I'd split each of those equally so that I'd have two makes each of 2 creamline & 2 raw.

This is still summer milk but we're moving towards the end. I wanted to make something that would endure for the long run. I believe I'll devote half of the milk to Beaufort #9 since it's a favorite of mine and a longer-aging cheese. The Alp D MC cubes are ready, as are the PS and rennet. Not much difficulty factor there, though I do wonder about that decision with Beauforts #6, #7, and (very recently) #8 currently ripening. ::)

The other half of the milk...I'm not so sure about. Caerphilly? A big Gouda (the last several makes have been ~400g)? I haven't made Tilsit in a while, and I do love that cheese. Maybe I should finally try for the elusive Butterkaese? How does that handle an extended usage/affinage (ripen, cut, eat, vacuum-seal, continue cold aging/storage)?

I have my eye on the holidays and, with that in mind, a 4-6 month ripening window. As we get closer to December I'll be tuning up to break in my brand-spanking new Taleggio mould with divider to make four little cheeses for gifts.

Anyone with a suggestion?

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linuxboy

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Re: Got milk...what to do?
« Reply #1 on: July 26, 2013, 05:03:31 PM »
I would try a new style. What MC do you have in the freezer?

Smurfmacaw

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Re: Got milk...what to do?
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2013, 06:32:15 PM »
One word - mutschlii.  You know you want to.

JeffHamm

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Re: Got milk...what to do?
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2013, 07:03:49 PM »
Hmmm,  caerphilly, in my view anyway, is best young so not really one I think of for aging out.  Butterkase, or at least the thing I now make that originally started as a butterkase, does age very well, though I've not taken it out beyond 4 or 5 months.  I've made dunlop (a Scottish full cream cheddar type) that has turned out nicely.  I've got one in the cave now that is about a year and half old (I made it Jan 2012), so I guess when I open that I'll find out how well it ages! Hopefully well! :)  Tomme's are always good too, and you can do just about anything with them. 

Do you have a Romano or Parm on the go?  A good hard grating cheese is nice to have.  I've got a Romano which is over 2 years old (Made it march of 2011), but with 2.5 montasio's also ready for grating, it will probably get to about 5 or more years before I get a chance to open it.  Not that that is a bad thing, of course.

But, after all this careful consideration, really, I think it is just time for you to go and make that Butterkase.  After a couple months, you can section it and vac bag it.  That will suit it just fine.

- Jeff

Smurfmacaw

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Re: Got milk...what to do?
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2013, 07:44:11 PM »
The Beaufort will give you a long aging cheese and a mutschli will give you some alpine love between now and the holidays.  You already have the right cultures.  I vote mutschli.

FRANCOIS

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Re: Got milk...what to do?
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2013, 09:03:33 PM »
Get some 12" lengths of PVC pipe (2 or 3").  Do a camembert make and drain them in the pipes.  Un-mould, cut up into individual cheeses.  Final size should be slightly larger than mouthful.  Brine and then split the batch.  Keep half as camembert, then wash the other half.  In a few weeks they'll all be runny and gooey and, due to their size, they are pretty much each a mouthful, so make an awesome snack.  You won't want to check your cholesterol level though....

Offline Boofer

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Re: Got milk...what to do?
« Reply #6 on: July 26, 2013, 10:42:09 PM »
I would try a new style. What MC do you have in the freezer?
TA-61, Alp D, and Kazu. What do you have in mind?

Thanks for the ideas, guys.

Very imaginative, Francois.

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Offline Boofer

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Re: Got milk...what to do?
« Reply #7 on: July 28, 2013, 08:03:51 PM »
I weighed the suggestions I was given, went back and reviewed previous makes, and scanned cheesemaking books until inspiration came to me. 8)

I had made two cheeses in one day previously but never thought to try to make three cheeses within a day. That day arrived yesterday. I didn't have the saffron threads for one cheese and the buttermilk and cream for another cheese so I had to go shopping before I could make cheese.

Starting at 8:00AM, the first cheese was the Saffron-Infused Hispanico. That went fairly well and was in the press just before noon. The next cheese was the Peasant Gouda. It turned out so well that I wanted to do it again and possibly smoke some down the road. Like the Hispanico, this make went fairly smoothly and I finished just before 4:00PM. Wow, 8 to 12...12 to 4, could I possibly get this done in another 4 hours?

Yes, yes... the Buttermilk Blue make went well too and I finished up a little after 8:00PM. Okay, right about now, you're probably thinking "What, is he crazy...making cheese for 12 hours?" Well, I did have to use the milk while it was at its freshest. :D  I had originally planned to make two cheeses. This 3-cheese thing just happened. ::)

Anyway, it's done, and I have two cheeses I hadn't done before which increases my cheesemaking knowledge and perhaps provides some holiday gifts in several months. Good stuff.

With that I present my cheese trifecta or hat trick.

-Boofer-
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Offline Tiarella

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Re: Got milk...what to do?
« Reply #8 on: July 28, 2013, 10:50:58 PM »
Wow.         Just wow!

Since you've been scanning cheese recipes perhaps you can help me out.  I have two little girlie goatlets that need names.  I was thinking "Tilset" for one but need another nice sounding cheese name for the other.  One is mostly white with a few butterscotch swirls and the other is pure hazel colored.  Any cheese names come to mind?  Remember, I'll have to use this name daily so two syllables or less are preferred.  Three can work okay as long as it rolls off the tongue easily.  Ideas?

I'm icing an injured rotator cuff so one-handed name searches get old or maybe I'm just lazy.    :-\
« Last Edit: July 29, 2013, 10:02:14 AM by Tiarella »

Smurfmacaw

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Re: Got milk...what to do?
« Reply #9 on: July 29, 2013, 02:41:08 AM »
I vote Mimolette.....you can call her Mimi if you want two syllables for daily use.  Maybe she'll have a french accent.....le baaaah, le baaaah.

Offline Tiarella

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Re: Got milk...what to do?
« Reply #10 on: July 29, 2013, 10:04:54 AM »
I vote Mimolette.....you can call her Mimi if you want two syllables for daily use.  Maybe she'll have a french accent.....le baaaah, le baaaah.

I LIKE it!  What a great option.  I don't know how to pronounce Mimolette properly.......any hints?

Offline Boofer

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Re: Got milk...what to do?
« Reply #11 on: July 29, 2013, 12:58:41 PM »
I vote Mimolette.....you can call her Mimi if you want two syllables for daily use.  Maybe she'll have a french accent.....le baaaah, le baaaah.


I LIKE it!  What a great option.  I don't know how to pronounce Mimolette properly.......any hints?
Pretty name for a baby goat.

Here's how to call her.

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jwalker

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Re: Got milk...what to do?
« Reply #12 on: July 31, 2013, 12:27:03 PM »
Wow , twelve hours of cheese making , and they all look good.

You're ready to become a commercial cheese maker , imagine all the overtime.

I make a Cheddar and sometimes takes six hours , I'm ready to leave the kitchen by then.

Good work Boofer !


Offline Boofer

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Re: Got milk...what to do?
« Reply #13 on: July 31, 2013, 01:26:51 PM »
Wow , twelve hours of cheese making , and they all look good.

You're ready to become a commercial cheese maker , imagine all the overtime.

I make a Cheddar and sometimes takes six hours , I'm ready to leave the kitchen by then.

Good work Boofer !
Thanks, Jim. Well, the wife was away....

The cave network is happily humming along again.

Probably won't try that again any time soon. Pretty exhausting. No, sorry, no interest in commercializing. Just a diversion from work and idleness.

You're right, if I had done any of the Cheddar-like styles, I would have tacked on several more hours.

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