Author Topic: Blog Post - How to make Gruyere/Alpine cheese  (Read 12759 times)

jwalker

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Re: Blog Post - How to make Gruyere/Alpine cheese
« Reply #15 on: November 04, 2013, 03:35:19 PM »
Yes , thanks for the replies , I added some PS to yesterdays make.

I do like the flavour it imparts to the cheese , I won't put it thru a warm phase tho.

Kirkbybil

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Re: Blog Post - How to make Gruyere/Alpine cheese
« Reply #16 on: March 12, 2014, 04:32:24 PM »
Hi,

I have just ordered 4 gallons of Raw milk to collect tomorrow - my first attempt at raw milk cheese, and I was going to make this Gruyere recipe. I bookmarked it and just went back to read it and it has gone!

Did anyone copy the recipe or can anyone recommend a tried and tested one for Gruyere?

Otherwise, looks like a cheddar..... :)

JeffHamm

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Re: Blog Post - How to make Gruyere/Alpine cheese
« Reply #17 on: March 12, 2014, 05:57:07 PM »
Not Gruyere, but this Beaufort by Sailor is fantastic!  Give it a try if you can't find your Gruyere protocol.

http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,11079.0.html

- Jeff

Kirkbybil

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Re: Blog Post - How to make Gruyere/Alpine cheese
« Reply #18 on: March 12, 2014, 07:23:53 PM »
Thanks Jeff, I don't even know what a Beaufort is (I thought it was something to do with wind :D) but I've seen quite a few write ups of Boofers, I think, so if it is a swiss style I may give it a go.

I only have TA061 and a general mesophillic (I think it's MA400) starter so I assume these will be ok? Any thoughts?
I will reduce amounts by 25% for raw milk.


JeffHamm

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Re: Blog Post - How to make Gruyere/Alpine cheese
« Reply #19 on: March 12, 2014, 08:10:28 PM »
Hi Kirkbybil,
TA061 is Strep.Therm, and so is ST B01.  Probably different strains, but should be similar enough to what I used.  MA400 is supposed to be a good allround mesophillic, so that should be fine too.  If you're going to be getting into thermophillic cheeses, you might want to pick up some LH100, which as I understand it helps to develop the flavours as the cheese ages.  You could fire in a bit of active Greek Yogurt, just to get some other cultures into the mix, but you're working with raw milk, so you may be fine on that.

Beaufort isn't supposed to have eyes, but the one I made had a great swiss flavour (the PS strain I have is a low gass one, so it isn't supposed to produce eyes).  You'll want to age this out at least 6 months, but it is well worth the wait.

- Jeff

Kirkbybil

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Re: Blog Post - How to make Gruyere/Alpine cheese
« Reply #20 on: March 12, 2014, 08:55:16 PM »
Thanks Jeff,

I have some PS which is either a low gas strain or my last Emmentaler just didn't expand! I'll add a pinch. I've been reading up and I think it was Sailor who said that if using raw milk you shouldn't need the messo starter. Choices, choices. I'll wing it as usual, I generally seem to end up with a nice cheese - sometimes no resemblance to what I was aiming for, but nice nevertheless.

I'll post the make. Thanks again.

jwalker

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Re: Blog Post - How to make Gruyere/Alpine cheese
« Reply #21 on: March 12, 2014, 10:12:19 PM »
Yes , that link is gone ! :o

That is one of my favorite cheeses !

Luckily , I copied the recipe onto one of my recipe cards >:D , if you still want it , I will post it here for you.

Let me know.

Kirkbybil

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Re: Blog Post - How to make Gruyere/Alpine cheese
« Reply #22 on: March 13, 2014, 12:21:36 PM »
Hi - Yes please, I usually print them but this time I didn't. If you can post then that would be great.  Thanks.

shotski

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Re: Blog Post - How to make Gruyere/Alpine cheese
« Reply #23 on: March 19, 2014, 11:19:16 PM »
Yes , that link is gone ! :o

That is one of my favorite cheeses !

Luckily , I copied the recipe onto one of my recipe cards >:D , if you still want it , I will post it here for you.

Let me know.

Hey jwalker, Please post the recipe. I did not see the original link but would like the recipe.

John

jwalker

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Re: Blog Post - How to make Gruyere/Alpine cheese
« Reply #24 on: March 20, 2014, 06:01:47 PM »
OK , here it is , hope it's right , I didn't print it out word for word , I just wrote it down on one of my recipe cards , it's the way I have been doing it and it has been producing some nice cheese , I have about 5 of these aging now.

I hope this is close to the original , but it's what I wrote down and it's been working for me.

The highlighted text is my personal take.

4 gals milk. (I have been having good luck with P?H on this recipe too!)
heat to 90
add 1/3 tsp. Thermo.  (I use a little F.D. as well 1/8 tsp.)
Maintain temp for 1 hour.
Add Calcium wait ten minutes.
Add rennet ( I use 1/2 tablet for 4 gals.)
Floc time should be 40-60 min. ( I use the full 60)
Cut curd small and stir till rice sized grains. (you'll get these anyway if using P/H milk.)
Heat slowly to 130 stirring occasionally to keep from matting.
Press into a mass under whey , maintain temp.
Drain after 40 min. break up curd mass and put in cloth lined mold.
Press with light weight for 15 min.
Flip and re-press with enough weight to close rind. (I didn't put weights down as everybody seems to have their own , I go light 10 lbs.)
Flip once more , Six hours in mold. (I do the final press with no cloth for a smooth rind.)
Brine overnight.
If you want a washed rind which is the proper way , wash with 1 gal. water , some B.Linens , and 70 oz. coarse salt.
Every second day for a week or two , then once a week.
Or wax ( I wax some and they are very mild , and popular with friends)
Age 6 months or more. ( my waxed ones make a really nice cheese at 3 months , very mild though)

Offline H-K-J

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Re: Blog Post - How to make Gruyere/Alpine cheese
« Reply #25 on: March 20, 2014, 07:35:19 PM »
jwalker
what type Thermo are you using or would you use.
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Offline Al Lewis

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Re: Blog Post - How to make Gruyere/Alpine cheese
« Reply #26 on: March 20, 2014, 10:03:26 PM »
I keep getting an error code on the link Tim.

Error 404 - Page not found!
The page you trying to reach does not exist, or has been moved. Please use the search box below to find what you are looking for.
Making the World a Safer Place, One Cheese at a Time! My Food Blog and Videos

Alpkäserei

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Re: Blog Post - How to make Gruyere/Alpine cheese
« Reply #27 on: March 20, 2014, 11:04:16 PM »
as per the original, and if you are close to it,

pretty much. a few differences to note, though

most modern Gruyere does add a touch of PS, although it is not put through a warm phase like Emmentaler
L'Etivaz, which is essentially Gruyere of 100 years ago omits this.

60 minute floc is excessive. 50 minutes I think is the maximum stipulated in the regulations for Gruyere in Switzerland. 40 minutes is normal
cutting of the curd should take 10 minutes. Adjust how you cut to do so.

The curd should be brewed for 20 to 30 minutes after cutting (stirred gently so as not to continue to break the curd) this helps the flavor to develop

130 degrees is too high. Think more like 126 to 128. those few degrees make a big difference. Heating should take 40 minutes
You have a long floc time, which would give a soft cheese, but then you cook it hot which dries it out.
You might have a better cheese if instead you floc it less, but cook it less, resulting in the same hardness but at the same time giving you a better curd. If I were to guess, I would say your cheese is fairly soft, but tending toward the crumbly side a little bit?
Swiss Gruyere is hard but smooth.

Also, I don't get the press and then break up mass and repress. We always will put the curd straight into the mold and press it right out of the vat into the cheese.

jwalker

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Re: Blog Post - How to make Gruyere/Alpine cheese
« Reply #28 on: March 21, 2014, 02:34:52 PM »
Quote
what type Thermo are you using or would you use.

I have been using TA61 as that's the only one I have.

Alp , this one called for no Shermanii , or I would have made note of it , I have added Shermanii to some and liked it tho.

You're probably right about 60 minutes being a bit excessive when using fresh raw milk , but not when using P/H milk , the extra time is usually needed for a good curd set.

130 was what the original recipe said , that may be his personal preference , I sometimes wonder if there is much difference in a two degree spread , especially when using a Chinese made thermometer , most are not even that accurate. ;D

I have no idea why it is pressed into a mass under whey , but that was in the recipe , as well something about hanging it to drain in cheese cloth afterward (something I don't do , so didn't really make note of it).
I like to put the curd straight into the mold as you do.

Some one could probably email him for the original recipe word for word , but this was pretty much it , and it makes a nice cheese.



Offline ArnaudForestier

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Re: Blog Post - How to make Gruyere/Alpine cheese
« Reply #29 on: March 21, 2014, 02:42:08 PM »
Jwalker, the shermanii isn't for gas production, but rather for flavor and aroma effect.  It's quite muted, when compared to emmental, but most use at least some; and Francois and others reminded me, it's likely very plentiful on alpage forage, so it's there naturally.  Those of us not blessed with high-mountain pasture, well...
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