Author Topic: Jack - washed curd style ***Tasting Notes 3-15-14***  (Read 1041 times)

Offline scasnerkay

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Jack - washed curd style ***Tasting Notes 3-15-14***
« on: December 10, 2013, 03:44:11 AM »
This was my first attempt at (room temp water) washed curd Jack Cheese (Caldwell). The make went pretty much as expected with the exception of the pH dropping a bit too fast. I had to cut short the stirring time, but increased the vigor of stirring to try and help with syneresis. Could have been a bit too much starter, or a bit too long ripening, or the longer flocculation (3.5 rather than 3 in the book). At any rate, the cheese will be moist. It weighed in at 2# 2 oz after about 36 hours. And in the image you can see how it schlumped into an elephant foot...

Note to self... Next time flocculation of 3 instead!

Jack Cheese – 12-7-13

2 gallons pasteurized non-H  whole milk  pH 6.6
¼ tsp MA4001
½  tsp calcium chloride in ¼ cup water
1.5 ml single strength calf rennet in ¼ cup water
1 Tblsp salt

Flocculation multiplier 3.5
pH target 6.2 end of cooking, 5.7 drain after washing and stirring, final pH 5.4

11:40  Milk at 82 degrees. Added culture and let rehydrate 5 mins then stirred in.
12:00  Milk at target 88 degrees. Let ripen at temperature 45 mins.
12:45  pH 6.6, T=89. Stirred in calcium, waited 8 mins
12:55  Stirred in rennet. Flocculation at 12.5 mins, with multiplier of 3.5 so target of 44 mins
Clean break at 45 mins. Cut curds 1/2 inch and rested 5 mins.
1:50  Began heating curd, gently stirring and temperature raising to target 102 degrees over 40 mins
Held at 102 degrees for additional 20 mins of stirring. pH 6.2
3:00 Temp 102, pH 6.1…time to wash..  Whey removed down to 1 inch above curd, and replaced with room temp water to bring temp to target of 85 degrees
Stirred another 15 mins to break up the matting, and whey pH was now 6.1.
4:00  Drained curds, whey pH 5.9, continued stirring
4:20  Curd pH now 5.7.  Mixed in salt and scooped the curds into the form  with cheesecloth.
4:30  Pressed at 18 # for 30 mins. Insufficient knitting, so did not try to redress, but carefully placed the cheese back into the hoop.
5:00 Knitting started, flipped and redressed, pressed at 27 # for 30 min
5:30 This time when I took it out I had a nice knit starting. Redressed and pressed at 45 #
6:10  Redressed and pressed at 72 # for a few hours. Whey coming off measured at pH 5.6.
11:30  Nicely knit, back into the form “naked” resting on the counter overnight
7:30 next morning, into cave in box to control humidity.

12-20-13 Cleaned rind
12-24-13 Oiled rind
1-13-14  Weight 1 # 12 oz – vacuum sealed

3-15-14 Tasting notes
Very creamy and soft, many mechanical holes, slices roughly. Tastes pleasant, mild, slightly tangy, good mouth feel. Melts well.
« Last Edit: March 16, 2014, 01:48:41 AM by scasnerkay »
Susan