Author Topic: Wayne's Cheese: Parm031509  (Read 5802 times)

wharris

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Wayne's Cheese: Parm031509
« on: March 15, 2009, 06:10:02 PM »
I started a new batch today.  Same basic recipe with a few tweaks.

2gal whole past/homogenized milk
4gal 2% past/homogenized milk
.4g TA61
.7g LH100
3/4tsp (4.50g) Lipase (Same amount as always but will be added this much later in the process.  Just to try it.)
3 tsp CaCl2   (This used to be 3 tablespoons.  But in checking,  It should be tsp.)
2 drops Annatto (Just a hair for a slight tinge of yellow.)

TimeTaskWater TempMilk TemppH
1:05Start104.3376.87
1:15Added 2 drops annatto96436.9
1:25Added 3 tsp CaCl2100586.7
1:55Started Reydration of Lipase103766.7
2:21added culture120906.64
2:25lipase added120916.64
2:54Rennet Added112916.62
3:30Curd Cut (looked good)112916.57
4:51Final Curd stir1511246.35*

*Very happy with final pH.  (CHR Hansen indicates a target pH of between 6.3 and 6.4)

Started pressing regime.  Using a coarse muslin,  not Cheesecloth.
2.1 PSI for 15 min (muslin)
3.2 PSI for 30 (muslin)
3.7 PSI for 2 hours (no muslin, mesh screen on bottom)
4.6 PSI for 12 hours (no no muslin, mesh screen on bottom)

Wheel will now spend 60 hours in salt brine.

Notes:
Was happy with the curd.  I used much less CaCl2 this time.  I can't believe that I was using 3 tablespoons and should have been using teaspoons.

I was very happy with the pH.  It was dead on.

One other note, I observed a 5 min settling time at the end of the cooking time.  Basically I held the temp of the curd at 124 deg F for 5 min and did not stir.  Let the curd settle under the whey.  I am not sure about that step, but it did not hurt anything so i will continue it.

Also, I am happy with the color.  I really do not like my cheese to be snow white.  The 2 drops of annatto in 6gal of milk provided just enough yellow to give the final cheese a barely-perceptible off-white color.  I liked that.
« Last Edit: November 27, 2009, 12:57:52 PM by Wayne Harris »

chilipepper

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Re: Wayne's Cheese: Parm031509
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2009, 03:18:01 PM »
Looks good Wayne!  Thanks for collecting and documenting the pH data.  That will be helpful for my next batch.  What are you using for a cave again?  I assume you will just wash and age these traditionally and not waxed?

How do you like that new pH meter!? :)

Ryan

wharris

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Re: Wayne's Cheese: Parm031509
« Reply #2 on: March 16, 2009, 03:22:32 PM »
I will use the upright freezer with external thermometer untill i get a regular fridge.

The pH meter is really nice. I really really like it.  The nice thing is that I can now check the pH of solid cheese.

My wheels of parm in the cave for example are around pH 5.4.


Tea

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Re: Wayne's Cheese: Parm031509
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2009, 08:06:41 PM »
That look excellent Wayne, congratulations.

Likesspace

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Re: Wayne's Cheese: Parm031509
« Reply #4 on: March 17, 2009, 01:32:08 AM »
Wayne, that wheel looks fantastic.
As Ryan said, thanks also for the Ph information.
Parmesan is one of the cheeses I plan to make more of in the coming year since it is one of my favorites and one that also seems to be quite a challenge to do properly.
Thanks for the post.

Dave

wharris

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Re: Wayne's Cheese: Parm031509
« Reply #5 on: March 17, 2009, 01:34:28 AM »
Thanks for the kind words.

But I will add that from a relative effort stand-point, to me at least, its easier to make than Cheddar.

But, I have not eaten any yet, so.  Who really knows.

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: Wayne's Cheese: Parm031509
« Reply #6 on: March 17, 2009, 07:33:39 AM »
Good job. To me parm is easy, once you get your process down that is. I mean cheddar can look a whole lot of different ways and still be good. When you make parm correctly you know instantly it was made correctly.

wharris

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Re: Wayne's Cheese: Parm031509
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2009, 04:08:07 PM »
Noticed that some of my other wheels of parm had some mold on them.  Small spots of mold that some brine was able to remove.


Actually, I just wiped ALL my wheels off while i was at it.  Waxed or not.




goat lady

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Re: Wayne's Cheese: Parm031509
« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2009, 09:18:21 PM »
have you tasted it yet,I would be tempted .

wharris

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Re: Wayne's Cheese: Parm031509
« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2009, 11:16:19 PM »
Oh, I am tempted, but smell, feel, and appearence are all the senses i will indulge at this point.  Dec 13 2009 is opening day!


Offline Cartierusm

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Re: Wayne's Cheese: Parm031509
« Reply #10 on: March 20, 2009, 11:41:03 PM »
So soon Wayne? I'm waiting until Y2K Version 2.0 to open mine, you know at the end of the world.

thegregger

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Re: Wayne's Cheese: Parm031509
« Reply #11 on: March 27, 2009, 05:35:08 AM »
Wayne:

Thanks for documenting your process in detail, and providing pH levels along the way.  I think we will all be better cheesemakers due to your hard work.

Which pH meter do you employ?

Greg

wharris

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Re: Wayne's Cheese: Parm031509
« Reply #12 on: March 27, 2009, 09:41:23 AM »
Thanks.  You might want to look here for more discussions about what pH meters folks use.

shoelessone

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Re: Wayne's Cheese: Parm031509
« Reply #13 on: April 14, 2009, 05:02:53 AM »
Thanks for this!

While I'm new to the whole cheese making "scene", I'm perhaps most excited about trying my hand at a parm.  A few questions (feel free to ignore them if they are redundant!)

1) Your pH readings, how difficult do you think it would be to make this cheese sans a pH meter?  At the moment, I don't have one, and frankly it's not in the budget anytime soon, perhaps a month or so down the road I could afford one.

2) I was under the impression that parmesan should never be made with fat content higher then 2.5.  By my very terrible calculations, 4 gals of 2% and 4 gals of whole (3.25%)  that would bring you just barely above that.  Does the fat content really not matter THAT much (i.e. being a tiny bit over is ok), and either way why not just go with a total fat content around 2-2.5?

Thanks for the awesome post!

wharris

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Re: Wayne's Cheese: Parm031509
« Reply #14 on: April 21, 2009, 12:22:07 PM »
At this stage in my Parm, what should the exterior of this cheese look like?

At the moment, its hard-ish,  but not rock hard.  It stays moist as the RH in the cave is 80-90%

And i have to keep washing the mold off the outside. I wash them in brine about once a week  (There is actually some permanent mold staining as I cannot scrub hard enough to get all the mold off)