Author Topic: My 1st Caerphilly...  (Read 4469 times)

Ananke

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My 1st Caerphilly...
« on: May 10, 2014, 09:35:12 PM »
...and 4th cheese overall.

I started this today and followed Jeff's recipe for his 11th Caerphilly as closely as I could.
http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,12433.0.html

16ltrs Whole Milk
200ml Single Cream
6 Cubes of Buttermilk
1/2 tsp CaCl
1 tsp Calf Rennet (I'm having problems getting a set so I upped the rennet amount)
3 Tbls of salt plus extra for rubbing

I added the CaCl and buttermilk to room temperature milk, stirred well and heated to 30 deg C
Ripened for 30 mins
I added the rennet and here my "learning opportunities" began, I tried the floc method, it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be.
Floc time = 40mins x 4 = 2hrs 40mins (having problems with my rennet)
Cut into 2.5cm curds
Raised the temp to 30 deg C and stirred for 1hr maintaining temp.
Rest for 10 mins (this really wasn't long enough as the curds were still free moving and didn't settle well on the bottom)
Removed the whey and packed the curds into a cheesecloth and let it drain for about half an hour then placed into the press.
(My press doesn't take weights so here I have to wing it, tightening the screw regularly)
Lightly pressed for 10 mins
Removed the curds and squeezed through my fingers, adding the salt and squeezing some more.
Curds back into the press and pressed for 20 mins
Removed the curds, flipped and rubbed salt on the flip side
Pressed for 20 mins
Removed curds, flipped and rubbed salt on the flip side
Back into the press for overnight pressing (happy with how they are knitting)

It's been a long day, the extra time for setting issues and having to hang around the press to keep tightening the screw down add a few extra hours to the process but I got there in the end.  I'll post some pics tomorrow when I take it out of the press, for now though, it's time to open a cheeky wee red :)

I've ordered a vaccum sealer which should be here on Monday and I plan aging this cheese in plastic, which is new to me so I'm looking forward to trying it out.

A big thanks to Jeff for his recipe and help :)



JeffHamm

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Re: My 1st Caerphilly...
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2014, 11:45:54 PM »
Sounds good Ananke!  Looking forward to seeing how it turns out. 

- Jeff

JimSteel

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Re: My 1st Caerphilly...
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2014, 02:09:33 AM »
16L on your 4th cheese.  That's awesome.  Personally, I've never done more than 8L.  Don't have the hardware.

You put the rennet in an waited for 2 hours 40 mins?  Am I reading that right?  The cultures are developing acid the entire time, so might this lead to over acidification?

As for the vacuum bag, be careful not to seal the cheese up too early.  I've made the mistake too many times... then I just stopped using vac bags.  If the cheese is still moist it can start weeping whey inside the bag and ruin the flavour of the cheese.  Vac bags put a lot of outward pressure on the cheese and seem to suck the liquid out.  Some people suggest not sucking all of the air out by hitting the seal button just early enough so that tight squeeze isn't made.

Just do a few searches on the forums if you haven't already.

Looking forward to seeing the results down the road.  Cheers

Ananke

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Re: My 1st Caerphilly...
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2014, 01:29:37 PM »
Jim, this is the least milk I've used, normally 20ltrs because of the size of my mould.  Something went wrong with my rennet and I need to buy a new bottle.  Just need to keep my fingers crossed that this one turns out as well as my swiss did, I had the same problem with the rennet when I made that.

Thanks for the heads up on the vacuum bags, I'll have a read up on them.

So here is the cheese, it knitted well and came in at 2.391kg.

JeffHamm

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Re: My 1st Caerphilly...
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2014, 07:05:33 PM »
Great looking cheese Ananke!  A cheese to you.  A while back a poster (Fied) used to say she had a hard time with blue mould in Glasgow, so if you find your cheeses are going mouldy quickly you can try giving them an extra salt rub immediately out of the mould.  If you do this, keep careful notes as you may want to reduce the salt to the curds since you're going to salt rub the outside too and work out the right balance.  Or, just work on your cave environment and humidity levels.  Whichever appeals to you.

- Jeff

Ananke

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Re: My 1st Caerphilly...
« Reply #5 on: May 11, 2014, 07:54:23 PM »
Thanks Jeff :)

I do get some blue mould but I wouldn't say it was excessive (now that I've said that, I bet this one gets covered lol).

I like the idea of reducing the salt added to the curds and just rubbing with salt, less messy. 

I've noticed you mentioning that you "brush back" mould on your cheese, do you have a link where I can read up on how that is done and what is used?  Thanks again.


JeffHamm

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Re: My 1st Caerphilly...
« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2014, 08:23:00 PM »
Hi Ananke,

There's nothing to it.  I just bought a cheap nail brush and, if the mould gets a bit out of control, I take the cheese to the sink and just brush it off with the nail brush with the mould going into the sink for easy clean up.  Then, wash the brush, and leave it in the cave. 

- Jeff

Ananke

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Re: My 1st Caerphilly...
« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2014, 08:59:42 PM »
Ahh, I thought it was another technical proceedure :)

JeffHamm

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Re: My 1st Caerphilly...
« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2014, 09:14:01 PM »
No, although technically it is a procedure!  :)

- Jeff

John@PC

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Re: My 1st Caerphilly...
« Reply #9 on: May 12, 2014, 12:49:34 PM »
I've noticed you mentioning that you "brush back" mould on your cheese, do you have a link where I can read up on how that is done and what is used?
  Reminds me of my teen years when I often received the "brush back" procedure  ^-^ (or was it "brush-off" ::)?).  Anyway, a cheese to you Ananke for such a beautiful press and good yield!

Ananke

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Re: My 1st Caerphilly...
« Reply #10 on: May 12, 2014, 01:23:27 PM »
Ahahaha, I'll call it the brush off proceedure from now on :)

Thankyou John, I wish the underside was just as beautiful as the top.

Ananke

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Re: My 1st Caerphilly...
« Reply #11 on: June 01, 2014, 11:33:18 AM »
Here it is :)

Offline H-K-J

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Re: My 1st Caerphilly...
« Reply #12 on: June 01, 2014, 02:13:11 PM »
Ananke,
how does it taste ;)
Never hit a man with glasses, use a baseball bat!
http://cocker-spanial-hair-in-my-food.blogspot.com/

JeffHamm

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Re: My 1st Caerphilly...
« Reply #13 on: June 01, 2014, 05:06:35 PM »
Hi Ananke,

That looks really good!  And yes, how does it taste?  Does it melt?  Will you be making another?  If so, are you going to change anything?  Full reports are required! :)

- Jeff

Ananke

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Re: My 1st Caerphilly...
« Reply #14 on: June 09, 2014, 11:35:15 PM »
Hahaha, I just couldn't wait to show it off.  Now I have more time for my report :P

I love this cheese and it's going down really well with the family.   I melted it tonight for the first time on BBQ pulled pork sandwiches and it melted beautifully.

I think it tastes better now after 4 weeks, less .... tangy, I don't know if that's the right word but it's much more balanced now.

I'll definately be making another one soon and the only change I will make is using fresh, new rennet which has now arrived.

This is such a great cheese for a newbie and I wish I'd made it sooner.