A "tweaked" type of Swiss.

[jwalker]

I've been making so many cheeses now that I am semi-retired , I only post about one out of every five , unless one turns out very well , then I like to make sure I share it with you.

This is one of those , I have been looking for a personalized , go to cheese that is liked by most and quick and easy to make , this particular one , is one I have made twice now , and seems to be all of those things.

It is a tweaked hard cooked Swiss type flavored with Dill , LOTS of Dill !

2 gallons store bought P/H milk @ $2.49
1 gallon raw milk. @ $5.99
(I find combining the two gives me a very good curd , and makes it very affordable)
(P/H milk usually gives a very small broken curd , which is unsuitable for many cheeses , but perfect for this one.)
1/4 tsp. thermo B & 1/4 tsp FD. & small pinch of Lipase.
1/4 tsp rennet & 1/4 tsp Calcium chloride
1/8 cup of dried dill , boiled in 1/4 cup water in microwave.
Heat to 90 f. and add cultures , Lipase and water that dill was boiled in.
Maintain temp for 1 hr.
Add calcium and wait 10 mins.
Add Lipase , wait ten Mins.
Add rennet and maintain temp for 60 mins or til clean break.
Cut curd small and stir til rice size grains.
Heat slowly to 130 f.
Let curd settle and drain off whey.
Put curd into cloth lined colander and drain well.
Put back in pot and add dill (which will be about 1/4 cup now that it has absorbed water) , mix well.
Put in cloth lined 8" mold and press with about 30 lbs.
Flip and re-press every 1/2 hour for about 4 hrs. (remove cloth after first flip for a nice smooth rind.)
Put in saturated brine overnight , or about 12-14 hours or so.
Dry for 1 or 2 days (it dries quickly as curd is fairly dry from cooking and stirring.)
Coat or wax and age in cave for at least 3 months.(My last one was good at 3 months , and even better at 5.)

I started this cheese around 9:00 am and had it in the mold , and the kitchen cleaned up , by noon.
I also made a large loaf of Rye bread and put together another batch of moonshine in the meantime. 
All in all , a very productive day.


There you have it , don't be shy on the dill , it really enhances this cheese.
I will mark this thread and update it when I open it in 3 months or so.

[Bear and Bunny cheese]

Impressive production jwalk!  Dill!  One of my favorite herbs, great idea.  A+ for creativity, I`d give you two cheeses if I could just for the moonshine!  Have a nice lunch (and nap afterwards) 

[Tomer1]

Interesting, will this be consumed as a young cheese while the paste is still pliable?

[JimSteel]

How long does it take you to raise the temp from 90f to 130f?

"Slowly" is a bit vague for something I might be trying out.

[Bear and Bunny cheese]

Hi Jim.
  I'm drawing this answer from my Alpine cheese mentor Alpkäserei and his post entitled.  "Alpine cheeses; Temperature, Hardness, and Age. " Look it up as it's quite book mark worthy.

 Cooking time works on a curve with a slow rise at the beginning then faster as you go on.  For the first ten degrees of temperature rise it should be no more than 1 degree F per minute.
And quoting him directly he says

"After about 12 minutes, we should have a temperature of about 105 degrees, and draw off part of the curd at this time to make a softer cheese. After the curd has cooked for 20 minutes, we should be around 115 degrees and will produce a semi-hard cheese. After it has cooked for around 30 minutes, it should be around 120 degrees and is in the range for an Emmentaler. After 40 minutes it should be around 125 degrees and is in the range for a hard alpine type."

[Bear and Bunny cheese]

So to hit 130F I would say 50 to 55 minutes total cooking time, starting slow and picking up speed as you go along.

[jwalker]

How long does it take you to raise the temp from 90f to 130f?

"Slowly" is a bit vague for something I might be trying out.

The original recipe called for about60 minutes I believe , but with me it is usually 15-20 minutes , like I said , it was kind of an experiment to personalize a cheese  and make it as quick and easy as possible , and the times seem to work , for me anyway.

Tomer , yes , at 3-5 months , this cheese is still quite pliable , I am going to try aging another much longer though and see what happens , I am making another next week , the last one went over so well with friends and family , they want more.

[Alpkäserei]

To hit 130, you should be 45 to 50 minutes