Author Topic: My 2nd Bitto  (Read 3180 times)

JeffHamm

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My 2nd Bitto
« on: June 14, 2014, 11:21:35 PM »
Hi,

I've been enjoying the first one of these a lot, even though it was only aged out to 70 days (found under the "hard other" board, but I think it probably should go here).  This one I'll age for 6 months I think.  It's now in the press and the make seems to have gone well. Bit of a panic when I got things going only to realise the thermometer needed a new battery.  Fortunately, had one in the battery box, but will need to get a replacement now. 

- Jeff

Bitto -  (Deejay adapted from cheese descriptions) Sunday Jun 15, 2014 (18C Sunny 1007)

(real bitto is cow’s milk and 10-20% goat milk)
(Cultures: Deejay indicates: 1/4 teaspoon TM 81 (ST) Streptococcus thermophilus (LBB) Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. Bulgaricus)

11 L cow’s milk (8 HomeBrand Standard + 3 HB Light blue top : 1.16:1 p:f ratio)
¼ tsp CaCl2¬ in egg cup non-chlorinated water
1/16th tsp calf lipase
3 cubes Strep.Therm
1/10 tsp LH100
1/20th  teaspoon Proprioni bacteria
1.3 ml 280 IMCU strength calves rennet (reduce more to get floc in 10 -15 minute range)
6.25”  diameter tomme mould
1)   Add CaCl2 to milk while setting up.
2)   Put lipase in warm chlorine free water while setting up.
3)   After sterilizing pots, etc, add starter and lipase (??:??)
4)   Warm milk 47.8-48.9 C  (48.0 C)
5)   Ripen for 35 minutes. (7:40 - 8:15)
6)   Add rennet (8:17:00 – floc time 8:26:30 - 9m 30s 2.5x Floc - 23m 45s – cut at 8:40:45)
7)   Cut to ½ cm cubes, then to the size of rice (plunge whisk straight down and out through cubes; ??:?? )
8)   Slow raise tempertature to 52.8 C over 45 minutes. (8:50 - 9:35 44.8C – 52.8C – reached 52.8 at 9:37)
9)   Remove from heat and stir constantly for 15 minutes (9:37 - 9:52)
10)   Drain whey, move curds in cloth to mould
11)   Press in the pot (10 kg for 30 min 10:02 – 10:32; 0.72 PSI)
12)   Press in the pot (15 kg for 30 min 10:32 - 11:02 ; 1.08 PSI)
13)   Press in the pot (20 kg for 30 min 11:07 - 11:37 ; 1.43 PSI)
14)   Press over night (35.2 kg 11:37 - 6:00 ; 2.53 PSI)
15)   The fullsized (10kg wheels I think) cheeses are dry salted every 2 or 3 days for 3 or 4 weeks. (or brine 1 hour per lbs per inch of height; i.e. a 2 lbs cheese, 2 inches tall, brines for 4 hours; 1240g and 15.5 x 5.4 cm, 1.22 g/cm3 out of press for 5h 48min  brine (6:30 - 12:25; 1178g 15.6 x 5.6 cm, 1.10 g/cm3 out of brine, but measured around 5:50 pm; also, these final measurements seem dodgy as the scale was creeping upwards, battery may be failing )
16)   Air dry until dry to the touch (couple days), then move to 10 C cave, 80-85% humidity
17)   Mature for at least 70 days but may be aged up to 10 years.

Made ricotta from the whey: raised to about 92C, added ¼ cup white vinegar.  Waited 10:48-11:15; drained in cloth bag until 1:40, got 302 g added 6g salt (1-2% by weight).
« Last Edit: June 16, 2014, 06:00:16 AM by JeffHamm »

JeffHamm

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Re: My 2nd Bitto
« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2014, 06:51:17 PM »
And here it is out of the press.  Fantastic knit again.  Weighs in at 1240g, measuring 15.5 x 5.4 cm, for a density of 1.22g/cm3.  That's quite similar to the first one I made (1264g and 15.7 x 5.5 cm, 1.19 g/cm3), so I'm hoping this one continues to replicate the first make as I was quite pleased with it (still have a bit of it left, but it is going).  I'll age this one out to Nov/Dec, as my parents are coming to visit at that time and we'll break into it when they get here.


JeffHamm

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Re: My 2nd Bitto
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2014, 06:02:40 AM »
And here's the cheese post-brine.  My scale read it at 1178, and it now measures 15.6 x 5.6 for a density of 1.10 g/cm3, however, I am skeptical of this scale reading as the scale seems to be creeping upwards as the cheese sits there.  I suspect the battery must be failing.  Regardless, after a day or two air drying, it will be into the cave for twice daily flipping until such time as it needs be eaten.

- Jeff

JeffHamm

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Re: My 2nd Bitto
« Reply #3 on: June 17, 2014, 06:04:09 AM »
Disaster has struck, in the form of a 2.5 year old boy.  My son, Gregor, decided the cheese air drying was a birthday cheese and stuck a toy in it as a candle.  So, like the last bitto, this one again has a corrupted rind.  Sigh.  Oh well, I've salted the wound, and tomorrow I'll fill it over with salted butter and hope that seals it.  I've moved it into the cave as he was eyeing it again. 

- Jeff

jwalker

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Re: My 2nd Bitto
« Reply #4 on: June 17, 2014, 01:16:16 PM »
  My son, Gregor, decided the cheese air drying was a birthday cheese and stuck a toy in it as a candle.   - Jeff

What ?!!! ........no pictures of the birthday cheese ? ;D

That just made my day........kids eh?  ;D

Spoons

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Re: My 2nd Bitto
« Reply #5 on: June 17, 2014, 01:31:06 PM »
Oh no! lol! Did you not know that "Bitto" means "Bad Luck" in Italian?  ;)

I hope it turns out ok

JeffHamm

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Re: My 2nd Bitto
« Reply #6 on: June 17, 2014, 06:03:13 PM »
Hi,

Thanks guys!  I think it will be ok.  I got some butter over the hole this morning, and salted it last night to get salt in the would and to form brine in there, in the hope that will prevent mould.  If it get contaminated, well, nothing I can do now, but it should be ok.  The cultures have a huge head start so should out compete anything introduced.  I should have taken a photo, but I didn't want to encourage him!  He hadn't taken any notice of the cheeses before, so it was a bit of a surprise.  He won't taste them. He's decided cheese is "Yuck" - he's much fussier than his sister was at his age so I doubt he'll be joining me in blues and washed rind cheeses any time soon.  I'm hoping he'll try butterkase one day! :)  Anyway, I think disaster has been averted. 

- Jeff

JeffHamm

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Re: My 2nd Bitto
« Reply #7 on: July 25, 2014, 07:38:59 AM »
This is now down to 1090g, and the rind is not remaining as clean as the first make.  I didn't give this one the salt dosages right out of the press that the first one had, and that could be the issue here.  It's not swelling up either, but I think that's because the stab from the "candle" is letting any gas escape.  The rind has a soft white mould developing, and some wild blue gets going too, which I brush off (just after the photo gave this one a clean).  The salted butter I put in the crack seems to be doing the trick, but then, I suppose it could be full of mould underneath the butter and I just can tell?  (it's on the other side, so you can't see it in the photo - but the butter has sealed things nicely).  The black spot is a dark green/blue mould of some sort that develops if the humidity is a bit up.  I get it a fair bit as I often have two cheeses in the box, and when I add a fresh one it ups the humidity levels (also Auckland is just really damp, especially in the winter when we're getting buckets of rain).  Will be interesting to see how the flavour of this one turns out.  Not sure how long I'll age it, but quite some time I think.

- Jeff

Offline scasnerkay

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Re: My 2nd Bitto
« Reply #8 on: October 25, 2014, 05:33:04 PM »
How has the rind on this one come along? Still saving it for Nov/Dec?
Susan

JeffHamm

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Re: My 2nd Bitto
« Reply #9 on: October 25, 2014, 09:00:04 PM »
It's picked up a bunch of wild geo, but that's not overly suprising as it's in a box with my Tomme de Savoie type.  I'll probably take this out into next year as I've got some other cheeses that will be ready end of Nov (like the Tomme). 

- Jeff

Offline scasnerkay

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Re: My 2nd Bitto
« Reply #10 on: October 25, 2014, 10:03:58 PM »
Really looking lovely Jeff. It is nice to see rind development as  that is a new arena for me!
Susan

John@PC

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Re: My 2nd Bitto
« Reply #11 on: October 25, 2014, 11:54:47 PM »
I'll probably take this out into next year as I've got some other cheeses that will be ready end of Nov (like the Tomme). 
- Jeff
A Bitto-honey for New Years! Nice ;)!