Author Topic: Gouda (wedding cheese)  (Read 2144 times)

Offline scasnerkay

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Gouda (wedding cheese)
« on: July 10, 2014, 03:58:14 AM »
Opened for my daughter's wedding on 7-5-14, this one was almost 7 months. This was the most popular cheese among those I brought. The paste was firm, flexible, and easy to slice. The flavor was very gouda-like, and sweet in a way.

Gouda   1-18-14
2 gallons cream-top milk pH 6.6
1/8 tsp Flora Danica
1/8 tsp MM100
1/2 tsp Calcium Chloride in 1/4 cup water
1.5 ml single strength calf rennet in 1/4 cup water

Flocculation multiplier 3
pH targets:  6.4 drain, 5.5 brine

11:10 Milk to 86 degrees, added FD and  MM100, let rehydrate 5 mins, then stirred in. Covered and left at temp for 40 mins.
11:55 Temp still 86 degrees, pH 6.5, stirred in calcium chloride and let rest 10 mins.
12:05 Stirred in rennet. Flocculation in 15 mins, X 3 = target 45 mins.
12:55 Clean break, cut about ½ inch curd, healing for a bit over 5 mins. Gently stirring and breaking larger curds. Stirred about 40 mins.
1:35 Started washing curds. Removed whey to level of curd gradually replacing with 130 degree water, while stirring, bringing temp to 100 degrees. (I am not sure why I only did one round of washing curd – in the past I have done it twice.)
1:45 Temp = 100, pH = 6.5   Continued stirring more vigorously, waiting for curd to be ready
1:50 Temp = 100, pH = 6.5
2:10 Temp = 99 pH = 6.5 feel of the curd is mildly squeaky and firm
2:20 Temp = 99, pH = 6.4 feel of the curd is nicely squeaky, firm when squeezed, and comes apart nicely. Let curd settle
2:30 Drained off whey. Pressing down with hand under remaining whey to compact curd. Pieces of compressed curd fitted into form.  Pressed with 10 # about 30 mins under reserved whey.
3:05 Moved to press with about 18 # for 20 mins
3:30 Flipped and redressed, knitting is weak. Back into press with 18 # again. Whey pH 6.3.
4:30 Redressed, knitting well, returned to press with 27 #. Whey pH 6.1.
5:30 Redressed, looking good! Whey pH 5.8. Back into press with 45 #.
7:00 Difficult to get enough whey to measure, but it looks like pH 5.6 Back into the press naked for smoothing.
10:00  Placed in cave for overnight to come to same temp as brine already in the cave.
6:30 Next morning…Weight 1#, 15 oz.  Into brine for 8 hours (2# x 4 inches = 8 hours)

1-26-14 Light rubbing with olive oil to help retain moisture in the cave which runs a bit too dry.
2-2-14 Vacuum bag. Weigh 1#, 11oz
Susan

jwalker

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Re: Gouda (wedding cheese)
« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2014, 03:14:07 PM »
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..................Gouda , my fave , that one looks very nice , nice texture!

A cheese to you for that !

Digitalsmgital

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Re: Gouda (wedding cheese)
« Reply #2 on: July 10, 2014, 07:28:25 PM »
Gorgeous! I like the olive oil idea too, AC4U!

Spoons

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Re: Gouda (wedding cheese)
« Reply #3 on: July 11, 2014, 08:23:09 PM »
I have an unhealthy relationship with gouda  >:D It's not even funny how much I love the stuff!

Nice job on your wedding cheeses, especially this one for being the crowd favorite.

A cheese for you  :D

Btw Scasnerkay, I know you've been looking for a siphon solution ever since you switched to 4 a gallon vat. I rigged up the perfect siphon solution for this! It's a no-mess, efficient, sanitary, quick, cheap and easy-to-clean solution. It's hands-free too! I did some tests and it was great. I'm making a cheddar next Friday and will use it for the first time. I'll make a post (with pics) about it then.

Offline scasnerkay

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Re: Gouda (wedding cheese)
« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2014, 08:30:15 PM »
Too bad you don't have pictures of the siphon now while I am making cheese!
Susan
Susan

Spoons

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Re: Gouda (wedding cheese)
« Reply #5 on: July 11, 2014, 09:49:35 PM »
Sorry for hijacking your thread  ;)

Here's a post about the whey pump:

http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,12410.msg100062.html#msg100062

Offline scasnerkay

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Re: Gouda (wedding cheese)
« Reply #6 on: July 11, 2014, 10:39:32 PM »
Spoons, I used the same pump as John@PC and once I figured out that both ends of tubing needed to be in liquid, I got it running pretty smoothly. And, I spilled not a drop of whey!!! The rigid end on the picking up end of the apparatus means it stays in place easily. I put a ricotta basket into the pan of curds and whey to create a pool of whey, and then it was easy peasy! Now onto the cheddaring phase...
Susan

Geodyne

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Re: Gouda (wedding cheese)
« Reply #7 on: July 12, 2014, 05:03:03 AM »
Scasnerkay, you're a marvel. I've also picked up a siphon pump like yours and John@PC's, and tried it yesterday. I didn't spill any, but I found it a little awkward, balancing a mesh colander in the curds and trying to siphon into a stockpot. I didn't think to keep the other end under liquid.

I have a parmesan in the vat today, so in a couple of hours I'll have another go, using a ricotta pot and keeping both ends in liquid.

The gouda looks marvelous. I love the pristine rind.