Author Topic: By Any other name - Still Feta to me  (Read 4990 times)

Offline OzzieCheese

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By Any other name - Still Feta to me
« on: August 03, 2014, 02:20:06 AM »
No matter who calls what from where I still call it Feta if they want to come and be austere over here then they are welcome to. Same with my white mold ripened slightly gooey cheeses about 4 inches by 1 1/2 inches tall. Sorry, rant over with  :'(

This method is from my new Cheese Tome - Mastering Artisan Cheese making by Gianaclis Caldwell.  The method she describes as a Firm and crumbly Greek Feta style brined Cheese. Although there are pH markers in the recipe I can't follow those too closely with the current Duo Strip paper.  Thankfully there is really only one 4.6 to 4.8 at the end of the very light pressing under just the weight of the cheese before brining.

So starting with 5 litres of Maleny un-homogenised yet still pasteurised milk.
1/32tsp of lipase diluted in 1/4 cup non chlorinated water 20 minutes before use.
1/32tsp Flora Danica diluted in 1/4 cup the warmed milk @ 27 Degs C - to wake the culture.
1/8tsp Calcium Chloride diluted in 1/4 cup non chlorinated water.

Warmed the milk to 31 Degrees C
Added diluted Calcium Chloride
Added activated Lipase at the same stirred for 2 minutes

I use a culture from Green living Australia and I normally use a dash (1/8tsp) for 10 litres so to follow the method I'm using half that amount.
11:40 @ 31 degrees C added re-hydrated culture stirred gently for 2 minutes.
Left ripen for 1 hour

Rennet the rennet is 190-200 IMCU in strength recommended dose is 2 mls per 10 therefore 1 ml for 5 itres plus 1 ml because I added lipase.

12:44 added 2mls diluted in 1/4 cup non chlorinated water.

Using the floating bowl method of measuring the Flocculation point with a multiplying factor of 4 to determine the cut point.

Keep you posted  ^-^




 
« Last Edit: August 03, 2014, 03:41:16 AM by OzzieCheese »
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Offline OzzieCheese

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Re: By Any other name - Still Feta to me
« Reply #1 on: August 03, 2014, 03:08:42 AM »
As things are want to change in this cheesy world.  The temp was starting the drop so I turned the stove on just be fore rennet time and it slipped up to 33 Degrees.  Well I wanted it firm so I suppose it will be now.  The Flocculation point was a little quick @ 9 minutes 40 seconds.  with the Multiplier 4 makes 37 minutes from rennet adding time to cut curd.

The 2 degree temp change affected the Flocculation time so I'll test for a clean break at the Curd cut time of 1:20.  I'll see if I can do a bit of one handed photography at the same time.

Back soon...
« Last Edit: August 03, 2014, 03:42:10 AM by OzzieCheese »
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Offline OzzieCheese

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Re: By Any other name - Still Feta to me
« Reply #2 on: August 03, 2014, 03:22:53 AM »
Thought I'd add a few photos of my setup today
1. my 5 litre rig already heating
2. same
3. Brine at the ready 250 G salt to 2 litres of water 15 mls CaCl2 and a dash of vinegar.
4. Floc testing

Time to cut curd...
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Offline OzzieCheese

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Re: By Any other name - Still Feta to me
« Reply #3 on: August 03, 2014, 09:50:58 AM »
The rest of the make went very well. I stirred for 20 minutes and let sit for 5 minutes in time to get the forms ready. The curds from 5 litres did actually fill just 2 feta forms.
I placed the curds into the forms and folded the cheese cloth over and sat one on top of the other. After an hour the cheese is redressed and replaced in the forms and switched positions.
The only thing I am waiting for now is the pH drop to 4.8 before putting in brine for the evening.

Here are the photos concluding the make

1. Looks like it Floc'ed
2. Testing for a clean break
3. Second.
4. Stirring for 20 minutes
5. Forms filled.
6. Just a little pressing weight.

Hope these help

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Offline H-K-J

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Re: By Any other name - Still Feta to me
« Reply #4 on: August 03, 2014, 02:06:03 PM »
coming along nicely Ozzie
I made a batch nine months ago and have been ageing some, this reminded me I might want to check it out :o
maybe a Greek salad to night would be nice ^-^
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Offline OzzieCheese

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Re: By Any other name - Still Feta to me
« Reply #5 on: August 04, 2014, 02:35:58 AM »
Wow... 9 months !  There are two little slabs from 5 litres.  But here is the remainder of the story. 

The water in the bottle is not that much about 500mls (1lb) .  The cheeses were stacked one on the other and the bottle balanced on top all sitting in the pot.  The stack was unwrapped, redressed and changed position every hour for 4 hours.  in hind sight this was an error for the style I was after - Firm and crumbly - after total of about 6 hours the ph was still over 6.0 and I was after a lower 4.7 pH.  So I took the weight off and left them stacked overnight.

In the morning I checked the pH and as far as I could tell from the paper test strips was between 4.8 - 5.0. So what happened ??  And this is the great thing about my learning over the last couple of weeks.  Answer: As the afternoon progressed the cheese lost a large amount of whey and therefore the food for the culture (Lactose) and also as time progressed the room Temperature dropped to about 16-18 DegreesC.  The cultures were alaive but not really very active and without an abundant food supply they couldn't work as well as to be expected.

So, what did I end up with ?  I will find out in about 3-5 days but I suspect a smoother spreadable "Bulgarian" style feta, it probably won't keep very long due to the higher pH than necessary for longer storage. 

They are in a medium brine in the fridge, so I'll see what happens.  Maybe this is a new style O'Fetta  8)


   

   
« Last Edit: August 05, 2014, 02:43:26 AM by OzzieCheese »
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Offline OzzieCheese

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Re: By Any other name - Still Feta to me
« Reply #6 on: August 09, 2014, 02:21:50 AM »
It has been sitting in the 8-9% brine for a week.

And today it gets eaten.

This is why I like Feta, I get to eat it sooner..
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Offline OzzieCheese

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Re: By Any other name - Still Feta to me
« Reply #7 on: August 15, 2014, 05:56:17 AM »
Well from the various people who sampled the cheese - Best ever.  Well, ok they are my family but they would just leave it there if it was not good.  The texture of this was sliceable but spreadable which bears out that I pressed it too much and therefore lost acid producing capability too quickly.  That said it was a very tasty cheese with just the hint of tang from the Lipase.  The 8% brine with added Calcium Chloride and Vinegar worked well and didn't leach anything back into the brine so, the surface of the chesse stayed nice and clean without any hint of slimyness.
So this one is a keeper, I only hope to reproduce it ...

CheeseOn
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Offline Boofer

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Re: By Any other name - Still Feta to me
« Reply #8 on: August 15, 2014, 01:56:27 PM »
Mal, for your devotion to your craft...a cheese to you.

Good job! If you can please those who are fortunate enough to sample your cheeses, then you have succeeded. ;)

-Boofer-
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Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

Offline OzzieCheese

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Re: By Any other name - Still Feta to me
« Reply #9 on: August 17, 2014, 02:07:25 AM »
My thanks for the cheese.  I am trying out a new recording method and would appreciate comments on the format -  good, bad or otherwise.  This is the sheet I used to make this batch.

CheeseOn  8)

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Offline Boofer

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Re: By Any other name - Still Feta to me
« Reply #10 on: August 18, 2014, 01:30:23 PM »
Mal, I looked at your sheet. Interesting.

There's no place for comments...in case something unusual occurs or there's a change to the starting plan.

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Offline OzzieCheese

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Re: By Any other name - Still Feta to me
« Reply #11 on: August 18, 2014, 11:52:39 PM »
I just print this 'Template' and scribble on the sheet in the white spaces.  I then scan them into a folder on the 'puter.  Not very searchable but the other option is create a database and application to record against, but maybe thats getting too technical and time consuming. Time I'd probably rather be making cheese.  Maybe get rid of the bits on the top to leave room at the bottom - version 2 attached.

Given the other discussions on what the various capacity of the mini-spoons used all over the world it seems to make my measurements as subjective as a recipe in a book.  So does it really help or just confuse ?

Measurements using the mini spoons from Green living Australia Drop (1/64th) :Smidgen (1/32nd) : Pinch (1/16th): Dash 1/8th: Tad ¼ th tsp.  But are they really ??

I'll keep trying.

CHeeseOn  8)
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Offline OzzieCheese

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Re: By Any other name - Still Feta to me
« Reply #12 on: August 22, 2014, 04:40:06 AM »
The actual scribbled Make notes
  :o
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