Classic milled Curd, English Cheddar style

[OzzieCheese]

This is what I'm doing tomorrow.  Though you all would like sneak peek.  Photos I promise.  Remember my cultures are concentrated and I use the spoon measures from Green Living Australia, so adjust your culture to suit your batches.  My Rennet is rated at 200 IMCU which creates a Curd cutting time of 45-47 minutes. Use the Flocculation method to determine your optimal cut time using a 3.5 multiplier. 

 
 

[Spoons]

Nice control sheet, Mal. I got to get working on one myself.

[OzzieCheese]

Posted for everyone use - go Nuts !

[OzzieCheese]

This is a typical and traditional cheddar and the method from the book by Gianacles  Caldwell.  Also, found a new milk with a slightly different chemistry that ne the Maleny milk I normally use.  This milk from Norco – about 2 hours away – is only pasteurised and has a fat content of 4% .
Not having the same culture as listed in the book I am using the Sacco MO 036R culture which has the same bugs in it but unknown is the actual ratios.  Gotta go with what I’ve got.  Today is raining and 18 deg C, perfect for staying at home and making cheese.

The protein is 3.2% and the fat content 4.0%, how does the PF ratio work out ?

As from the make template the this is a 10 Litre make.

9:00 started warming milk to 32 Deg C

[OzzieCheese]

Starting Images

[OzzieCheese]

Pity this isn't Cheese TV - Reality Cheddar !!

9:00 started warming milk to 32 Deg C.
10:09 32DegC add culture at 29DegC @ 9:50 and let rise to 32.
Ripen for 30 minutes see you at 10:39.

10:40 added CaCl2 diluted in 1/4 cup non chlorinated water.
10:51 Add rennet 2.6 ml - going back over notes this gave me a 45 curd set. Still counting ..

Floc time 15 minutes - a bit slow but I'll put that down to different milk and me using only 2.6 mls of rennet.  I realised to that there is a mistake in the work sheet.
Cutting time should be Time added + (Floc time X Floc Multiplier) , bracket are in the wrong spot. Hope that didn't confuse any one.

See you all at 11:42. Curd cutting time.

[JeffHamm]

Hi Mal,

Your 3.2P to 4.0F works out to a p:f ratio of 1.07 : 1.00.  Check out my excel workbook (Cheesetools.xls) here http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,8828.0.html

It has a page for doing this.  I use it to work out what mix of milks to buy to get close to a target p:f

[Spoons]

Your 3.2P to 4.0F works out to a p:f ratio of 1.07 : 1.00.

Wouldn't that be an F:P ratio? 

The P:F is 0.8 with Mal's milk

Mal, to know the P:F ratio, just divide the protein content by the fat content. If you're mixing milk like a mad scientist (like Jeff & myself) then Jeff's calculator is very useful.

The Canadian P:F standardization of cheddar is 0.9. Not sure about British-style cheddar. So Mal's is a wee bit creamier.

I included an Excel sheetwith milk composition per cheese type according to the University of Guelph in Canada.

[OzzieCheese]

Thanks for the great information.  Stirring is completed at 1:25 and it took 55 minutes of stirring to get a definite 6.2 on the Duo Strip pH test so I'm happy at this stage.  I wasn't very happy with the curd cut and I think my new curn knife has something to do with that.  The edges aren't polished so I ended up with uneven curds. But can't go back now.

1:30 Time to Texture: Drain the curds in a colander, keeping the whey - "doo do do doodo Ricotta time" Cut the slab into 3 big bits.  Turn every 15 minutes for 2 hours. pH Goal before milling 5.3 but the strips aren't that accurate but I'll see what they look like after 2 hours.

A great 'whey' to spend a rainy day. temp dropping 17.6.
 

[OzzieCheese]

Ooooh it looks like the two biggest chicken breast pieces ever.  Pictures to follow.  pH isn't dropping but then this isn't something done to a stop watch. 

BTW ricotta
The Whey from this cheese
1/4 cup Apple cider vinegar
1 litre of full cream milk
Heat to 93 degrees, remove from the heat and add the vinegar, stir and left the curds float to the top. 
Pour into Butter muslin and drain until the desired consistency. Add salt 1 tsp if you like but I leave it out until I work out whether it is going to be a sweet or savoury ricotta.

Next pH check for the Cheddar.


 

[OzzieCheese]

Well the pressing was interesting.  2 kg @ 700 = 10Kg (20 lbs)  on my press was needed to even start closing the cheese. and the first turning at 15 minutes was very delicate with a couple of bit falling off.. Thanks to my lovely and patient wife, managed to gather the bits and put back.  After 30 minutes I upped the pressure to 5 kg @ 700 = 20 Kg (48lbs) I'll leave it now to close up for a couple of hours.  Then up the weight again for the over night maybe all tomorrow press.  We'll see.

I'll post photos tomorrow.

Hope you have enjoyed Cheese TV.

CheeseOn
 

[JeffHamm]

Your 3.2P to 4.0F works out to a p:f ratio of 1.07 : 1.00.

Wouldn't that be an F:P ratio? 

The P:F is 0.8 with Mal's milk

Mal, to know the P:F ratio, just divide the protein content by the fat content. If you're mixing milk like a mad scientist (like Jeff & myself) then Jeff's calculator is very useful.

The Canadian P:F standardization of cheddar is 0.9. Not sure about British-style cheddar. So Mal's is a wee bit creamier.

I included an Excel sheetwith milk composition per cheese type according to the University of Guelph in Canada.

Human Error Human Error!  Doh!  Yes, 0.8 p:f is correct.  Even the F:P ratio would be 1.25.  Seems I forgot to uninclude some milk from my previous make.  Tools are only useful when used correctly. 

[OzzieCheese]

Yo !!  Another day.  Jobs around the house completed time for the update.  I'll post the photos from yesterday to, start with, and try and get them in some sort of order.

1. The New curd knife - this still needs work, I'll have to polish it to get a better cut.  I's just pushing the curd around and I'm getting a very irregular cut.
2. Curd after Flocculation - sorry its blurred but the edges were nice and smooth and good coloured whey.
3. Not happy with the curd Cut - AT ALL ! 
4. After cooking, managed to get most of the large curds re-cut during the cooking.
5. Initial Drain
6. Start of texturing. The following photos are very interesting as it shows the curds' transition from 2 loosely clumped massed to slap of firm and very textured bits.
7. After 15 minutes

 

[OzzieCheese]

Next batch.
8. After one and a half hours.
9. pH of 5.3 - at least by the curd rubbed into the test strips it took all of the 2 hours to get to this stage, so be patient.
10. It's worth it as it really was like milling just steamed chicken meat.  Salt added about 3 level tabs. slowly mixed in and let 'Mellow' as Gianacles says.
11. That is a 5 Kg bottle of water hanging almost 1 meter from the fulcrum. 52Kg at the cheese.

and just an aside. 

12. The best Ricotta ever !

[OzzieCheese]

There were 4 pressing phases, at the cheese weights
2 kg for 15 minutes - but wasn't enough
10 Kg for 15 Minutes - rind closing finally
22 Kg for 2 hours - 2 hours. - curd outline still visible but nice and closed
22 Kg for 16 hours - job done   - happy cheese maker.

I'm going to lard and cloth bandage this one nut we'll have to wait .. this is going out to 9+ months.