Author Topic: Ted's Cheeselog -- Fetta March 25-26, 2009  (Read 6361 times)

Worlock

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Ted's Cheeselog -- Fetta March 25-26, 2009
« on: March 26, 2009, 03:32:04 PM »
25 March 2009.  Fetta for DW.  Ate what we had today, gotta make more.  BTW never do that Turkish bread recipe again for as long as you live.  K, tnx, bai.

7:00 pm Drink a beer
7:40 pm  ¼ cup water with 1/8 tsp “strong” lipase, MM100 starter, ¼ tsp CaCl2.  Whisked ingredients in 1 gal “organic” whole milk.
7:45 slow temp up to approx 87 sits at 80 now.  (note get the milk up to temp first next time you blockhead)
7:47 83 degrees
7:49 85 degrees
7:51 87 degrees
8:20 Floaties!  WTH  7 microspec black floaties removed from milk. WTH could they have been?
8:35 Checked temp, hit it with a little heat, was around 86.  Very thick now, starter working well.
8:50 Add rennet (liquid Veal ¼ tsp)
9:20 Cut another length of PVC in case I need it.
9:40 Wife thinks the floaties are from the above stove filter... yuck!  Curd almost set.
9:45 Finished sterilizing my forms
9:50 Check curds:  Not quite a clean break yet. 
9:55 Water temp still 87. 
10:20 Check Curds:  Clean break, cut curds.  Water still set at 87-88 degrees.
10:21 Smells really really good right now.
10:35 Soft stir.  Chopped a few larger curds to reasonable sizes.

Note:  I've never had this many curds from 1 gal of milk before.  I seriously need to investigate the reason.  “Organic” milk?  New enzymes and whatnot?  Should try the same procedure next time with normal base commissary milk to see.  Gotta be like 2lbs worth of curds. 

10:50 Soft stir.  Going very well, curds starting to sink and shrink loosing more whey.
11:05 Soft stir.  Most curds are sinking below the whey.  Bout time to pull them out.
11:15 Check curds for sinkage....it seems to be a PH thing... Work it in the colander... drain whey
11:30 Set in molds, small pressure to pull out whey.

Note: Saved whey for baking... Curds set for drainage for the night... signing off.

7:00 am  12% Brine and placed whole cheese rolls in.

8:30 am Wife demanded where her cheese was
8:30-9:00 I'm at work, DW cut up the cheese and placed in 6% brine says it's wonderful
11:00 Rush home for lunch.  Tasted it.  My knees started buckling it was so good.  Kids won't quit trying to eat some.  Little bandits.

Batch Complete.  Change nothing. 
« Last Edit: March 27, 2009, 11:31:23 PM by Worlock »

Worlock

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Re: Ted's Cheeselog -- Fetta March 25-26, 2009
« Reply #1 on: March 26, 2009, 03:34:47 PM »
Pic 1) Milk thickening on my temp guage.
Pic 2) Clean break.
Pic 3) Gentle stir.
Pic 4) Curds settling (ph gettin right!)

Worlock

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Re: Ted's Cheeselog -- Fetta March 25-26, 2009
« Reply #2 on: March 26, 2009, 03:37:23 PM »
Pic 1) Curd sinkage
Pic 2) Curd drainage (1 dollar fancy drainer there huh)
Pic 3) Curd rolling out excess whey
Pic 4) Hangin out all night!

Worlock

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Re: Ted's Cheeselog -- Fetta March 25-26, 2009
« Reply #3 on: March 26, 2009, 03:38:02 PM »
Final product!

Yummo! :)  ;D  :)

Cheese Head

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Re: Ted's Cheeselog -- Fetta March 25-26, 2009
« Reply #4 on: March 26, 2009, 09:25:23 PM »
Ted, looks great, congrats!

On your comment that:
Quote
I've never had this many curds from 1 gal of milk before.  I seriously need to investigate the reason.  “Organic” milk?  New enzymes and whatnot?

I'm not quite sure what you mean? Normally when I cut my large curd it's 100% of the milk, then after cut, over time like you say, whey starts to get expelled and the cut curds shrink and as denser, start to sink. The amount of curds at end of that phase is dependant on temperature, time and how often stir them.

Anyway, looks great, while you say "Change nothing", next time would you go with more or less of culture, or lipase?

Hope you had a beer at end also ;D.

Worlock

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Re: Ted's Cheeselog -- Fetta March 25-26, 2009
« Reply #5 on: March 26, 2009, 10:03:41 PM »
Well John, I've never gotten that much curd mass before in all of my previous cheeses.  I took up your suggestion on the liquid veal rennet and cultures from my "why does it take so long for my curd to set" thread.

If this is normal, ok great! 

Change nothing means just that.  The strong Lipase was *wonderful*.  I took some into work even, and shared with a few of the ladies there.  One lady (My commanding officers secretary) was so shocked at the flavor!  She told me to go into business and sell it.  See it tastes around 90-95% the flavor of the cheese we ate every single day in Turkey.  And that was my target flavor set.  She said that it tastes nearly exactly the way she remembered. 

Talk about a ringing endorsement.

Tonight my wife made a traditional Turkish dish with it.  And I'm currently setting up to make Yufka.  Which is a very thin pastry style sheet.  Take the Fetta, combine with fresh parsley.  Roll it up and fry. Looks like this at the end:
 

Now that there's barely 1 cup of it left, my DW is going out to get me more milk for another batch.

What am I getting into here!  Jeesh!

Attached is the layered spinach, Fetta, parsley, etc dish we had for supper.

ps.  I did in fact enjoy a celebratory beer at the end :)

Cheese Head

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Re: Ted's Cheeselog -- Fetta March 25-26, 2009
« Reply #6 on: March 26, 2009, 10:26:47 PM »
Ted, OK, sounds good, congrats on the edorsement. Your dinner dish looks very nice, good luck with you Yufka after which it sound like you'll soom need to make another batch ;D.

Worlock

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Re: Ted's Cheeselog -- Fetta March 25-26, 2009
« Reply #7 on: March 27, 2009, 01:29:37 AM »
Ok we just got done with the Borek.

Pic1) Daughter helping me roll out the dough
Pic2) Wife rolling up the Fetta/Parsley
Pic3) Uncooked Borek
Pic4) Fully cooked Borek

And I'm going to go out on a limb here.  It's the most authentic we've ever come to the actual product.  We spent 4 collective years in Turkey, and because of the Fetta I made last night we could actually enjoy true Turkish recipes.  My oldest daughter tonight said "If I close my eyes I can imagine myself in Turkey".

That statement alone makes all the work worth it 1,000 percent.

Oh and the entire batch of Fetta is completely gone.  I doubt I'll post worklogs in the future, as I'll not deviate from this recipe/proceedure.

This one ladies and gentleman is a lock.

Cheese Head

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Re: Ted's Cheeselog -- Fetta March 25-26, 2009
« Reply #8 on: March 27, 2009, 02:01:50 AM »
Ted and helpers, they look great!

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Ted's Cheeselog -- Fetta March 25-26, 2009
« Reply #9 on: March 27, 2009, 10:45:39 PM »
Worlock I don't know what looks better! Good jobs an all of it!

Worlock

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Re: Ted's Cheeselog -- Fetta March 25-26, 2009
« Reply #10 on: March 28, 2009, 01:23:38 AM »
Thanks guys!

I've got a new batch Rennet'ing as we speak.   Have plans for 3 gallons over the weekend.  I've 2 orders to fill at work...

Geeze Louise... What have I gotten myself into!

Between this dogon cheeze and my fish duties, I've barely sat down since I got home from work!

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Ted's Cheeselog -- Fetta March 25-26, 2009
« Reply #11 on: March 28, 2009, 01:33:28 AM »
Ah but it's worth it isn't it?

Worlock

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Re: Ted's Cheeselog -- Fetta March 25-26, 2009
« Reply #12 on: March 28, 2009, 01:56:57 AM »
lol right now my back is saying no.  But my heart is saying yes.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Ted's Cheeselog -- Fetta March 25-26, 2009
« Reply #13 on: March 28, 2009, 04:28:15 AM »
I have a great chiropractor but you have to drive to CT.