Author Topic: My 3rd Cheshire  (Read 3297 times)

JeffHamm

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My 3rd Cheshire
« on: September 07, 2014, 04:12:43 AM »
This protocol was first posted by fied a few years back.  I've made it twice (well, 3 times now) and given how good it has turned out I'm surprised I've not made it more often.  This really comes into its own at 8 months plus, so make sure you've got some other cheeses in the works between then and now, but it will be worth it.


Cheshire Cheese (Sunday, Sept 7, 2014)  Sunny, air temp 19 C

11 L homebrand Standard milk (3.3% fat, 3.1g/100ml protein)
200 mls Homebrand’s cream  (35% fat, 2.2 g/100ml protein ; combined 0.8 P:F ratio; targeting 0.79 – note Pam’s Cream 38% & 2.0 g/100 ml protein is spot on)
3 ice cubes MW3 (Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris and Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis.)
½ tsp CaCl (50%) in egg cup water
1.7 ml rennet 280 IMCU calf rennet (in egg cup water)
30-32.5 ml salt
6” diameter mould

1. Add CaCl2 to milk while setting up
2. Add starter and warm milk to 30 C (actual temp 31.4+ C)
3. Cover, and ripen 30 minutes. (start time 7:42 - 8:12 end temp 31.2 C),
4. ensure temp. 30.0 (31.3) C
5. Add rennet and mix. Time: 8:14:00 Floc time 8:29:00 floc length 15 min 00 sec
6. 3x floc.= 45 min 00 sec cut time = 8:59:00
7. Cut curd into 1.25 cm pieces. Let stand for 5 mins (start time 9:05 – 9:10 end temp 30.5 C)
8. Drain whey until the curds can be seen just below the level of the whey (I didn’t have to drain any).
9. Cook curds, raising temp. gradually to 32 C over an hour, stir for first 50 minutes. (start time 9:20 -10:06 ended stirring end temp 32.3 C, sit for 60 minutes (combing with below)
10. Keep in whey and cover and blanket 40 minutes (start time 10:06 - 11:06 end temp ??.? C)   
11. Tip off rest of whey, keeping curd cake whole, then cut curd into equal fist-sized chunks. Return to pot, cover and keep at 32 C for 3 hours. (start time 11:30 - 2:30) (had to press with a follower and 2 litre jug of water to get the curds into a cake for cutting into “fist sized”)
12. Tip off any whey in the pot and tear chunks into 1" pieces and salt in the pot.
13. Press into cheesecloth lined mould and add weight at 10kg (0.78psi) for 30 min. (2:45 – 3:15 ?:??)
14. Turn cheese, adjust cloth and weight at 20 kgs (1.56 psi) for 30 mins. (2:45 - 3:30)
15. Turn cheese, adjust cloth and press at between 30 kg (2.34psi) for 16 hours. (3:30 - 6:00 pm, flipped redressed – GOOD knit - pressed until 6:45 am Monday; excellent knit)
16. Take off cloth, turn cheese and put back in press at the same press weights for 3 hours to get rid of cloth marks. (??:??-?:??; Monday if required; not required)
17. Salt cheese all over with 1 tsp salt and dry on cheese mat/rack at room temp., under gauze, for a day. Next day wipe off brine and return to drying at room temp. for 7 to 10 days, depending on when the rind, bottom and top, feels dry to the touch and there's no more seepage of whey. Turn once a day. (not needed)
18. Then either bandage cheese and age at 60F/16C for 2 months and up to a year, turning cheese daily for three months then twice a week up until time of eating, OR don't bandage, but leave to develop a natural rind with the same aging conditions as a bandaged one.

During step 11 made ricotta: heated to 92.0 C, and ¼ cup cider vinegar, let sit for 15-20 minutes.  Scooped into cheesecloth and drained.  Added 1-2% salt by weight (got 454 g, so added 6g salt).

Out of the press: 1710g, 14.5 x 10.0 (-206cm3 due to bullet shape) = 1.18g/cm3
Saturday, Sept 13, 2014: has been humid so drying has been slow.  Still a bit damp on the down side (flipping morning and evening).  Brushed first spots of mould showing up to clean the rind.  Moved to the cave.  1476g.
« Last Edit: September 12, 2014, 06:39:49 PM by JeffHamm »

John@PC

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Re: My 3rd Cheshire
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2014, 07:39:35 PM »
A great looking cheese as usual Jeff with nice yields.  I noticed you said you used cider vinegar for the ricotta; is that better than white and/or citric acid or is it all in the pH?  Also, what type of mold did you use to get the bullet shape?

JeffHamm

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Re: My 3rd Cheshire
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2014, 12:38:02 AM »
Thanks John.  It will lose a lot of moisture over time and end up around 1.2 kg.  Will see.  The mould is just a basic tomme type mould, but it has a rounded bottom.  While I like the look of the cheese, I don't like the mould because it's hard to flip the cheese.  Flipping the cheese helps with distributing the pressing weight and improves the knit.  Got a good one this time at least.

As for the cider vinegar, I use it mostly because it's what was at the front of the cupboard, and slightly in order to minimize any possible vinegar flavour in the ricotta; but with 1/4 cup in 9 litres of whey, it's not a big deal.  I've used white vinegar and it works fine too. 

- Jeff

Offline Boofer

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Re: My 3rd Cheshire
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2014, 01:42:16 PM »
Beautiful as always, Jeff.

I had grabbed Fied's recipe way back when, but I dutifully grabbed a copy of yours to add to my Cheshire folder when I ever decide to make this cheese.

You have some history and work experience with Cheddar-like cheeses ::), how would compare the character of Cheshire with the Wensleydale, Lancashire, and Derby you have made?

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JeffHamm

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Re: My 3rd Cheshire
« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2014, 06:27:38 PM »
Thanks Boofer.  Hmmm, the Cheshire has been sharp, with some nice sweet notes.  I've tended to age it out a fair bit.  I've only made the Derby once before, and it's been a while, so I'll have to hold on that comparison.  Lancashire tends to be moister and younger, but again, that's cut into at 2 or 3 months and Cheshire is best after at least 8 (according to fied, and as I've always been very pleased with this aged out I don't cut it early).  Wensleydale is a milder cheddar, nice and smooth texture and moist (the Cheshire is a bit drier, due to the age).  I've aged some Wensleydale's out, but have never compared them side by side.  I've got a Dunlop that I'll be opening near the end of Nov that will be well aged (will be 1 year old in 5 days - but my parents are coming at the end of Nov, hence the continuation).  The Derby I made on May 18th will also get opened then, so will be able to compare those two directly. 

Basically, they are all decent cheddar types, with the main differences a function of their different aging profiles.  A proper comparison needs to control for that factor, which I've never done.  (I'm hedging aren't I? :) )

Spoons

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Re: My 3rd Cheshire
« Reply #5 on: September 10, 2014, 04:37:05 AM »
Nice cheese, Jeff! I got to get into these cheddar types. You always make them look so good!

JeffHamm

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Re: My 3rd Cheshire
« Reply #6 on: September 13, 2014, 05:53:04 AM »
Just to update.  It's gone into the cave, and after 6 days air drying it's lost a bunch of moisture and is down to 1476, so it's lost 234g so far.  The rate of loss will slow down a great deal int he cave, but it will continue to lose moisture over time.  There were spots of mould on it, which have been brushed off.  Cave is full again.

- Jeff

JeffHamm

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Re: My 3rd Cheshire
« Reply #7 on: September 29, 2014, 08:35:27 PM »
Ooops!  Couple days ago I noticed that part of the rind really wasn't dried out properly, bit damp, etc.  So, as the cave is quite humid, I figured I would take it out and air dry it for the day.  Given the rind is now less pliable than during the initial air drying phase, it cracked by the end of the day.  Oh well, back in the cave.  The inside looks pretty solid, so I don't think I'll get a lot of contamination spread throughout.  Only time will tell.  Will try and get some photos soon.

JeffHamm

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Re: My 3rd Cheshire
« Reply #8 on: October 01, 2014, 07:01:11 AM »
Ah, here's the photo showing the cracks.  Other face and sides are good.  You can see that some b.linens is forming due to the moisture.  Oh well, I don't think the internals are cracked or naturally "holey", so I'm hoping these cracks will just firm up into new rinds.  But, then, hope is the thing with feathers ...

Offline Boofer

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Re: My 3rd Cheshire
« Reply #9 on: October 01, 2014, 12:59:11 PM »
Oh no!!! :o

the thing with feathers ...
Yeah, there is that.... :-\

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John@PC

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Re: My 3rd Cheshire
« Reply #10 on: October 01, 2014, 08:02:54 PM »
I'm hoping these cracks will just firm up into new rinds. 
If they don't it may be time to put a bit of salve (oil) over the cracks for protection from more desiccation of the paste?  I actually had written that I've been lucky not having cracks, but your post reminded me I needed to do the daily flip and saw my little 2 lb cheddar cracked on both sides  >:(.  This was a cheese that I had originally coated with coconut oil and paprika, but didn't like the way it looked so rubbed it with olive oil which removed most of the coconut then wiped it.  This was a week or so ago so I'm guessing that removing the thicker oil coating removed most of the protection (like pulling off a wax coating and just rubbing some oil on it). 

JeffHamm

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Re: My 3rd Cheshire
« Reply #11 on: November 26, 2014, 06:40:48 AM »
Well, this one developed a thick b.linens schmere on the top and bottom, and to make things worse, it kept getting wet on one side (in the same spot every time?!?).  I dried out the ripening box a few times, but it just kept on getting overly humid and then wetting the cheese.  This made for one spot to get very soft and when I brushed it to remove the linens, the rind gave way and exposed the paste. 

So, despite being only 80 days old, I figured the difficulties in aging were a sign, so I cut into it.  And, I'm very pleasantly surprised.  First, the cracks did not result in an internal mould fest, and the paste is wonderfully moist and creamy, and yet very crumbly as well.  The texture melts in your mouth, and it has a bit of a tang like a young caerphilly (which I like).  This is a very nice cheese and I'm pleased with it again, though I tend to view this as one that should be aged out to 8 months to really come into its own.  So, I'll age the next one out, but will work on improving the ripening container for it.

The caramel type cheese you see in the front left are pieces of a gouda I made at the end of 2010, so it's getting close to 4 years old.  I have about 1/6th of the wheel left, in wax.  Noticed a bit of mould under the wax, so cut some off and freshed up the seal. 

- Jeff

Offline Danbo

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Re: My 3rd Cheshire
« Reply #12 on: November 26, 2014, 07:19:52 AM »
Nice one! :-)

Offline awakephd

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Re: My 3rd Cheshire
« Reply #13 on: November 26, 2014, 03:32:33 PM »
The patience to wait 4 years before finishing that Gouda deserves a cheese for you!!
-- Andy

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Re: My 3rd Cheshire
« Reply #14 on: November 26, 2014, 11:52:56 PM »
Well, this one developed a thick b.linens schmere on the top and bottom, and to make things worse, it kept getting wet on one side (in the same spot every time?!?).  I dried out the ripening box a few times, but it just kept on getting overly humid and then wetting the cheese.  This made for one spot to get very soft and when I brushed it to remove the linens, the rind gave way and exposed the paste. 
Sounds very familiar.... :-[

Congrats on your outcome...better than mine. A cheese for a sweet-sounding cheese, Jeff. Well done!

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.