Author Topic: Stilton HEELLLLLLP!!  (Read 1675 times)

amiriliano

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Stilton HEELLLLLLP!!
« on: December 23, 2014, 05:59:49 PM »
Frustrated. I think I know what the issue is but need some input.

I'm using Caldwell recipe for stilton-type. Both makes I've done have the same issue: after I mill the curd, starting at pH of about 6.5 (which was pre-milled target), I can't get it down to the required 4.5.

The way she says to do this is by keeping drained curd balls warm and allowing whey to seep out over about 7 hours. After 24 hours, I had only reached 5.5. So I decided to call it and place milled curd in mold. At this point, the curds were likely over-dry and hard to knit with no weight (as required). So I end up putting 10lbs on to get it to knit and flip twice daily. I'm on day 3 of make today - huge gaps - curds partially knit but can easily fall apart.

Any thoughts?

Attached is photo of milled cured in mold

Thanks all!

Offline OzzieCheese

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Re: Stilton HEELLLLLLP!!
« Reply #1 on: December 24, 2014, 01:05:49 AM »
Hi,  I too have just made the same cheese using the same recipe.  Maybe this will help.. Dont give up this is a difficult cheese to get right.

http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,13675.0.html

There might be few issues here
Quote
after I mill the curd, starting at pH of about 6.5
.  I think, unless I miss read the the intent but I kept my curd ball overnight until I reached the required pH

"Tighten the knot again in 1 hour and then let sit for another hour  and let the bundle sit in the whey.  The pH after this stage is 6.2 – 6.4"  so at this stage the pH is still raising but still in the whey.

after this period - my second set of photos I too had a pH too high
"Well, the pH only got to around 5.3 by 9:00pm last night so I made the decision to leave it overnight in the pot.  In the morning the pH was approx. 4.7"

I emptied the residual whey before going to bed, retied the knot and then turned turned it upside down and rested it on the knot - this sort of squeezed the bundle a more..  By the morning I reached the required pH.

Interesting note on the texture of the curd ball, in the morning, it had a firmish outer covering but the middle was sort of mushy - it had body and when I milled it there was still whey that was coming out. 

Once I milled the curd, added the salt and placed it it the mold you could still see whey being forced out - slowly.

So, from reading your entry I think you milled it too early and should have left it in the bundle until the pH was reached. 

My last set of photos are how it came out after 4 days of flipping.

I hope that helps

-- Mal
 
Usually if one person asks a question then 10 are waiting for the answer - Please ask !

Offline Schnecken Slayer

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Re: Stilton HEELLLLLLP!!
« Reply #2 on: December 24, 2014, 02:21:49 AM »
I totally agree with Mal, stick with it.

I found mine was too firm to smooth the outside until after the fourth or fifth day and as it ages it tends to start sticking together better.
Also the large gaps simply mean you should end up with a lot of blue.  >:D

Keep us posted!
-Bill
One day I will add something here...

amiriliano

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Re: Stilton HEELLLLLLP!!
« Reply #3 on: December 24, 2014, 02:47:52 PM »
Thanks to both.
Mal: very helpful. I think the key is what you mentioned: I probably wasn't tying that knot tight enough to expel a sufficient amount of whey to drop that pH. I did leave it overnight as I mentioned, but only achieved 5.5ish. But I think the key is aggressive whey expulsion. I have to remember that the stilton knot is pressing without a press.

Just one thing: when she says pH of curds will be 6.2-6.4 I don't think that means the pH is still rising. The pH should always be dropping after you you add cultures and rennet. I think she just means that's the target range at that point.

Happy holidays!

John@PC

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Re: Stilton HEELLLLLLP!!
« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2015, 01:30:01 PM »
Your post led me to go back and read the intro that Caldwell wrote in her section on blues.  She always have a lot of information in these lead-in section that often I skip over to get right to the recipe, but I'm finding that it's worth taking the time to read every word.  One thing she says is that if you're using milled and salted curd your form should have a 2 to 1 height-to-dia. ratio.  The extra height will help provide more weight to help it to knit.  I know if the milled curd is to dry it may not "fix" the situation totally, but it should help.  Assuming you did the 2 gal. make, I would say a 4.5 to 5" dia cylinder should be about right.   I'm getting ready to do Caldwell's "rindless" blue and plan to use a 4.5" I had on hand. 

I'm sure every member here can attest to the "never give up" philosophy, and you'll find some of your uh-oh's :( will make the best (or at least most interesting) :) cheeses.