Did a 7 Pound Emmental

[Al Lewis]

Okay, after talking at length with Alp and reading all of his previous posts on Emmental I reviewed Tom Smith's recipe, Debra Amrein-Boyes, and Caldwell's recipes and came up with this one.  It may not be right, it may not be what everyone does, it may not be kosher, but I did it anyway.  One important fact to follow, not mentioned anywhere else in here, use a mold that gives you a cheese at least 4" thick.  I opted for a 8" Tomme mold.  You can get it here.

[Al Lewis]

Here is the recipe I came up with.  It is a combination of several so don't try looking it up.


Emmental

6 gallons 2% (reduced fat) PH milk

2 gallons whole PH milk

½ teaspoon Thermophilic B

½ teaspoon LH 100 or Thermophilic C  ( I used LH 100 )

¾ teaspoon Propionic Bacteria powder

1½ teaspoon calcium chloride

1½ vegetable rennet tablets

Divide milk equally into two 5 gallon pots while heating to 90° F.  Reserve ½ gallon in each of the last two gallon bottles.  Divide the cultures and propionic bacteria equally and add into each of the half full jugs.  Shake well to incorporate and add to their respective pots stirring top to bottom to incorporate the mixture.

After 10 minutes add in the divided calcium chloride, each portion diluted in ¼ cup of non-chlorinated water and stir again top to bottom until fully incorporated.

Continue heating milk to 90° f stirring occasionally to keep the temperature equal top to bottom.

Once at 90° F stir in rennet using a top to bottom motion. 

Allow to sit for 45 minutes to achieve a clean break.

Using a long whisk break the curd up into pea sized pieces stirring for 30 minutes.

Stir gently while raising the heat to 120° F over a thirty minute period.

Once at 120° F stir curds for another 30 minutes.

Drain heated whey into a pot with a prepared mold lined with butter muslin in it and place the combined curd into the mold, in the whey.

Place the follower on the mold and press with 10 pounds for 5 minutes under the warm whey.  Flip the cheese in the mold and  press for 10 minutes at 10 pounds.  Flip the cheese once more and press for 20 minutes at 10 pounds.

Remove the mold from the whey, redress and flip cheese in the mold and place on press at 50 pounds for two hours, flip again and then three hours.  Once more for 8 hours.

Remove the cheese from the mold and flip, pressing naked over night at 50 pounds.

Remove from the  mold and place in 18% brine @ 54° F for 6 hours, flipping after 3 hours.

Remove from brine and dry.

Place on a mat at  60-65° F for 3 days to allow it to dry.  Flip every 12 hours.

Place in cave for 2 weeks wiping with brine daily to defeat any mold growth and help develop the rind.

I used a mixture of 1/3 cup white wine and 2/3 cups 18% brine in a spray bottle misting the exposed surfaces and then wiping the excess off with a paper towel.

Remove from cave and place on mat at 80° F for 36 hours while wiping with the brine and flipping it every 12 hours.  Cheese should swell over this period as PS develops.

Move to the cave @ 54° F and 85% RH.  If mold develops wipe with a white wine/brine solution to clean.

Turn weekly and age for 120 days (Swiss AOC) and up to 18 months.

[Al Lewis]

Here's a great tip.  If you are going to buy PH milk from Albertson's, now Hagen's here, choose the one on the bottom shelf with the "Shopper's Value" label.  It makes much better cheese than the higher priced milk whether it's 2% or whole milk.

[Al Lewis]

Okay, I forgot to take a lot of pictures of the make but I had to stir two pots of milk so give me a break.  When pressing under the whey I simply submerged the filled mold under the hot whey in a pot and put a 10 pound weight on it.  Rather than redress I just turned the entire mold over and sat it on its follower and put the weight on the bottom of the mold.  Works great!!  After all of that nonsense I finally made it to the Sturdypress where I used a 10 pound weight to apply 50 pounds of pressure to the mold.

[Al Lewis]

Okay, so you do the two hours, three hour, do a shot, 8 hours, and finally you take off the butter muslin and press naked overnight.  In the morning you finally get to see your finished knit. The weight is to give you an idea of how big this cheese is.  After pressing it's still 4+ inches thick.  Houston, we have nubbins!!!

[Al Lewis]

Next step is straight into the brine.  Now I like to re-use things that are no longer useful, figure that will be me one day, so when the wife tried to throw out the old tupperware cake dish, with cover, I grabbed the cake cover half and use it to brine my cheeses.  It's dishwasher safe and the perfect size.

[Al Lewis]

Well 6 hours later and this bad boy is out of the brine and wiped dry. 

[Al Lewis]

It now has to sit in a 65° F room for three days being turned every 12 hours.  Here's a good tip.  If you want to keep your cheese off of the table to dry then take the follower from the mold you used on the cheese and invert it to use as a stand for your cheese.  Wrapping it in butter muslin will keep any unwanted visitors from getting to the cheese. So here it sits for the next three days.  More to follow!

[OzzieCheese]

Wish i could award two cheeses at once. Here isone though. That is one goooood cheese. 8 gallon makes are bit out of my equipment level at the moment wow that is over 16 litres. 

[Al Lewis]

Thanks a million Mal!  Just hope this one blows up and makes all of those little defects the Swiss hate so much, HOLES!!!!

[shaneb]

Very nice. A cheese from me also.

Shane

[Al Lewis]

Thank you Shane!!

[JeffHamm]

A cheese to you Al for a nice looking Swiss there.  Looking forward to seeing how the swelling goes. 

- Jeff

[Al Lewis]

You and me both Jeff!  I'd love to have some great holes in this but as long as the flavor comes out right I'll be happy!

[H-K-J]

Yes sir Al AC4U, I hope you get those nasty holes in this one