I can't believe this is only my 5th time making this, and that the last one was in 2013! Anyway, this is a nice cheddar type that is ready in two months. Things have been busy here, so not much cheese making lately (it's jamming time, and I've been making feijoa jam from our bushes most weekends. This weekend did a batch of apple butter from our apples off the tree, and if it wasn't a long weekend for ANZAC day, I would be cheeseless again. Still, had the time to put one together today and the notes are below. This is another good cheese for someone just starting out. I would say, if you've made a few caerphilly, which you can eat in 3 weeks, then you're ready to move into something that takes a bit more time to come to table. Still, you don't want to wait half a year to find out that your technique still needs a bit of work. So, in steps something like MrsKK's Lancashire make (below) as one of the good choices (another, if you want to get into a washed curd type, would be Butterkase, which is good at 2 months too). Anyway, the make seems to have gone quite well. I'll get the final details in the morning when it comes out of the press, and will post photos then too.
Lancashire (Monday, Apr 27, 2015; overcast, high winds, 22 C, 996 barometer)
6 L silver top (4.0 g fat, 3.1g protein per 100 ml; Past. & Cream line).
5 L light blue (1.5 g fat, 3.7 g protein/ 100 ml ; Past & Homog)
4 ice cubes ripened Buttermilk (mesophilic)
1/4 tsp 50% calcium chloride
0.6 ml rennet IMCU 750
2 tbsp + 1 tsp cooking salt
Mould: 5.626” diameter
1) Add CaCl2 in egg cup of water while setting up
2) Add culture, (time: 8:15)
3) Warm to 31.1 0C, stirring gently. Turn off heat. (started warming around 8:15 am; reached 31.6 at 8:32)
4) ripen for 45 minutes, at 31.1 0C. (start time: 8:32 end time: 9:22 end Temp: 31.3 oC).
5) Add rennet. Time: 9:22:00 Temp 31.3 oC
Floc time 9:43:00 = 21 min 30 sec. Use 3.5x multiplier = 75 minutes 15 s. Time to cut is : 10:37:15 ) – note, this rennet is quite old (the expiry date is in 2009, but it’s still working quite well. Probably need to up to 0.7 ml for an 11 make now; there’s only enough for 1 or 2 more makes though).
6) Cut curd into 1 CM pieces (10:37:15 good curd)
6) Let curds stand for 10 minutes to firm up. (START TIME : 10:43-10:56; temp 30.4 0C : I’ve increased heal time from 5 to 10).
7) Stir curds for 10 minutes until they release more whey, become firmer and float freely in the whey. (11:00 - 11:10; end temp 31.9 0C; warmed it up during the cutting)
8) Let settle about 10 minutes.(11:10-11:20:) increased to 10 minutes fr 5
9) Drain off whey through cloth-lined colander.
10) Move the cloth full of curds to pot and press down with your hand to knit them together. Twist the cheesecloth around the curd to expel some more whey and to help them knit.
11) Put the lid back on the pot and put pot in warm water to keep the curds warm. Let stand for 15 minutes. (11:45-12:00)
12 ) Turn the cake of curd over and hold for 15 more minutes. Start time (12:00-12:20)
13) Cut cake of curd in half and pile one piece on top of the other in the pot. Cover and hold for another 15 minutes. The two halves will knit together into one piece. (start time: 12:20-12:42)
14) Mill into large lumps (size of large walnut) and add salt
15) Fill prepared mold with curds press at 10 kg (PSI 0.89) for 1 hour. (start 1:00-2:00; was only 5kg for first 13 min)
16) Remove from press, flip and re-dress the wheel of cheese. (2:00-3:00) Press at 20 kg (PSI 1.77)
17) Press overnight at 30 kg (PSI 2.66). (between 3:00-6:00 pm flipped a number of times as it started to tilt, so 3 or 4 “recovery” flips to flatten out the two faces. Finally removed 6:00 am; 1648g out of press) (excellent knit 14.7 cm diameter x 9.5 cm height; 1.17 g/cm3; used bullet mould so remove 206 cm3)
18) Air dry 3-5 days until dry to touch. Ripen 12-15 0C at 85 - 90% humidity for 4 to 8 weeks, depending upon your taste.
Moved to 10C cave 5:50 am, Sunday May 02, 2015. 1458g - Lost 190g moisture during air drying
Made ricotta: raised to 91.8C, added ¼ cider vinegar, waited 45 minutes, scooped into cheesecloth and drained (1:15-2:00). Obtained 375g after 45 minutes draining. Added around 6g salt.