Tallegio #3
The last time I attempted this cheese style was
October 26, 2011. I didn't have a proper form in my two previous attempts. This time I do.
make started: April 24, 2015
initial pH: 6.78
3 gallons Twin Brook Creamery whole creamline milk
1/8 tsp TA-61
1/8 tsp Kazu
1/32 tsp Geo13
1/32 tsp SR3
1/32 tsp KL71
1/2 tsp CACL in 1/4 cup distilled water
1/16 tsp dry calf rennet in 1/4 cup cool distilled water
Milk brought to 92F.
Cultures and CACL added. Allowed to ripen for 40 minutes.
Stirred in rennet.
Using a 4x floc factor, flocculation occurred in 12 minutes.
After additional 36 minutes, cut in 2-inch size. Rested 5 minutes.
Whisked into 1/2-inch (hazelnut) size. Rested 10 minutes.
Gently stirred for 30 minutes.
Curds spooned to form.
Form moved to incubator (maintains 78F).
Cheese is draped with damp, lightly salted muslin.
Flipped cheese after 30 minutes.
Flipped cheese after 75 minutes.
Flipped cheese after 60 minutes.
Flipped cheese after 60 minutes.
Unplugged incubator.
Monitoring cheese for drop in pH.
Cheese removed from incubator @ pH 5.26 and into whey-brine for 6 hours. Top is salted.
Cheese is moved to minicave with damp, sanitized spruce board with damp muslin wrap.
Minicave with cheese is moved to cave. Cave temperature is adjusted down from ~51F to ~46.
Flipping every couple hours begins.
On fourth day, removed damp muslin from cheese, but retained damp muslin below cheese.
Cheese sits on damp muslin which covers damp spruce board. RH is maintained with minicave lid on.
After 10 days, wiped cheese with SR3 brine.
At 17th day, wiped cheese with SR3 brine. Some errant blue showing up on bottom muslin.
At 22nd day, evidence of Geo is visible. More errant blue on muslin. A little on cheese bottom is wiped away with SR3 brine.
-Boofer-