Cantal # 2, 6-gallon make

[awakephd]

I have been wanting to try another Cantal, using a) more milk, so that the final result is not so hockey-puck shaped, and b) a new "chaser" to help me achieve the higher pressures that are possible with my compound press -- which, coincidentally, will be needed by this Cantal!

The make:

6 gallons of whole milk (3.2%, P&H)
1 quart of light cream (~20%)
5/16 tsp MA011
3/32 tsp TA061
3/8 tsp CaCl (in crystal form, dissolved in non-chlorinated water)
17 drops of annatto
3/4 tsp rennet (dissolved in non-chlorinated water)
4-1/2 Tbs salt (eventually)

As shown in the first picture below, I divided the milk and cream into two pots, one containing a bit less than 4 gallons and the other containing a bit more than 2.25 gallons. I divided the other ingredients to suit, using approximately 3/16 tsp MA011, 1/8 tsp TA061, 1/4 tsp CaCl, 11 drops annatto, and 1/2 tsp rennet in the larger pot and approximately 1/8 tsp MA011, 1/16 tsp TA061, 1/8 tsp CaCl, 6 drops annatto, and 1/4 tsp rennet in the smaller pot.

Heat milk to 90° using direct heat, stirring constantly. (This recipe is a good candidate for direct heat because no further heat will be added.)
Add cultures and ripen for 15 minutes
Add CaCl and annatto and wait 5 minutes
Add rennet and let set for 60 minutes
Cut into 1/4" cubes and rest for 5 minutes
Drain into cloth-lined colander
Transfer to 8" mold and press at 20-40 lbs for 24 hours
Mill into cubes, add salt, and return to mold; press for 48-72 hours, with final weight of 300-600 lbs.

Picture 1: Curds cut in the two pots, ready to drain
Picture 2: Close-up of the curds in the larger pot
Picture 3: The contents of the smaller pot in my new extra-large colander.
Picture 4: The contents of the smaller pot continuing to drain by hanging ...
Picture 5: ... while the contents of the larger pot are transferred to the colander. Even with this over-size colander, it didn't all fit at once; I had to wait for it to drain a bit before I could empty the pot.
Picture 6: After about 45 minutes, the curds were drained enough to combine and get ready to mold
Picture 7: I stuffed the curds into the 8" mold ... they didn't quite fit!
Picture 8: Pressing the curds down using two 4-lb. weights to reduce the volume enough to go in the press
Picture 9: Finally in the press, starting with 20 lbs.

[awakephd]

I mentioned a new "chaser" -- that's my invented term for it. With my new compound-lever press, I can finally achieve very high press weights ... so high that my followers have bowed under the pressure from the ram. I had been using rather thin plastic followers, which worked fine up to 150 lbs or so, but bowed badly at 300 lbs. But even after I upgraded to a 1/2" thick plastic follower, I was still getting some bowing at 300 lbs on my last cheddar.

So, below is my attempt at a solution: a 1-1/8" thick wooden "chaser" to go between the ram and the follower. The one on the left is 7" diameter, for use with my 8" mold -- my theory being that the plastic follower will not bow over the last half-inch on either side. The one on the right is 5.5" diameter, for use with my 6.5" mold. Tomorrow I will start pressing the milled Cantal at higher weights, so I will see if the "chaser" works as intended ...

By the way, if they look oily, they are -- I just oiled them with mineral oil, as I do with any wooden implement that will be used with food. After the oil has soaked in a bit, I'll wipe off the excess.

[John@PC]

I mentioned a new "chaser" -- that's my invented term for it.

Help me understand this Dr.: does the chaser follow the follower, or is the follower being followed by the chaser?  AND, if the chaser catches the follower do they get married and live happily ever after?  It's all so confusing .  Seriously, I love seeing your handiwork and those are beautiful curds, which reminds me I have a mozz that I used your cutter on that I need to post. 

[awakephd]

Umm ... I didn't entirely "follow" that.



Here's the order, from top to bottom:

Press ram
chaser
follower
curds
super-deluxe drainage tray obtained from suspect source

[John@PC]

 

[Kern]

I've been looking for a larger pot - something that will do ten gallons.  You can find some humongous pots online if you search for "stainless steel stock pots".   A 16 gallon pot can be had for about $140.   I love "suspect source's" vat/griddle/controller idea for everything up to six gallons but the griddle just doesn't have the horsepower to heat a larger mass as quickly as some recipes require. 

[John@PC]

I love "suspect source's" vat/griddle/controller idea for everything up to six gallons but the griddle just doesn't have the horsepower to heat a larger mass as quickly as some recipes require. 

Feelings hurt but I'll try to press on .  I agree with your assessment but I think you will agree that a 6 gal. batch is a substantial make for us small-scale cheese makers.  Beyond that requires a different format.

Sorry Andy for veering here because we are chasing following your pressing results . 

[awakephd]

As the title says, here is a report showing the progress of this Cantal. After pressing for 24 hours (approximately 4 hours at 20 lbs, and 20 hours at 40 lbs), the cheese comes out looking like picture 1. pH at this point is approximately 4.8 -- significantly lower than my last/first Cantal at this point, which was around 5.1; it will be interesting to compare the texture of the two after they age.

Pictures 2-4 show the milling of the cheese.

Picture 5: Ready to salt -- salt was added in two stages, with 10 minutes rest between.

Picture 6: A fresh cheesecloth is put in the mold (rinsed out thoroughly with filtered water) and the curds packed back in. (I had already put the follower on when I remember to take the picture -- thus the odd staging of this picture with the follower rising to the side.)

Picture 7: The "chaser" on top of the follower, ready to start applying some serious force.

Picture 8: The mold back in the press; 160 pounds applied overnight.

Picture 9: The cheese after 12 hours at 160 pounds. Flipped and put back in the press at 300 lbs for another 12 hours. More updates to come ...

[awakephd]

No problem on the veering -- this is a place to enjoy talking, wherever the discussion may take us! As for moving to larger makes ... it was interesting to me how much harder it seemed to work with 6 gallons than 4. That may just be because it was the first time ... and it may be complicated by the peculiarities of the Cantal make. On the one hand, the fact that this make lends itself to direct heating made it more feasible for me to use two pots to achieve the six gallons. On the other hand, the fact that this curd is not stirred or otherwise encouraged to lose whey before draining makes draining this much curd a challenge, even with my new mondo colander -- as the first post details, I had to do the draining in two batches.

None of this means I won't try it again, of course ... especially if I decide I like the Cantal. I certainly hope I will, with a 2-month old 4-gallon make in the cave, and this 6-gallon make in the press. Ten pounds or so of bad cheese is not an appealing thought!

[jmason]

Andy,
non dairy creamer?  really

[awakephd]

You caught me. I saw that in a picture and thought, maybe no one will notice my shame ...

[awakephd]

Okay, more progress pictures:

Pictures 1-2: The Cantal after spending 12 hours at 300 lbs. (6 psi for my 8" mold, if I've done my math correctly). I finally remembered to include both the plastic follower and the wooden "chaser" in one of these pictures. The cheese is starting to feel a bit more knit together, though I don't think it would be hard to dislodge some of the chunks of curd. I can just imagine it shattering into its constituent parts if dropped .... There was still a little bit of whey draining at this point.

Picture 3: Back into the press, now with the compound levers set to provide 24x MA. With a 25 lb. weight on the end, it will now spend 12 hours at 600 lbs. / 12 psi.

Pictures 4-5: The Cantal this morning after 12 hours at 600 lbs. -- definitely much more knit together. You can still see the outlines of the chunks of curd, and there are a few cracks in the rind, but it no longer feels quite as ready to fall apart if knocked or dropped. There was just a tiny bit of whey exuded from the mold.

Picture 6: Back into the press for another 12 hours, this time at 900 lbs. / 18 psi (24x MA, 37.5 lbs on the end of the lever). The amount of force I am applying is starting to scare me, but so far the compound press is living up to my hopes -- it remains straight and square, and even applying this much force, it is not the least bit "tippy." Also, the "chaser" is working beautifully to spread the force over the follower and thus prevent the problem of bowing.

I am hearing a few creaks and groans ... hopefully I'm not going to hear a mighty crash sometime during the day. Maybe I should re-label this thread as "adventures in very high press weights"! I don't think I'm going to try for 1200 lbs ... too chicken. If the rind is not as closed as I would like tonight, I'll leave it another 24 hours at 900 lbs. -- the recipe calls for the second press to last 48 - 72 hours.

[awakephd]

Well, I have learned a couple of things. One is that even 900 lbs. / 18 psi is not enough to produce a perfect rind on a 6-gallon Cantal, or at least not without more time. (I took it out after 12 hours at 900 lbs. / 48 hours total in the second pressing.) The first two pictures show the results.

The second thing I learned is that I have probably established the extreme upper limit of the pressure I should apply with my compound lever press. No, thankfully, it did not break ... but as you can see in the last two pictures below, I did have a joint open up a bit. When I constructed this, as I was pounding in the draw peg, I recall that this piece pushed away from the shoulder, and I had to use a clamp to draw it back in. I'm thinking that it did not really seat fully, leading to a somewhat weakened glue joint, which allowed a bit of creep, or at least some sort of movement.

The good news is that the peg held just fine, and the press remains intact. Whether I will try 900 lbs again ... well, who knows. I suppose I could always make a THIRD press, this time using steel.

A bit of flash trimmed from the edges of the Cantal seem very promising as to its future flavor. I guess we will see in a few months ...

[Boofer]

18 psi is not enough to produce a perfect rind on a 6-gallon Cantal

Please see the attachment.

Seems like your press is really working for you.

-Boofer-

[awakephd]

Thanks, Boofer. That sounds akin to, but a bit more involved than, the standard "put it in hot water for a couple of minutes and then repress" approach.

I really should have left it at 900 lbs for another 12-24 hours, taking it out to the full 72 hour press time mentioned in the recipes. But alas, I needed to get it done and get on with other things ...