This was inspired in part by Boofer's Tallegio and Reblochon posts. plus I wanted a washed rind to add to the cheese table when we go to the beach next month. Also I'm 3 cheeses behind in posting and trying to catch up. Original date for this was May 13. The last picture was today (2 weeks old) and while it's early the cheese felt and smelled just right. I have to go out of town for awhile so I went ahead and wrapped in cheese paper and put in fridge.
Ingredients:
2 gallons Hickory Hill Creamline milk
1/4 tsp MM100
1/16 tsp Thermo
1/32 tsp BL
1/32 tsp GC
1/16 tsp single strength rennet in 1/4 cup cool distilled water
Make:
Warm milk to 95F
Stirred in culture
Allowed to ripen 1 hr
Added CaCl2, rennet
Note: Boofer had 4x floc factor and Caldwell had 2.5; settled using clean-break test and ended up being about 3.0
Clean break @ 35 min.
Cut curd to ¾” cubes
Rested 5 minutes.
Gently stirred curds, maintaining 95F.
Continue stirring @ 95F until pH 6.2 to 6.3 (took 50 min.)
At pH 6.2 let curds settle
drained ~1 gallon whey.
Spooned curds to three sanitized Plyban-lined Reblochon forms (should have been two).
Flipped after 30 min. and added 8 lb. weight to all three molds
After 30 minutes, flipped & rewrapped, continued pressing as before
After 60 minutes, flipped & rewrapped, continued pressing as before
At pH 5.4 de-molded, salted @ 2% of curd weight (2.730 lb cheese x .02 = .054 lb salt)
Placed in mini-caves and into 55F cave
See make-notes in first attachment.
Post-notes: After a few days I started seeing some blue mold and started the BL / brine washing. It finally beat it down but only after the fact did I realize that it was the mat (next to last pic) that needed washing too. I've got my fingers crossed but I think this will be good.