Author Topic: Summer Montasio (#4)  (Read 2662 times)

Offline Boofer

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Summer Montasio (#4)
« on: June 26, 2015, 07:09:52 PM »
This cheese came together quite painlessly and the make was smooth.  8)

Started on February 26, 2015.
Initial cow pH: 6.79
Initial goat pH: 6.73

3.75 gallons Dungeness Valley whole raw milk
.5 gallon Lucky Hook Farm whole raw goat milk

8 cubes TA-61
1/8 tsp LH-100 (2011)
1/32 tsp Propioni shermanii (2011)
1/32 tsp dry calf rennet, dissolved in 1/4 c cold distilled water

Added cubes to milk (68F).
Raised milk to 95F.
Added cultures to milk to rehydrate.
Stirred in cultures.
Checked for pH 6.55-6.60.
Stirred in rennet.
Checked for floc'ing.
Floc'd in 28 minutes (should have used 1/16 tsp).
Using a 3X factor, cut & whisked after 56 min.
Cooked and stirred curds to 110F in 35 min. pH is 6.57.
Filled prepared Plyban-lined mould with curds.
Pressed with 16 lbs under warm whey for 20 min.
Flipped, rewrapped, continued pressing as before.
Removed whey, pressed with 1.9 psi for 60 min.
Flipped, rewrapped, continued pressing as before.
Again, flipped, rewrapped, continued pressing as before.
After 3.5 hours pressing, checked pH...5.30.
Into whey-brine for 9 hours.
Flipped, back into brine for another 9 hours.
Out to air-dry at room temp, in minicave.
After 15 hours, moved minicave to cave @ 51F.

March 20: After 3 weeks in cave, vacuum-sealed.
Six weeks later, checking the cheese found a lot of moisture in the bag.

May 5: Removed cheese from bag, gently scrubbed off linens, dried, and rebagged.

June 26: Cut cheese at 4 months. Lots of small holes, as Caldwell's recipe mentions.
Good, flexible texture that melts well; slightly sweet character; not excessively salty...maybe just shy of optimal. That's surprising because it brined for 18 hours.

Overall, the cheese is acceptable, but not particularly exceptional. The youngish (4 months) age lends an alpine character. Too bad this cheese style falls into the "Hard Grana" family because I prefer the cheese at this stage rather than as a harder, drier, grating cheese. Melting the cheese develops more flavor and character as is possible with other cheeses. The presence of all those tiny holes at first made me think that the milk had been contaminated, but rereading the Caldwell description calmed my jitters. ;)

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

qdog1955

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Re: Summer Montasio (#4)
« Reply #1 on: June 26, 2015, 09:25:10 PM »
Boofer----nice cheese-----I kinda think like you----I prefer a number of my cheeses on the young side----especially my Asiago, much better with the "Alpine" texture then the gratable texture.  But then I like mild and medium cheddar's as much if not more then really aged. Some people think that's like the ultimate cheese sin----but hey---the tongue knows what it wants.
Qdog 

Offline H-K-J

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Re: Summer Montasio (#4)
« Reply #2 on: June 26, 2015, 09:32:59 PM »
It do melt gggggggggggggggooooooooooouuuuuuuuddddddddd 8)
AC4U
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Offline Boofer

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Re: Summer Montasio (#4)
« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2015, 03:02:20 AM »
Thanks H-K-J .

So where in Oregon did you finally settle?

-Boofer-

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Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

Offline H-K-J

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Re: Summer Montasio (#4)
« Reply #4 on: June 27, 2015, 03:15:47 AM »
hi Boofer
Nice little town of Myrtle creek.
people actually said hello with a smile ;D
Never hit a man with glasses, use a baseball bat!
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Offline Boofer

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Re: Summer Montasio (#4)
« Reply #5 on: June 27, 2015, 03:36:14 AM »
I originally hail from Prineville. :)

-Boofer-
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shaneb

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Re: Summer Montasio (#4)
« Reply #6 on: June 27, 2015, 03:49:49 AM »
It looks delicious Boofer. Have a cheese from me.

Shane

Offline H-K-J

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Re: Summer Montasio (#4)
« Reply #7 on: June 27, 2015, 02:00:42 PM »
MBH was born in Cottage grove, lived in Elkton and Yahncolla (yawncalla) :D
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Offline awakephd

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Re: Summer Montasio (#4)
« Reply #8 on: June 27, 2015, 06:18:12 PM »
Boofer, nice work on the Montasio. I've made a couple based on your earlier posts -- there's still a little bit left of the first one, which is now pushing 7 months old; it has been a family and friends favorite. The second one is about 2-1/2 months old, so I haven't opened it yet, but I'm anxious to see if it will be as good as the first. AC4U, both for your current Montasio and for inspiring my efforts!

I am surprised about the holes you got -- looks like the PS took effect -- ?? I did not include any PS in either of my makes thus far. The first has no holes ... we'll see about the second.

One thing that you mentioned made me curious -- you gave us the pH of the cow and of the goat. What about the pH of the milk?

Sorry, couldn't resist ... though I am wondering exactly how one takes the pH of a cow without getting kicked! :)
-- Andy

Offline Boofer

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Re: Summer Montasio (#4)
« Reply #9 on: June 27, 2015, 09:29:58 PM »
Thanks for the cheeses, guys.

I am surprised about the holes you got -- looks like the PS took effect -- ??
That's what I kinda thought, but Caldwell says it's because of the inherent bacterial cultures in the raw milk. Maybe the goat milk is the contributor? But there is that slightly sweet character...such as you might taste in alpines...so maybe the P.S. is generating the gas that forms the holes.

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

JeffHamm

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Re: Summer Montasio (#4)
« Reply #10 on: June 28, 2015, 08:51:24 PM »
Have another cheese from me!  That's a nice looking Montasio Boofer.  I made a bunch years ago, and still have them as grating cheeses.  A more recent one is currently in my cave, and I'm thinking it will get cut into around the 5-6 month mark.  I don't have access to raw milk, or goats milk (other than Ultra pasturized), so I have to toss a bit of lipase in there to sharpen the taste a bit.  Hopefully will get something nice.  I didn't use any PS though.  Might be worth adding on my next attempt though.