GC's simple piquant from raw Jersey milk

[WisconsinDan]

While I do not profess to know much about microbiology I do understand the importance in temperature when it comes to colony growth rate. That being said I am wishing my I was better able to control the temperature on my Nesco. The little Hydrofarm temperature controller worked fairly well with my small 1 gallon crockpot, but their is too much heat capacitance with the Nesco and so I can't simply set it to the proper temperature and go. I find about 30 seconds on is enough to raise the temperature about 1F over 2-3 minutes, but it is not easy to slow this down once you get going. I thought I left the pot ripening at 90F only to come back to make my additions and find a temperature of 94.5F. The ideal growth range for the cultures in MA4000 are already lower than the 90F the recipe calls for, but less than the temperature the 1 strain of thermo needs to even activate. Obviously this must have an effect on the acidification but how much I really have no idea. I am really thinking of looking into a different set-up. Temperature hiccups aside the make seems to have gone alright.

My last 2 gallons of raw Jersey milk (I am tearing up a bit here)
0.3g MA4001
1 skewer of mild lipase
1/4 tsp CaCl
0.60mL double strength rennet
heavy brine

Milk got warmer to 82.5F before adding cultures
Ripened at 94.5F for 35 minutes
Made water bath to bring temperature back down to 90F for renneting, added about an extra 10 minutes
Stir in additions and wait 5 minutes
Added rennet got flocculation after 11m 30s, a bit shy of the 12m I was aiming at. Flocculation multiplier of 2.5X
Began cutting just under 29 minutes after addition of rennet.
Gradually cut down to rice grain size over about 13 minutes (oops a bit faster than I was supposed to)
Stirred at 90F for 22 minutes
Increased to 100F while stirring over 30 minutes. Curd tasted sweet and held together well when squeezed in my hand.
Rest 5 minutes.
Pitched in a cloth lined form with no weight for 10 minutes.
Pitched 20 minutes with only follower and no weight.
Pressed with 4 lbs. under whey for 30 minutes
Flipped and pressed with 6 lbs. under whey for 30 minutes.
Flipped and pressed with 15 lbs. (no longer in the whey) for 30 minutes twice.
The rind was almost sealed and no more whey seemed to be collecting in the pan so I flipped and pressed with 24 lbs. for 15 minutes.
The rind was sealed so I pressed with 24 lbs. between 2 cutting boards for 8 minutes.
This one is weighed in at just over 2 lbs. and will be in the brine 8 hours.

I will post a picture later, but my PC is having some difficulty acknowledging my phone is plugged into it.

"Have you tried turning off and back on again?"

[IllinoisCheeseHead]

Great details

Do you pasteurize the milk?.  I don't think you need to add calcium if you have not pasteurized it.

AC4U

[WisconsinDan]

No I don't pasteurize it. I do remember reading somewhere that even with raw milk you can sometimes need it based on season or at certain points in the lactation cycle, but I could not remember the exact details. I probably did not need to add it and am now wondering if it could actually have a negative affect on raw milk?

[Stinky]

I mean, the thermo activates when you're heating the curds up into the low 100's range, IIRC. The meso's growth won't be ideal, but as long as you get a decent pH at the end the cheese should be great. It just may not be exactly what you're expecting. As I understand it.

Extra calcium can be detrimental. I'd try without first and if you're have trouble getting a proper set, use it.

[WisconsinDan]

Sorry I was a bit slow in getting it up here but life has been keeping me busy lately.  Here is the pic from before this cheese went into the brine and a pic I took after the 1st application of paprika and olive oil.

[Stinky]

No I don't pasteurize it. I do remember reading somewhere that even with raw milk you can sometimes need it based on season or at certain points in the lactation cycle, but I could not remember the exact details. I probably did not need to add it and am now wondering if it could actually have a negative affect on raw milk?

Pav was saying that if you refrigerate milk, the calcium is inavailable for renneting. It has more of it, but it's not accessible. From what I understood. You can try not adding calcium, but I think maybe half what you would do with bad quality milk might work nicely?

[Mermaid]

How long do you plan on aging this? Have you sampled it yet? I am curious to know as I make a very similar cheese except without lipase. I just ordered two kinds of lipase. What kind did you use?
Thanks!