A Very August Cheddar

[OzzieCheese]

Thanks for the Cheeses.  I think Larding is an excellent word - The activity whilst one Lards.... 'Don't visit today -  I'm 'Larding'  Or being under the influence of Lard - " I may have a Larding fetish but it's still socially acceptable and maybe the adjective of being made for Lard - Lardic.   Yes, I think I'll contact Websters and Oxford for inclusion in their next editions. .  Either way it make for a wonderful cheddar. 

-- Mal
 

[awakephd]

And all this time, I thought larding was what was happening to my middle ...

[lovinglife]

I love this idea and your cheese is amazing, I am a beginner cheese maker, totally addicted to it and just getting into hard cheese.  What kind of maintance is required when larding for aging?  My milking seasons end is fast approaching so I need to get some cheddar in the cave, and gouda and the list goes on and on...

[OzzieCheese]

All I do is turn them once a month and brush off the worst of the happy molds that grow in my cave.  I have my cave at 10-12 Deg C @ 80% humidity.  I keep them, when I can resist the urge to eat them, for 12 months.  I try and make a Cheddar a month so that I have a rotational stock of 12 month ages cheddar.  Well, that the plan any way.

The step that makes or breaks a good Cheddar is the 'Texturing' before you mill and salt before pressing.  The slabs should get to a pH of 5.3-5.2 and have the texture of cooked Chicken breast.  the steps basically are
1.warm milk 32 Deg C
2.if using Pasteurised milk add Calcium Chloide
3.Ripen for 30 minutes.
4.add rennet
5.cut at 45 minutes 1/2inch
6. heat slowly over 30 minutes stirring gently to 38 Deg C
7. Stir for 60 minutes at 38DegC
8. drain in Colander.
9. Texture the curds - and see my posts on that - 38 DegC. usually 1 to 2 hours depending on the cultures used.
10. Mill the curds and add salt 2% by weight.
11. Press cheese
12. dry
13. Wax, vac bag, leave natural or cloth bandage - look after for 6-9 months - I like 12.
14. Eat cheese.

Check my posts, or the many other here for the details on each of the steps.  Once you do a few times it become second nature.

Hope the helps

-- Mal   


Cheers.

[Al Lewis]

Mal I noticed you wrote wrap/vacuum pack.  Do you see any difference when you vacuum pack?  I just opened a Butterkase I soak in Brandy that I vacuum packed and it was incredible.  I would prefer to vacuum pack my cheeses, or wax them, as it's easier and I don't have a lot of time.  I also can see the ones I vacuum pack.

[OzzieCheese]

Hi Al,

I hear you on the time front.  I Vac Bag mine (Mr Asher might cringe) if I don't have either.
a. Enough time.
b. Enough Lard - it sometimes is a bit scarce - The brand I like anyway.
c. Not enough Cloth -  I have to cut up my cheese cloths to make the bandages.

I currently have three in Vac Bags that when I come back from St Louis I will "Lard Out" (oh a new cheese term).  I like the vac bag because I can see two things, the amount of moisture still in the cheese and whether any anaerobic moulds have moved in.  I would however think that a lot of the nice texture I get in my Cheddar comes from the slow moisture lose through the Cloth.

Now that said I have just taken a 6 month Gouda out of a Vac Bag and was very , very happy with the results.  There was a little moisture in the bag but the cheese was amazing.  So, I agree I think for a maintenance free aging process for the time challenged is a great way.  Not all cheese would benefit but even if you use the vac Bag until time becomes available, then the time taken to make the cheese in the first place has not gone to waste.

Leaving tomorrow for St Louis..


-- Mal

 
 

 

[awakephd]

No, Mal, no. The term is not "Lard Out"; it is "enlard," as in, "I am trying to enlard my cheese collection."

Note however that "out lard" IS a proper term, used when you are trying to do more larding than someone else, e.g., you are trying to "out lard" them. Some people also laugh out lard ...

[Delislem]

Talking about "out larding"...or trying to...I finished bandaging my first cheddar, inspired by Mal. I hope to have a glorious cheese for my guests at Christmas 2016. That is IF I can wait.

[OzzieCheese]

Oh a Cheese for your Enlardment...

@Delislem and for yours as well.  I would suggest however a few of things:
1. More lard - It's the lard that creates the safe environment, the cloth is really only there to support it. and:
2. More layers - I usually use three layers 1 of open weave and 2 of butter muslin this controls the spread of the mold through the layers.
3. Rub the Lard well into the cheese cloth at each layer.  And I mean really rub it in - you want to impregnate the cloth with the lard.  And as you are rubbing the lard in try to get rid of all the air bubbles as trapped air means little pockets of oxygen for the mold to grow.

-- Mal

[Delislem]

Thanks Mal. More lard it is.

[awakephd]

In other words, the larder the better.

[Delislem]

It would indeed be a Lard way to learn the lesson if I were to waste a cheese for lack of lard. 

[Boofer]

I would however think that a lot of the nice texture I get in my Cheddar comes from the slow moisture lose through the Cloth.

I achieve similar character by using cream coating. It protects and permits a slight loss of moisture. Good stuff.

-Boofer-