I started a batch of Belper Knolle last evening following the
recipe on the New England Cheese website. Milk was 1 gallon of P&H milk and modifications included using 1/16 tsp of Flora Danica along with 30 grams of lactose. Four drops of single strength rennet were used. The lactose and FD are most likely the ingredients of NEC's
chevre culture. The rennet quantity came from Caldwell's
Mastering Artisan Cheese Making recipe for Lactic-set Bloomy Rind Cheese (page 186).
In about 4 hours the milk appeared to be set but I waited overnight for a total of 14 hours (per NEC) before loading the cloth-lined colander. I expected the gelled curd to be firm like the photos shown in the NEC recipe but found that the structure fell apart on the way from the pot to the colander. The consistency is like a mushy ricotta and the draining has gone slowly as one would expect. Perhaps I can save it.
Some Internet research revealed
this video showing the product being made in Switzerland. It is worth watching if you are interested in learning more about this cheese. Some obvious differences jump out:
The cheese is made with raw milk.
Enough rennet is used to make a curd that can be cut. (Is it really a lactic set cheese as the NEC recipe suggests?)
The curd is fully drained and placed in a mixer where it is coarsely mashed.
The salt/garlic mix is added the the mixer.
The salt does not appear to be Himalayan pink salt.
The above mix is pumped onto sheets in little "massed potato" mounds
The mounds are allowed to dry to firm up and only then is the cracked pepper added.
I will be modifying the NEC/Caldwell recipe and switching to a vat pasteurized, non-homogenized cream top milk for my next attempt and will post the results in several days.