first colby - too moist?

[tashad]

Last weekend I made my first attempt at colby, using the recipe from cheesemaking.com.  This is my second washed curd cheese, but the first one is still aging so I don't really know how it turned out.  Pretty much every step along the way took longer than the recipe said.  It looked (to my inexperienced eye) fine when it came out of the press in the morning, and I put it into the brine.  When I tried to flip it over in the brine at the halfway point, it wouldn't stay.  It kept flipping over onto its side.  Eventually I gave in and sprinkled salt on the exposed side and left it for another 4 hours.  It's been about 48 hours since it came out of the brine, and it's changed.  When I flipped it last night, I noticed that the lower portion seemed to be bulging somewhat, a little more on one side than the other.  The bulging half is the half that wouldn't stay up in the brine.  I was very careful to boil all of my utensils, mold, muslin, etc, but I don't live in a clean room (and I make bread and ferment vegetables) so I don't imagine that some kind of contamination is out of the question.  The cheese smells fine, just a faint cheese smell.  I'm sort of leaning towards thinking that the curds were still too moist when they went into the mold, but am open to hearing anyone else's more experienced thoughts.  My main question is, what do I do with it now?  Should I carry on with waxing and aging as planned?  Should I let it dry longer before waxing?  Should I refrain from waxing and do something else with it until it's ready to eat?  Or is it a lost cause and I should scrap it and try again another day?  I'll post a pic from this morning when I can get it off my phone.

[tashad]

My lopsided, bulging cheese

[awakephd]

To me that looks more like "slumping," aka "elephant's foot" -- meaning that the curds were still quite soft (maybe too much moisture still in the curds), and gravity took control. Regular turning can help avoid the problem. I don't know that I've ever seen it occur while in the brine -- that suggests that it may have been REALLY soft.

Unless you see a puffed-up type of bulge, I wouldn't be thinking contamination. (If you do get a puffing up, you can cut into it; you should get an objectionable smell if it is contaminated.) I would give it a good bit of time to dry -- like, two to three weeks if possible. You'll probably have to wipe it with vinegar & salt or with white wine to get rid of mold while you are waiting.

[john H]

Welcome Tasha, how big is this cheese?

I agree with awakephd and would add if it is a moisture issue the curd needs to be stirred or rest time needs to be longer to release more whey. Did you flip and redress the cheese while pressing?  How long and how much weight did you use while pressing?

John

[tashad]

Did you flip and redress the cheese while pressing?  How long and how much weight did you use while pressing?

I did flip and redress each time I changed the weight, although I used the same cloth each time.  Yesterday was the first time I'd seen mention of wrapping with a fresh cloth.  I used 8L of milk, and the mold is just over 4" diameter. 

15 min @ 10lb
15 min @ 10lb
30 min @ 20lb
90 min @ 40lb
overnight @ 50lb

I used a press with springs, and I understand that the pressure doesn't stay constant as the cheese compresses. The weight is also an approximation.  The press doesn't have a gauge on it, so I determine how to set it by ever so carefully stacking assorted items that are about the right weight on top and then adjust the wingnuts.  My brother built the press as a birthday gift, and I haven't quite figured out how to make a gauge yet.  I don't have a scale that will fit in it to determine the pressure, and I don't have any actual weights so that I can stack accurate weight on top.

I appreciate the input!  I'll definitely stir longer to release more whey next time.  This is good for me, it's tough to gauge texture on the internet so now I have some direct experience of what's still too moist.   I'm glad to know that it's not necessarily a complete failure.  I'll keep flipping it and tending to the surface for a couple more weeks and see where it's at then.

[Kern]

tashad, I agree with Dr. Awake and john H so far as their analysis of your first Colby are concerned.  You have what is commonly known as elephant's foot.  The cheese has so much moisture that the paste is a semi-liquid that will slowly flow under the force of gravity.  Such a cheese can be flipped every couple of hours or so and the bulge will appear in the middle and be more or less symmetrical.  This will make a pretty cool looking cheese  rather than, let's be honest about this, the asymmetric monster  you made. 

You asked if you should keep or toss it.  I'll say to you what I say to an occasional friend who tells me they are ready to commit suicide.  "Look, I say, "you can always do this.  But why make such an important decision when you are so emotional and distraught?  Why don't you wait until you feel better and are a little more clearheaded and then make this decision? You'll feel better for it."  Keep the cheese and age it as you should, my friend. It will likely taste just fine.  In the meantime, use what you've learned, buy some more milk, get back on your horse and make some cheese.

Finally, accept your first cheese from me, for both your heart and soul and your efforts to improve your lot.

 

   

[john H]

One  other thought that came to mind is the mould is taller then wide. I'm thinking that a Colby mould should be wider than tall like in this picture. Maybe some one with more experience can chime in here.

https://www.cheesemaking.com/images/cheese-making-recipe/colby/pic07.jpg

[tashad]

Thanks Kern!  I'm flipping it a little more often and it does seem to be evening out a little so the bulge is more in the middle.  I think it's destined to be slanted forever though. 

One  other thought that came to mind is the mould is taller then wide. I'm thinking that a Colby mould should be wider than tall

 

I wondered about that too.  I don't see that many cylindrical cheeses.  The mold that I used is pretty close in dimensions to the one they specified in the recipe though.  The only other molds I have at the moment are a basket for ricotta, and a tomme that I thought might be too wide.  I have ordered some more molds though, and they'll be here tomorrow so maybe I'll go with a wider mold for the next batch of colby.  This weekend's cheese, however, will be caciotta.  I'm very excited for that.  Lol, I'm very excited for every one so far.  Making cheese feels almost like magic.

[awakephd]

Making cheese feels almost like magic.

What do you mean, "almost"?

[Kern]

A good aspect ratio for most aged cheeses is 1:2 (height to diameter).  Blue cheeses traditionally are more like 1:1 or even 1.25:1,  You can use a tall mold and still get the right aspect ratio.  Just don't fill it full.  Following are three of photos of a cheese I made last year showing how to get a nice central bulge.  The first shows the cheese in the mold, the second shows pressing it without the mold to get the bulge, while the third shows the finished cheese after brining.  The key to getting it symmetrical is lots of turning.  In the hour the cheese was in the "shaping mold" I turned it every 5 to 10 minutes and moved the light weight on the top board to keep the two faces parallel. 

[tashad]

Thanks Kern!  I really like the look of that central bulge, I'll use that technique.  

I waxed the colby today.  I had been flipping it a lot and the bulge did seem to move a little more to the middle but it was still a slanted, wonky cheese.  Some mold had formed on one end, it didn't seem to want to wash off with brine or vinegar and I was a little leery of waxing it with mold under the wax so I cut the end off before I waxed.  I'm not sure if that was the right thing to do, but I'll find out how it turns out.  It did give me an opportunity to taste it though (which I've been dying to do).  The paste inside was very much like havarti in it's softness, and tasted like Kraft slices.     I'll reserve judgment on the cheese until it's had some more time, but I hope that's not what it tastes like later on.