Tomme Cheese Making Recipe

[Boofer]

linuxboy,

I'm following your recipe today and I have one question in your process:

• for a washed-curd Tomme, what is the pH target just prior to washing?

As soon as you wash, the pH climbs as the acidity is diluted.

Nice workable recipe. Thanks for that.

-Boofer-

[linuxboy]

For cow milk or goat? Using DVI or bulk culture?

Generally, I start the wash at 6.4-6.45 for cow, a little lower for goat. I standardize cow milk to 6.5 (bulk culture usually takes care of this, or, I have been preripening store pasteurized milk with FD) before renetting, and goat milk to 6.4, and looking for a ~.1 delta pH before wash. Usually, this is right at 45-60 mins after rennet add with 1% bulk culture.

Sorry, writing shorthand quickly, meetings. Let me know if you're stuck or give me a call.

[soleuy]

Hello, finally I have some free time to make a cheese, I tried again with a Tomme, I chose it because I have the recipe between other nine in a book and this was the third time I proved doing it. It is very similar to the  linuxboy  one.
I resume

Milk: 10 l raw cow milk
Starter: temp. 31 ºC- R704 of Hansen ( Lactococus lactis lactis nad L. L cremoris) only a few grains of it directly over and stirring the milk) then  ripen for 30 min.
Rennet: animal- 4 ml in 50 ml water- Temp 29-30 º C. I think this rennet is not working well, the floc time was too long 43 min and I cut the curd 2hs after. I think I must use more or change the rennet to get the 15 min target floc time
Curd cut: 1/2 cm but it wasn’t regular, I must improved this. Rest for 10 min.
Stir for 30 min raising temperature to 38º C
Remove curd; I removed whey and press a colander on the curd under whey. Ph measure with paper (I don t have a Ph metre) was between 6 and 6.5
Molding I used tube (10 cm diameter and 30 cm height) without holes because once read somewhere that it wasn’t necessary because the whey drains well. What do you think?
Pressed with 1 kg turning upside down at 15 min 30 min and 1 h
I measured acidity ( 10 ml of whey with tow  of fenoftaleina and Na oh 1/9 N The volume in ml multiply by 10 are the º Dormic)
15 min         17 º D
30 min         17 º D
1 h         22 º D
1 h          42 º D

The weight until salt was 1279 gr    (12.79 %)
I decided to salt rub e because it was too late to brine for 3 hours in fully saturated brine  I salt with iodized table salt with iodo because I haven’t other at home, with 1,5 % and I left the cheese at room temperature (20 º C) overnight.

. The points I would like to improve are
1. The lateral appearance of the cheese, I noticed that the lateral surface isn’t smooth, and I would like to know the cause.
2. I have doubts about the appropriate moist of this cheese; I got differences in the three elaborations. In my first elaboration I only raised temp to 34 º  C and the  yield was 14,44 % This cheese is ripening in my fridge at 6 º C. in the second I raised to 38 and the   was 9,77 % . Being dryer I decided to prove ripening in the cellar which temperature in this moment (spring) is 13- 16 º C (I know the ripening temperature must be 10- 13 ºC) and almost 90 %. It’s a very  simple one, it was use as a cheese cave long time ago, it has not floor only the ground  and when it rains it  floods .It was abandoned for years , I  recently electric cable electric to have a light, and a precarious table. I have problems with fruit flies, they appear in my tomme, not in other two cheeses that have less moist. I cut the part with the lavas and put a cloth (tulle) over; perhaps I didn't take all of them because I found flies around my cheese. Any ideas to get rid of them?
In the third perhaps its water content is too high, I noticed the cheese flattened (this happened with the first too) overnight, when I left it at room temperature to dry.
 About the photos

The first it has 23 days in my fridge
The second with 14 days in the cellar
The last done yesterday

The elaboration in the last two was identical, (but I pasteurized the milk in the second) I m not sure why they are different perhaps I perhaps I worked more the curd and I don't remember.
I would appreciate any advice or suggestion
Thanks for all Soledad

[linuxboy]

I noticed that the lateral surface isn’t smooth, and I would like to know the cause.

When then initial curd knits in the tulle, that tulle is what gives the rind its even finish. If you flip repeatedly and press lightly and keep the room warm, the rind should turn out uniformly.

[soleuy]

Thanks linuxboy,
As I wrote I flipped it 15 min- 30 min- and with one hour times till I decided to brine the cheese. I pressed with a bottle of 1 kg (almost the same weight of the cheese). Perhaps the  problem is  temperature and humidity of the room (not too warm 20 º C and too dry). But I´m thinking if the cause could be  that I didn't get the proper curd consistency. I think the moisture of it was too high because it  flattened, I believe this doesn't happen with a semi hard . Now I read that is better to let the curd drop and rest for 10 min, contrary I press with the colander and immediately put the curd in the mold. Another difference with the recipe: I took the cloth after the first flip perhaps I must leave it more time.
thanks again

Saludos para todos
Soledad

[linuxboy]

You can press with a much higher weight at first to create the proper rind. You can easily use 50 Kg or more. The point of the light press schedule is that this cheese is supposed to have some slight mechanical openings and moderate moisture.

You leave the cloth for the entire duration the wheel is in the mold to form the rind properly.

[iratherfly]

I find that light-to-medium initial pressing under the whey helps it knot really nicely outside. Regardless though, your next step should be building up the wildest rind you can think of and put loads of character in the cheese. No one will see the see the surface knotting under that...

I do wonder about your aging process though - 23 initial days in the fridge? Why? You want the bacteria and yeasts to do its work, finish it and die off, at which point only the enzymes and rind bacteria survive and continue working. By lowering the temp so much you extend the life of this bacteria way beyond that point. Furthermore, you prevent the bloom of surface flora to take place so you are missing out on rind that would give your cheese such huge part of its character. Additionally, you cause fat lipids to remain quite solid and prevent their timely breakdown which is very important for the texture of the cheese and for its more interesting peak spicy qualities.  If anything; start with the cellar and move to the fridge at the end

[philipc]

Hi Linuxboy.
I've been making cheese for close to two years, but using the newbie method (by watching the clock) . So your Tomme recipe threw me for a loop when you write, "Wait for flocculation". I kind of get the gist of it, but not really. I guess it's also time I purchased a ph meter, but none of my recipes mention ph levels, yours was the first one I've seen.

[linuxboy]

Hi Philip,

If you search the forum for flocculation, you will find good explanations of it. Originally, this thread included a discussion that Francois and I had (and others) about flocculation, which explained it. That discussion was moved to its own thread, which you can find by searching for 'flocculation'.

But in short, it is the surface gel point of the milk.

the pH markers are something I include in all my recipes to help people who have a pH meter. It is not absolutely required. A tomme is a very simple cheese because it acidifies in the mold, and so long as the pH is relatively high (above 6.3 or so), it turns out well. And the brine pH is important, but it can be anywhere from 5.2 and 5.5 and the cheese will still be OK.  It's a very flexible recipe.

If you want to buy a pH meter, by all means, please go ahead. But you can make great cheese without one, too.

[soleuy]

Iratherfly: When you say "light-to-medium initial pressing under the whey helps it knot really nicely outside" : do you mean for example putting a weight similar to the cheese on the mold but under the whey?

And about the aging I decided to follow your advice and I moved the cheeses to the cellar. Initially I didn't do it because the maturing temperature in the recipe is 55 º F and now in my cellar is 60 º F. But like you say better star there and  move later: the temperatures will go up during the summer, and I don´t "know" my cellar, It´s the first time I use it. It was completely abandoned, and still it is. Excuses I can´t find the words, my English is really simple. Better I put a photo so you can see what I'm talking about. The cheeses have a tulle on it because of the fruit flies.
Thanks for all Soledad.
PD I haven`t done a new Tomme, I'm with a Petit Suise and bocconcini in this week elaboration.

[iratherfly]

Wow, that's a FANTASTIC cellar! Great also to interrogate prisoners    But seriously, I think it will give you all kinds of surprising micro flora growth and colorful new molds you could never have imagines. Just make sure that mice, rats and maggots can't enter - they do love their cheese!

You can probably control the temperature a lot by having a fan blowing in there or a spray cooler in the hot months (which will add humidity). Another great way to stable the temperature is by filling the room with things. Hmmm... maybe shelves full of cheese?

As for pressing under whey - yes. that's exactly what I meant. Line your mold with cheesecloth (I soak the cheesecloth in the warm whey too), fill it up with curd, cover the top with the remaining cheesecloth, put it in the vat full of the warm whey and press gently for a few minutes. You can then take it out, flip it re-dress it with cheesecloth and now press it in your cheese press or by stacking cheese on top of one another. If you feel you want it, there is no harm in giving it a few more minutes under the way after the first flip. Just don't keep it there for more than 5 minutes per side.

[Buck47]

there is no harm in giving it a few more minutes under the way after the first flip. Just don't keep it there for more than 5 minutes per side.

I'm curious ? What is the five minutes about?  I'm Not questioning what you've said  .... I'm just wondering about the effects of going beyond 5 min.

Thanks:  john

[philipc]

Wow, that's a terrific looking cheese cave.

[Boofer]

there is no harm in giving it a few more minutes under the way after the first flip. Just don't keep it there for more than 5 minutes per side.

I'm curious ? What is the five minutes about?  I'm Not questioning what you've said  .... I'm just wondering about the effects of going beyond 5 min.

Thanks:  john

Yeah, I admit I'm curious about that 5 minute guideline. I sometimes press under whey for 15-30 minutes, flip, and repeat. Just this past weekend I did two cheeses pressed under whey with 15 pounds. I got a good, tight knit by following that strategy. I'm not so sure that 5 minutes would have been long enough for my Beaufort and Goutaler.

The cheese cave left me speechless. I too missed the chains, leg-irons, and other dungeon accessories.

-Boofer-

[soleuy]

Well my cellar hit you,  I was embarrassed about it because it´s so abandoned and
you would think I'm a kind of a witch with that scary cellar. 

Happily I haven't seen mice or rats yet , there are lots of them up in the barn but they haven´t  discovered the cheeses. The only animals I've seen are these hateful flies and a little frog.
Iretherfly you say I can control temperature "with  a fan blowing in there or a spray cooler"  I don't know what this last  is, but it seems to me that these are to move the air, but won't cool the cellar or I'm wrong? I noticed that the temperature it's very stable, I have a minimum- maximum thermometer there.
And about the shelves I have the idea of get some, when I have some time to look for a cheap alternative.
I don't know the reason of pressing for no more then 5 minutes but I think  its because in the recipes says pH should be 6,36 of higher and  perhaps being under whey with the temperature near 38ºC (100º F) would decrease the pH, because of bacterias's activity. It can be an advise only for some types of cheeses.
 My petit suise was ok but I failed with the mozzarella,
Thanks for all
Hasta pronto Soledad