Author Topic: Buttercase, Butterkase, Butterkaese  (Read 2112 times)

Offline GortKlaatu

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Buttercase, Butterkase, Butterkaese
« on: October 04, 2017, 06:51:53 PM »
As some of you now know, I live in Costa Rica, and there are NO international cheeses here--only the two fresh local varieties.


I've never tasted Buttercase, et al, so I have no real idea about how it should taste.  But, I have some German neighbors who are longing for some. So, I'm giving it a whirl. And since we have dairy goats, that's the milk I'll be using. So that will undoubtedly change the character of it, too.
So, I'm just hoping for something that is soft, sweet, buttery and creamy to try to surprise my German friends.
Wish me luck

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Offline awakephd

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Re: Buttercase, Butterkase, Butterkaese
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2017, 04:27:49 PM »
Looking forward to hearing the full report!
-- Andy

Offline GortKlaatu

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Re: Buttercase, Butterkase, Butterkaese
« Reply #2 on: October 25, 2017, 12:49:28 AM »
OK so I have another question about Butterkase.


Some recipes recommend very light pressing--just enough to consolidate the surface while others (Like one I saw from Danbo that has had very good reviews) recommend crazy high pressing weights.


What gives??
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Offline Al Lewis

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Re: Buttercase, Butterkase, Butterkaese
« Reply #3 on: October 25, 2017, 11:43:31 AM »
Look for a member on here named Danbo.  He is a master of making butterkase and has posted his recipe.  Check out this thread   http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,16092.0.html
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Offline GortKlaatu

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Re: Buttercase, Butterkase, Butterkaese
« Reply #4 on: October 25, 2017, 02:34:14 PM »
Thanks Al,
But  Danbo's recipe was one of the one I was referring to--he uses crazy high weight during pressing compared to most other recipes.  That what I was questioning.



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Offline botanist

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Re: Buttercase, Butterkase, Butterkaese
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2017, 12:58:02 AM »
This is a semi-soft cheese, at least as soft as gouda, so I would only press enough to close the curd--if you are getting a lot of whey, especially milky whey, you are pressing too much.  ESPECIALLY true with goat milk curd, which is more fragile anyway.
before goats, store bought milk = chevre & feta, with goats, infinite possibilities, goatie love, lotta work cleaning out the barn!

AeonSam

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Re: Buttercase, Butterkase, Butterkaese
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2017, 05:43:19 PM »
Thanks Al,
But  Danbo's recipe was one of the one I was referring to--he uses crazy high weight during pressing compared to most other recipes.  That what I was questioning.

Hello,

I have experimented over the last year with pressing, curd size, and stirring rate with buttercheese and I can just say that lighter pressing and stronger pressing both works for me. I press lighter when I make larger curds with gentler stirring and I get a much creamier cheese.

AnnDee

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Re: Buttercase, Butterkase, Butterkaese
« Reply #7 on: October 29, 2017, 02:04:50 PM »
I like to press lighter too in warm environment.

Y2kbugger

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Re: Buttercase, Butterkase, Butterkaese
« Reply #8 on: November 22, 2017, 01:18:39 PM »
I just finished making Danbo's recipe. The PSI are not that high at all he's just using a big mold. A cheddar would take 5 to 10 times as much weight for the same size mold.

http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,2417.msg38920.html#msg38920

That link has charts for how much weight to use to get the correct PSI for different mold sizes. 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10. PSI All of Danbo's starts at 0.6PSI and goings to 2.6. These pressures worked out really well for me.


Offline GortKlaatu

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Re: Buttercase, Butterkase, Butterkaese
« Reply #9 on: November 23, 2017, 02:05:42 AM »


Y2Kbugger
I'm not trying to be impolite, but I do want to tell you that your comment above and the math you're using are way off--just want to be sure that you don't have problems with your cheeses in the future based on that thought process.  He was using a 20 cm mold which is just under 8 inches.
In Danbo's recipe it said 130 pounds in an 8 inch mold at the final pressing (and as such 10 times that for a cheddar would be 1300 pounds, so that math is kinda bonkers.)
Additionally, the graph you reference also confirms that you would use 130 pounds for an 8 inch mold.

My initial question was that most recipes call for lighter pressing with no more than about 30-40 pounds at max pressing weight for an 8 inch mold, as opposed to Danbo's with 130 pounds at final pressing.  So I was questioning the big difference.  I've made Buttercase twice now--one with lighter pressing and one following closer to Danbo's recipe (though my max press was 2 psi which worked out to 80 pounds in my mold) because I didn't have anymore weight than that.


I was concerned about the texture of the cheese with that much pressure, but i will follow up by saying that the cheese using Danbo's recipe and higher pressing weight turned out better than the other one.


What size mold did you use and how much weight did you use?
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Offline GortKlaatu

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Re: Buttercase, Butterkase, Butterkaese
« Reply #10 on: December 02, 2017, 12:59:23 AM »
Andy, you asked for the full report on the Butterkaese--here it is:


3 different German friends all tasted the Butterkaese I made. (Independently of each other.)
I told them I wanted to know if it was like the Butterkaese they got in Germany. (Some North American friends said, "They won't really tell you if it's not, will they?"  I replied, "Growing up with a German grandmother, I can guarantee you that they will speak their minds."
They did.
Each one said (imagine a German accent in Spanish) "This is not Butterkaese.  It is very similar, but it isn't Butterkaese--it is MUCH better.  It has much more flavor." 
I thought it was very interesting that they each, at different times and places, said the same thing, almost verbatim.
They have all asked me to make an entire 6 pound brick for each of them for Christmas.
So, I'm very pleased with that outcome.
Somewhere, some long time ago, milk decided to reach toward immortality… and to call itself cheese.

Offline awakephd

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Re: Buttercase, Butterkase, Butterkaese
« Reply #11 on: December 13, 2017, 12:31:30 AM »
Good for you - and a cheese!
-- Andy

Offline GortKlaatu

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Re: Buttercase, Butterkase, Butterkaese
« Reply #12 on: December 13, 2017, 03:03:07 AM »
Thanks Andy
Somewhere, some long time ago, milk decided to reach toward immortality… and to call itself cheese.