Author Topic: Brine Salted Cheeses: Placing Cheese In & Removing From Brine Bath  (Read 2982 times)

Cheese Head

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What not to do . . .

Last weekend I made my first semi-hard Havarti, 6" diameter, 1.87 kg/4.11 pounds, natural rind.

After 1 week aging I checked and no mold but to ensure, I gave it a 4 min saturated brine bath.

My brine tank is a Tupperware container just slightly bigger than this cheese, and I had to lift and lower the cheese vertically into the brine by one hand holding the cheese at top as the cheese and my hand barely fit. To remove it I had to do the same, and I noticed several shear stress type fractures in the cheese where my thumb was pinching it. I think where my fingers were, the load was distributed, but where my thumb was on other side, the load was more concentrated resulting in the shear cracks >:(.

The solution, I think, is to have a larger brine tank and lift the cheese in and out of the brine from it's bottom.

Anyone have any comments, thoughts on this subject and any system, or just lift by hand from bottom?


Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Brine Salted Cheeses: Placing Cheese In & Removing From Brine Bath
« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2009, 07:16:34 PM »
I always make a mess when I brine. No mater how careful I am I splash salted water everywhere. I have used all kinds of containers and finally went to a couple of OLD tupperware bowls I nearly threw out that are tapered wide at the top so I can get in there better and hopefully not splash as bad.

zenith1

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Re: Brine Salted Cheeses: Placing Cheese In & Removing From Brine Bath
« Reply #2 on: August 29, 2009, 08:44:24 PM »
My first though John was that I am glad that you are not a heart surgeon  ;D (your not,are you?) beyond that insane thought was that some wheels are just more delicate to handle until the brine firms them up. I use a large stainless steel mixing bowl that I purchased at a local Marshall's for $12. It is large enough to hold my largest wheels and brine to cover them so I have enough room to turn the wheel or lift it out when needed.

Cheese Head

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Re: Brine Salted Cheeses: Placing Cheese In & Removing From Brine Bath
« Reply #3 on: August 29, 2009, 09:41:48 PM »
zenith1, nope I have nothing to do with the medical field (except when I'm sick ;)). But it's an interesting idea . . . (OK picture is small diversion from topic, don't want to hijack/divert this subject).