Author Topic: Starter ? for Havarti  (Read 4469 times)

jimmyzshack

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Starter ? for Havarti
« on: September 18, 2009, 02:07:33 PM »
Can i make this with the starter i made from buttermilk or the MESOPHILIC-A from Leeners?

Havarti - Margaret Morris

Ingredients:
12 to 15 liters (3 to 4 gallons) Milk
Meso III
or Meso II & Aroma B
Calcium chloride
Rennet

Procedure:
1) Warm milk slowly in warm water bath to 32°C. (90°F) stirring occasionally.
2) Add culture(s) let cultures dissolved on the milks surface for 2 to 4 minutes before stirring. Work well into the milk using 20 top/bottom strokes.
3) Allow milk to ripen for 30 minutes.
4) If required add 3.75 ml (3/4 teaspoon) calcium chloride diluted in 1/4 cup of cool water.
5) Add 3.75 ml (3/4 teaspoon) rennet diluted in 1/4 cup of cool water. Mix well into the milk using 20 top/bottom stir method. Allow to set for 30-45 minutes until a curd forms.
6) Test the curd for the "clean break" then proceed to cut the curd into 1/2 inch cubes. Stir the curds gently for 5 to10 minutes until they are uniform size. Stir also to prevent matting. Allow curds to settle to the bottom of the pot for 5 minutes.
7) Remove about 4 liters (1 gallon) of whey. Replace it immediately with 2 liters (1/2 gallon) of very hot water (75-80°C/167-176°F) to increase the temperature of the curds and whey to 38°C (100°F). Sir gently until temperature stabilizes. If the temperature is above or below the target temperature simply add a little hot or cold water to adjust the final cooking temperature.
 Once you have achieved the proper cooking temperature add 1/4 cup of coarse salt and allow the curds and whey to remain at this temperature for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent curds from matting. Perform the "texture test" described in section 1.8 Chapter VI to determine if curds are ready to be drained.
9) Drain the curds into a colander pre-warmed with very hot water. Press the cheese as recommended in the section "pressing hard and semi hard cheeses" of chapter VI. Once the cheese has been redressed leave it in the press for 4-6 hours under firm pressure for the entire press time.
10) Brine the cheese for 3-4 hours in heavy brine. (32 oz. salt to 1 gallon water)
11) Allow cheese to air dry at room temperature, on a clean cheese mat until rind is dry. Cream and hard wax the cheese following the instructions given in the "waxing the cheese" section of Chapter VI.
12) Age pasteurized milk cheese in your cold room from 6-8 weeks. Raw milk cheese age 4-8 weeks, although 60 days is recommended for health reasons.

Cheese Head

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Re: Starter ? for Havarti
« Reply #1 on: September 18, 2009, 11:06:55 PM »
jimmy, any meso starter should work, they will all result in slightly different flavours.

Thx for the Havarti recipe, some more here.

jimmyzshack

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Re: Starter ? for Havarti
« Reply #2 on: September 18, 2009, 11:09:58 PM »
I'm about to start this now i'm going to use the buttermilk starter i made MESOPHILIC-M is suppose to be more buttery but i only have the A.

I got my PH meter now but  don't see any recipes with PH points in it. wish me luck I'm doing a 2 gallon batch

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Starter ? for Havarti
« Reply #3 on: September 19, 2009, 01:33:09 AM »
Good luck Jimmy!

jimmyzshack

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Re: Starter ? for Havarti
« Reply #4 on: September 19, 2009, 02:53:56 AM »
OK here it is on first flip. I'm going to bed. it was hard for me to drain the whey to add the hot water.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Starter ? for Havarti
« Reply #5 on: September 19, 2009, 04:19:42 AM »
Try siphoning it next time works great for me. I use a piece of beer hose.

jimmyzshack

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Re: Starter ? for Havarti
« Reply #6 on: September 19, 2009, 12:44:47 PM »
Try siphoning it next time works great for me. I use a piece of beer hose.

Didn't think of that i will next time.

here is the final press. now to wax or vacuum seal seems soft to vacuum seal it.

Baby Chee

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Re: Starter ? for Havarti
« Reply #7 on: September 19, 2009, 12:51:24 PM »
It has the shape of a Camembert.  What is the diameter?  I think you should be getting twice the volume of curd from 4 gallons.

The beer hose is a good idea.  I have to do that next time!  I've got lots of insta-lock hoses hanging here.
How I drained was nudging a mug up against the side of the pot, so the space between side and cut strain out large pieces of whey.  The lower I went, I used the whey spoon over the mug so whey went in and curd not.  It was great for draining off lots of whey and leaving curd, but the beer tubing sounds better--siphon won't disturb the curds as much.

jimmyzshack

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Re: Starter ? for Havarti
« Reply #8 on: September 19, 2009, 01:06:32 PM »
It's 7" that is the only size press i have.

Should this dry at room temp for a few days or wax it now?

Today i'm going to try and make a gouda. I need to go to the store and see if i can find a bigger pot the one i have will only do 2 gal but that is all the way to the top of it. I should have another press and wax in the mail today.

Baby Chee

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Re: Starter ? for Havarti
« Reply #9 on: September 19, 2009, 01:47:19 PM »
If that is the only cheese you got out of 4 gallons of milk, you aren't getting the curds. 

Something in the coagulation or cutting, or straining isn't there.  Mine are 8" and 2 or 3 times thicker than your wheel, and they are all made from 3.5+ gallons.

From what I did, you will want to dry that Havarti.  Give the exterior an olive oil/salt mixture rub to keep molds from growing for a few days as it dries of a draining mat.  You'll be getting a fair amount of water/oil from the cheese for at least 5 more days.  After that you can probably wax it.  I waxed my two havartis after 7/9 days and they could have been done earlier I believe, but it didn't hurt to dry a little more.

It was tough keeping the rind mold free without a salt solution.  After molds were dotting it, I applied olive oil/salt and it stopped any growth before I got to waxing which should stop it all dead.

jimmyzshack

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Re: Starter ? for Havarti
« Reply #10 on: September 19, 2009, 03:04:49 PM »
Thanks i'll do that.

my batch was about 1 3/4 gal of milk. I just got a bigger pot where i can do a full 3 gal for now on.

Cheese Head

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Re: Starter ? for Havarti
« Reply #11 on: September 19, 2009, 03:41:47 PM »
jimmy, for Gouda you should get about 10% yield, for softer Havarti maybe 11%, depending on milk type.

So your cheese should weight:
  • 1.75 US (assumed) gallons x 128 ounces/US gallon = 224 fluid ounces.
  • 224 fluid ounces x 1.035 Specific Gravity = 232 ounces weight.
  • 232 ounces weight x 11% = 25.5 ounces or 1 lb 9.5 ounces +/-.

The picture shows it a bit lumpy as if it didn't knit very well, don't know why that is.

jimmyzshack

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Re: Starter ? for Havarti
« Reply #12 on: September 19, 2009, 04:06:26 PM »
The lumpy is from the cunched up cheese cloth that i didn't dress well enough. Thanks again

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Starter ? for Havarti
« Reply #13 on: September 20, 2009, 01:57:39 AM »
When using cheese cloth I will fold one end over , then the other so it is smooth. The rest I let lay over the side. Less lumps and the cheese is covered.

Cheese Head

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Re: Starter ? for Havarti
« Reply #14 on: September 20, 2009, 12:09:55 PM »
Also, once in the mold, if you push down on your follower with one hand and pull hard up vertically on cloth with your other hand all the way around the circumference, you will reduce the lines from your cheesecloth in cheese.