Author Topic: Colby recipes  (Read 8398 times)

FarmerJd

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Colby recipes
« on: October 23, 2009, 10:41:29 PM »
I am attempting a colby tomorrow. I tried it last year and it was just full of whey and drained forever. Finally wound up cheddaring it and it turned out ok. Are there any tips or ideas or links on making colby. I read the mainboard recipe and I am probably going to try to follow the University of Guelph web site process.
Gonna be about 24 gallons. Thanks1

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Colby recipes
« Reply #1 on: October 24, 2009, 01:33:55 AM »
The recipe I use is very similar the only thing to remember is in the notes.

Colby Cheese - US
Colby is similar to cheddar, but does not undergo the cheddaring process. Colby is a softer, moister, and milder cheese than cheddar because it is produced through a washed-curd process. Colby is considered semi-hard. The washed-curd process means that during the cooking time, the whey is replaced by water; this reduces the curd's acidity, resulting in Colby's characteristically mild, gentle flavor. Longhorn is a Coby Cheese. Monterey Jack cheese is produced in an almost identical fashion as Colby, but is uncolored and softer.

Ingredients:
1 gallon pasteurized whole milk
1/4 teaspoon Mesophilic-A culture
1/4 teaspoons 30% calcium chloride in 2 tablespoons distilled water
6 drops Annatto Cheese Colorant (optional)
Rennet per manufactures instructions
1/4 teaspoon + 2 Tablespoons flaked cheese salt

Procedure:
Combine milk and calcium chloride and heat to 86°F stirring gently.
Add Mesophilic culture and mix completely.
Maintain milk at 86°F, cover and allow the milk to ripen for 1 hour.
Add annatto coloring now, if you wish and mix completely.
Dissolve rennet in ¼ cup of distilled water.
Stir 1/4 teaspoon flaked salt into the rennet solution then add to milk.
Cover milk and let sit until clean break is achieved.
Cut the curd into 3/8 inch cubes and rest for 5 mintes.
Slowly raise the temperature of the curd 2°F every 5 minutes until the temperature reaches 102°F. This should take about 30 minutes.
Hold the temperature at 102°F for 30 minutes. Gently stir so the curds do not mat together. Then rest curds for 5 minutes.
Drain off the whey until it is level with the curd mass. Stir in cold tap water until the temperature in the cheese is 80°F.
Hold the temperature at 80°F for 15 minutes while gently stirring to keep the curd from matting.

NOTE: The temperature at this juncture will determine the moistness of the final product. - A higher temperature will produce a drier cheese. - A Lower temperature will produce a moister cheese.
Line a colander with cheesecloth and drain the curds.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flaked salt over the curd and gently mix it with your hands your hands.
Place the curds a cheesecloth lined mold.
Press with 20 pounds weight for 20 minutes.
Flip the cheese and press again with 30 pounds weight for 20 minutes.
Flip the cheese and press again with 50 pounds weight for 12 hours.
Remove the cheese from the mold and remove cheesecloth.
Mix 1 tablespoon salt with 1/2 cup of water and lightly apply salted water to cheese using the cheese cloth. Do not submerge cheese.
Place cheese on a drying mat for 1 to 3 days, turning twice a day until a yellowish rind begins to form and it feels dry to the touch.
Wax the cheese and age at 55°F at a relative humidity of at least 85% for 2-3 months.
Turn the cheese over daily for the first month and several times a week thereafter

FarmerJd

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Re: Colby recipes
« Reply #2 on: October 24, 2009, 01:58:29 AM »
Thanks Debi, so do you think I should just stick with 80 F? I guess I would rather have it a little more moist than my cheddars which are sometimes a little dry.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Colby recipes
« Reply #3 on: October 24, 2009, 02:04:29 AM »
Except for grating cheese I like them a little moister. Once you cut them they dry faster anyway. Colby shouldn't be dry.

FarmerJd

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Re: Colby recipes
« Reply #4 on: October 24, 2009, 11:31:38 PM »
Well i wound up using 21 gallons and went pretty much by the on-site Colby recipe. It was quite a challenge to bring the temp down to 80 with that much milk. Instead of removing a certain amount of whey, I just removed it until I reached the curds. My tap water was 75 degrees so I couldn't just use that; i had to add ice to the water and keep adding water. I really wasn't expecting the difficulty. Finally, I got there (actually stopped at 81) and then drained the curd and the curds were about right I think. I am on the last pressing now. It looks and smells great.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Colby recipes
« Reply #5 on: October 25, 2009, 03:33:54 AM »
Your tap water is 75 degrees?  Wow mine is cold enough to give me shivers already. Gonna be a l-o-n-g winter!

Offline Boofer

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Re: Colby recipes
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2009, 11:37:29 PM »
Did you get a chance to snap any pics of your Colby?  I would love to see it.

Did you use annatto? If so, how much? For a 3 gallon Colby, I used 33 drops (11 per gallon) to get the color saturation I expected.

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Sailor Con Queso

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Re: Colby recipes
« Reply #7 on: October 28, 2009, 02:21:38 AM »
I use 4 drops per gallon. The cheese will become yellower with age.

FarmerJd

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Re: Colby recipes
« Reply #8 on: October 31, 2009, 04:44:31 PM »
Sorry it took so long to reply. We've been out of town this week so I am catching up.

Boofer, I used 3/4 tsp color dissolved in 2/3 cup water for 21 gallons of milk. I actually used half the amount as last time with cheddar and I still think I could use less. It is hard to tell though without opening the cheese. (I dont need another reason to open it early! ;D) This cheese has really really really shrunk since I took it out of the press. It is probably half the height it was and I know some of that is just squatting but it has definitely lost some water. It does not hold its shape like the cheddars do. It does smell really nutty though, like a cheddar. Age 2 months, right?

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Colby recipes
« Reply #9 on: October 31, 2009, 05:15:06 PM »
2 to 3 you will see the difference.

FarmerJd

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Re: Colby recipes
« Reply #10 on: October 31, 2009, 07:14:02 PM »
here is a pic of the colby today. This has been drying since Saturday.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Colby recipes
« Reply #11 on: October 31, 2009, 08:15:07 PM »
Nice looking cheese FD. Your making me drool!

Tea

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Re: Colby recipes
« Reply #12 on: October 31, 2009, 08:29:38 PM »
Excellent looking cheese there.  Congrats, and I hope it now behaves itself as it ages.

Offline Boofer

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Re: Colby recipes
« Reply #13 on: October 31, 2009, 09:04:23 PM »
Great looking Colby!  I am surprised at the color saturation you achieved. My annatto must be really subpar because it took me a lot more to arrive at the color I believed Colby should exhibit. Is there a difference in strength of annatto coloring? Mine is from Leeners.

Several photos (including this one) attached to recent blog entries are positioned way off to the right-hand side of my screen. If you resize the photo down to 800x600 or 1024x768, they should be properly positioned on the page.  ;)

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Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

FarmerJd

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Re: Colby recipes
« Reply #14 on: October 31, 2009, 09:28:00 PM »
I got the annatto from glengarry. I wonder if the cream/fat content has an effect since the color attaches to the fat in the milk. I could be way off but it is a thought.

I apologize for the pics. They are centered on my screen so I just assumed they were for everyone.

Is this one ok?