1st Gruyere Make

[ancksunamun]

I am planning to give Gruyere a go tonight and wonderd if anyone has any tips and tricks for likely success?

[Sailor Con Queso]

One of the tricks is to add just a little Propionic shermanii for a hint of Swiss flavor and a few small eyes. Some recipes neglect to mention that. One of my favorite cheeses to make. The longer you scald, the drier the cheese will be. A moist Gruyere to be eaten young is pressed at a medium pressure while a Gruyere that is going to be aged longer is pressed at higher pressure. A moist Gruyere will be ready sooner (90 days) but a drier Gruyere aged 9 months or more will have a much more complex and interesting flavor.

[ancksunamun]

Thanks Sailor!

I have bought some Propionic so am all set ingredients wise.

What sort of weight would you recommend for both the young and older cheeses. And how long would the pressing times be?

[Sailor Con Queso]

Weight (psi) depends on the size of your hoop. How big is your cheese going to be? Is this your first Thermo cheese?

[ancksunamun]

I am making a batch from 10 litres and my hoop is about 22 cm in diameter.

I use plate weights on my basic press. Haven't advanced to a flash press just yet.

[Alex]

Anck, for a 10 liters batch, 22 cm is too big, you'll get almost a pita bread. I made my 10 l dry Gruyere in a 15-16 cm hoop and pressed:
30 min @ 7.5 kg
30 min @ 9 kg
3 Hrs @ 18 kg
3 Hrs @ 18 kg
Overnight @ 25 kg

Of-course flipping and redressing in between.

Pics of an 8 months washed rind cheese.

[ancksunamun]

I double checked the size and it is 18cms. Does that help at all?

I definitely get reasonably low lying wheels at the moment but have struggled to find the right size mold here in NZ. The only other molds I have are 23cms (Gouda mold) and 12 cms.

I am also looking for a 20 litre stockpot so I can make 20 litre lots in my 18cm mold in order to get a taller cheese.

Slowly building up my equipment but it all takes time and money.

Thanks for the pressing weights Alex. That helps me.

[Alex]

Because the numbers are in kgs, you'll have to calculate converting to psi for other mould size.
As for the mould sizes you have, I'd ruther use the 12 cm for the 10 l batch and obtain a taller cheese. Let me know about the size and if you need assistance with the calculations.

[ancksunamun]

In a bit of a Kiwi Ingenuity (something we refer to a lot here in NZ) I decided to resolve my mold situation before it came time to press my 1st Gruyere.

So I took a food grade container from my collection, drilled a ton of holes in it, sanded it off, boiled it to sanitize and it was ready just in time to press my cheese.

The size is perfect!!!

I much prefer your pressing schedule compared to others I have seen Alex. I will be running with this rather than the convulted version I was going to follow.

[Boofer]

Nice pictures, Alex! Gives a really good look at what the rind and the cut cheese should look like. Very crisp.

Anck, good on you with the Kiwi Ingenuity! Good craftsmanship.

Not to rain on your parade, but you might have a sticky wicket when it comes time to redress and flip the cheese.

-Boofer-

[Alex]

Yes, I agree with Boofer, nice ingenuity! I'm afraid that the mould won't stand the pressure and you'll also experience some problem when flipping the cheese due to the conical shape.

[Gina]

In addition, the conical shape will also make it difficult to cut a follower of a functional size. As a cheese is pressed, it loses more whey and decreases in height. The follower would need to be able to sink deeper into the mold for continued effective pressing. While most homemade molds taper slightly (all of mine do), those with more angled sides prevent the follower from following.

[ancksunamun]

As I was lying in bed thinking about my cheese (yes, I'm sad) I thought about the picture that I posted on here and realised the container looked tappered. It's actually not and is entirely straight right through.

I managed to find a bowl that fits perfectly inside the mold to press it and don't worry Alex, the mold is a very thick high grade plastic and it would take quite a lot to break it. Even drilling it was a workout!

My cheese has been pressing for 9 hours now and if I don't say so myself, it's starting to look lovely. Lots more pressing to go though.

I am also posting a better picture of my DIY job mold.

[Alex]

Now everything looks perfect, you tried to fool us with the distorted pics.
Good job!!!

[Boofer]

Nah, I think you swapped the molds.    Trying to see if we're paying attention.... 

It looks great! You're right on track.

-Boofer-