Author Topic: Yet, another Cheddar  (Read 3261 times)

bbracken677

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Yet, another Cheddar
« on: November 05, 2012, 12:57:45 AM »
Last week I managed to put the time together for this make...first one using this particular recipe and methodology.

Cheddar
Standards: 39% moisture, 30% fat.


pH targets:
Beginning milk pH: x (6.7 from my supplier)
Rennet: x-.05
Draining whey: 6.1
Milling of curds: 5.4

Flocculation multiplier: 3.0x

Ingredients:

2 gallons whole creamline milk
Cream as needed (for 3.5% standardized whole milk: 2 tablespoons per gallon)
3/16th  tsp.  MM100
1/32nd  tsp. Kazu
3/8 tsp. CaCl2 if using pasteurized  milk
¼ tsp. single strength veal rennet (16 drops total)
1.2 oz. salt for raw milk, .8 oz. for HP milk

8:00 AM began heating milk to 88F
8:35 added mother culture
9:00 added rennet
9:17 flocculation achieved. 17 x 3 = 51 minutes
9:53 cut curds
10:15 began increasing heat slowly to reach 102F
10:48 reached 102F
11:27 milled curds and salted
12:00 (roughly) hooped curds and pressed at 2psi for 20 minutes, flipped and pressed again at 2psi for another 20
12:45 flipped and pressed at 5psi for 30 minutes, flipped and pressed again for another 30 min.
2:00 flipped and pressed at 7psi
10:00 flipped and pressed at 7psi overnight


Procedure

1. Standardize milk to P/F = 0.91, pasteurize and cool to 88F before adding starter. Note a P/F ratio of .94 - .96 will produce a legal cheese with respect to fat content (31% fat wet basis, or 50% fat dry basis). However, a somewhat lower P/F ratio incorporates more fat in the cheese which is economically desirable when the price of milk protein exceeds the price of milk fat.

2. Add starter. Ripen until acidity increases by 0.01% or until pH decreases by 0.05 units (about 1 h.).

3. Measure 70 ml cheese colour per 1,000 kg milk (optional). Dilute the colour with 10 volumes of water and add the mixture to the milk

4. Measure ¼ tsp. single strength veal rennet. Dilute the rennet with 10 volumes of water and add the mixture to the milk.

5. Cut, using 3/8 inch (95 mm) knives when curd is firm. Agitate gently.

6. Start cooking 15 min after cutting. Increase temperature to 102F during 30 minutes. Heat slowly at first - no more than 2F every 5 min.

7. Hold at 102F until pH is 6.1 (about 75 min from the time the temperature reaches 102F or 2 h from the time of cutting). If the acidity is increasing too quickly, the temperature may be raised slightly (maximum 104F) to retard the culture.

8. When curd pH is 6.0-6.1 (whey pH 6.2-6.3) remove the whey. After the bulk of the whey is removed stir out the curd two or three times to facilitate maximum whey drainage.

9. Drain curds in cloth/colander, applying pressure to form curd mass in pot, maintaining some warmth. Turn the block every 15 min until the pH is 5.4-5.3 (about 2 h after dipping).

10. Mill the curds into ½ inch x 2 inch pieces.  Stir the cheese curds every ten min or so until the cut edges become round and smooth (about 30 min after milling).

11. Distribute the salt uniformly over the curd and mix well. The final salt content of the cheese should be about 1.7%. Calculate the required amount of salt as follows:

(a) Estimate cheese yield as: Yield = (% fat + % protein) k where k is a factor dependent on cheese moisture. K values corresponding to 35, 36, 37, 38 and 39% moisture are 1.40, 1.42, 1.44, 1.46 and 1.48, respectively.

(b) The required amount of salt is 2.5% of the estimated yield. This value is higher than the final 1.7% content because considerable whey drainage occurs after salting.

12. After the salt is well absorbed and the flow of whey has stopped, the curd is ready for hooping.

13. Press overnight at 75 kPa (10 - 20 lbs/in2). Start with low pressure and gradually increase to 75 kPa. (totally beyond my capability, so I started off medium and increased to what I felt comfortably was my maximum)

14. Vacuum pack the cheese blocks and age at 50F for curing. Cold curing (41-46F) produces the best cheese but ripening is slow. Warm cured cheese (50-60F) develops flavour rapidly but quality control is more difficult. (Since I was unable to achieve the pressures listed, I will be drying my cheese a couple/few days before vacuum packing it. )

.

Mighty Mouse

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Re: Yet, another Cheddar
« Reply #1 on: November 05, 2012, 03:06:23 AM »
Hmmmmm... I noticed you used Kazu. Funny you did, as I almost bought some with my last order (last week)... Have you used it before for anything? I thought about getting a pack of Kazu but did not know much about it. Any thoughts on it?

bbracken677

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Re: Yet, another Cheddar
« Reply #2 on: November 05, 2012, 12:37:32 PM »
It is listed as a gouda or farmstead culture...main reason I used it was to add a thermo including LH to the mix.

See here http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10236.0.html for a discussion regarding the recipe as well as the use of kazu.

Offline H-K-J

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Re: Yet, another Cheddar
« Reply #3 on: November 05, 2012, 02:19:24 PM »
Nice looking cheese :) I am leaning toward a cheddar for my next make (well maybe another Stilton then a cheddar)
Never hit a man with glasses, use a baseball bat!
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bbracken677

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Re: Yet, another Cheddar
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2012, 03:09:50 PM »
My next make, hopefully this week, will be a forme d' Ambert. Been chomping at the bit to make one...I have a previous cheddar that popped some blue on the rind and I am considering letting it grow as an experiment...

haha  I have washed it in 3% brine a couple of times but the blue is not taking off as I had hoped...so I may just give it a good brine/vinegar wash to eliminate the blue and just focus on the Ambert.


Offline Boofer

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Re: Yet, another Cheddar
« Reply #5 on: November 06, 2012, 05:47:29 AM »
Hmmmmm... I noticed you used Kazu. Funny you did, as I almost bought some with my last order (last week)... Have you used it before for anything? I thought about getting a pack of Kazu but did not know much about it. Any thoughts on it?
Here are some ideas:
The first two were winners. The jury is still out on the third and fourth. They're still in process.

That's a little cheese diversity. :)

Kazu: LL + LC + LD + LH

-Boofer-

Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

Mighty Mouse

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Re: Yet, another Cheddar
« Reply #6 on: November 07, 2012, 01:32:24 AM »
Awesome, thanks Boofer! I am getting ready to order some supplies in the next couple of days, I will take a look at those. The Fourme d'Ambert #2 has my eye right now. Although bbracken677's adventures have me tempted to try making cheddar again. Last time did not go very well...

bbracken677

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Re: Yet, another Cheddar
« Reply #7 on: November 07, 2012, 01:25:56 PM »
MightyMouse...check out this link for a discussion relative to the recipe/procedure I used. http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10236.0.html

My use of Kazu was due to the absence of a single strain Thermo in my inventory but I believe the cheese will turn out just fine using the combination of cultures above. .

Mighty Mouse

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Re: Yet, another Cheddar
« Reply #8 on: November 08, 2012, 03:54:33 AM »
Awesome, thanks!

bbracken677

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Re: Yet, another Cheddar
« Reply #9 on: February 13, 2013, 12:02:03 AM »
I was catching up on my cheese maintenance duties, since I had some free time (for a change). I noticed this goodie which was beginning to show some growth in the bag and decided to take a taste. Was quite good, with a distinct cheddar flavor, slightly more in strength than a medium but not quite to that of a sharp cheddar....Was very nicely surprised, and I am debating now whether to just clean it up and eat it, or put it back into the cave for more aging. I have several cheddars in the cave currently and as such I am leaning towards eating.  haha 

 >:D

The texture was perfect. Not crumbly, yet not too moist, but just as you would expect a medium cheddar to be like.
« Last Edit: February 13, 2013, 12:08:43 AM by bbracken677 »