Butterkäse (Buttercheese)

[CheeseSnipe]

Awesome. I don't remember which culture I used (I'm bad about documentation) but maybe I'll try Florca Danica next time. I did use one or two others that were described as buttery but it would be nice if there was a scale or rating to know where each culture usually hits. Maybe its a factor of temperature more so than blend? I live in a very dry climate and its usually cooler more often than warmer so maybe that has a factor too. I did vacuum seal mine since I have a real hard time keeping the outside from drying out completely, even in tupperware containers.
To answer your question yes this was only 2 months old. The last three weeks made a difference in taste. I should vacuum a piece of it and throw it back in the cave.

Chris

[JeffHamm]

Hi CheeseSnipe,

Or, I suppose it could be you smell what you expect as I asked my wife to snif it without mentioning butter and she said it just smelled like really mild cheese, but I get this very strong buttery smell.  Curious. 

Since the meso is supposed to kick in while it's aging, perhaps vaccuum sealing is cutting off the oxygen and slowing things down?  I know vacuum sealing affects rind growth and such, but maybe it doesn't affect this aspect of the aging process. 

I've put a small damp cloth in the tupperware container (ie. wet some cheesecloth then wring it out) and that seems to increase the humidity really well.  Probably too well, as I've had condensation lately so I'm only moistening a portion of it now trying to find the sweet spot (this is with other cheeses; the butterkase just sits in the cave with the top off the box).  However, today the temperature is down again so the cheese is out on its own.  I have noticed this one is taking longer to dry, and it's currently"tacky" and  abit sticky on the outside.  But, part of the top is now dry and thin rind like, so hopefully it will be complete in a day or two.

- Jeff

[gemma.tyson]

To bump this thread.  I have made a butter cheese, it is two weeks old, coloring nicely and is dry. 
Do I wax the cheese?
What age?
Will this stop the ageing process?

Cheers

[JeffHamm]

Hi Gemma,

I aged mine for about two months or so.  I still have a small piece left.  I didn't wax it.  It took quite a while to air dry, and then eventually developed a nice natural rind.  I would suggest aging it to at least 2 months, and take it to 3 if you can wait. 

If you have a photo of your cheese, do share.  Would be interested in seeing how it's comming.

- Jeff

[gemma.tyson]

Thanks Jeff.
Hope to have some time tomorrow to look for my camera.  Will take a photo and see if I can work out how to post it. 
Starting to get a few white spots now.  I did read that this was OK.  Still smells good.
Made a Gouda last night and Fetta tonight. 
Work is a bit of a nuisance, it cuts into cheese making time.

[CheeseSnipe]

Jeff, I opened my last butterkase, I think it was from batch 2 or 3. Don't remember because I forgot to date it. Anyway it started losing its shape, so instead of a nice cylinder it was more like a pile of manure. I guessed I aged it too long. I'm thinking I should let it develop a rind like you did to give it more structure. Anyway, it tasted like cheese but was very sticky. I may use it for wall putty to hang some photos. Might be good for melting in mac n cheese but definitely not very good just by itself. Oh well.

On a better note, my blues and fresh goat cheese have been rocking!

[JeffHamm]

Hi Cheesesnipe,

That's a shame.  I recall this was very wet for a long time, and I left it to air dry for about 10 days (with a couple days in the cave when it got hot and humid).  I think this needs to drain quite a bit.  It would have been very easy for mine to have gone wrong.  However, if it works out, it makes for a good cheese.  Mind you, with all the extra cream I added, it really was fat on a plate!

- Jeff

[JeffHamm]

Hi again Gemma,

Just finished my first butterkase.  We cut into it about 2 months old, and finished it today (around 3 months).  If you can wait, I would suggest holding out until 2 or 3 months for sure.  The flavour, in mine at least, got sharper over the last month, but the paste stayed very nice and creamy.  If you could post your make notes (or the recipe at least) so we could compare (along with photos) then between the group of us we might be able to work out the best recipe. 

Hmmm, CheeseSnipe, do you have any photos of yours?  I know you said they went south, but it might be good to see what that looks like as well?  Especially if you have any picture at a point where you think it was starting to go not quite right, in case there is something that could be done as an intervention at that stage.  Would be good to know what it looks like when it's getting away from us.

- Jeff

[gemma.tyson]

Help.  checked my buttercheese and I appear to have some spots that look like red mold.  Appears to be soft where this is happening.  Only started on the 5th June.  Have been having problems with humidity, so it's been sitting on the kitchen bench without a cover with occasional cover on if it looks like it's totally drying out.  Have washed down with brine last week and rubbed at the red spots with vinegar this morning. Cold winter in this part of Australia, kitchen not getting much over 12, going down to about 6 the last two weeks.  Thermostat in fridge not finished yet.
Should I leave it and hope for the best or should I cut it now.? 
My first hard cheese, so I suppose it's like my baby! 
PS.  Partner just found our camera back this morning, so hopefully I can work out how to post a picture!

[JeffHamm]

It's probably fine, so don't panic.  Keep an eye on your humidity.  Post some photos when you can so that those more experienced than I could give you some feedback though.

- Jeff

[gemma.tyson]

Thanks Jeff.
Hope to make camembert this weekend, but may try to make another buttercheese next week as well.  Will post the making notes - rough as they are later today.  Used the recipe from this forum.
Funny thing is I was reading a lot of novels before I started the cheese making.  Now I can't find enough time to read all the information on cheese making that is out there.  Will have to stop and make some more beer and apple cider for a few days.  They both taste awfully good with cheese.   

[gemma.tyson]

Hope the picture worked.
The spots on the top are the reddy tinged spots that appear to be soft.

My rough make notes following JeffHamm recipe
13/06/2011
8 litres organic milk (pasteurised)
.5gram Thermophilic
1gm (satchet MM) mesophillic  (Both from Mad Millie Kit)
2ml Cacl    .7ml rennet   floc time 19.47.  Clean break at 85 minutes ( next time try 100ml yoghurt to milk – culture overnight.)
Curds cut 3 cm.  – rest 5 minutes
Cooker 45 mins, slow heat, 40 degree
Drained in colander with cheese cloth.

Didn't keep notes after this.

Had been air drying for about five days.  Put it in the fridge which started a growth of white fuzz first, than a black spot.  Took out of the fridge, rubbed with salt, vinegar on black spot.
On the kitchen bench since at about 10degrees.  Plastic cover on and off depending on humidity.  Standing on a plastic grid on little legs.
No horrible smells, just very cheesy

[gemma.tyson]

Oops, milk should read 9 litres and one litre of cream. 
Long day. 

[JeffHamm]

Hi gemma,

It looks fine.  Next time, up your rennet to 0.8 ml.  You had a floc time of approx 20 minutes, so cutting around 70 minutes post rennet would give you the 3.5 floc multiplier that I used.  You're just over 4x.  No major problem there, but you should have a moister cheese that will age more quickly.  However, as this is not a long aging cheese (ready in 2 or 3 months), the difference in aging will probably not be noticable. 

Anyway, it looks to me that you're on the road to a really good cheese make here.  White mold will be fine, and the rind may darken up (go orangeish, etc) if you get some b.linens taking up residence.  Fight the black spots as best you can (lower the humidity if you're getting many of these; once the geo - white mold - takes hold you'll have less of a problem with that).  The black spots do not go deep in the cheese, and tend to be on the surface.  So, although unsightly, they are not a problem. 

I think you're going to be very pleased with this one.  It looks like you're bang on track.  Well done.

- Jeff

[gemma.tyson]

Thanks JeffHamm.  Will continue the fight of the "black spot".
Shall keep you updated.
Cheers