Colby - Variables Affecting Flavour Profile

[Farmers Wife]

I am fairly new to cheese making. I started making hard cheeses in Nov. My family loves to eat Colby cheese, and since we own and operate a dairy farm, I thought I would try making our own Colby. My problem is after I let it age for a least 2 months (because I use raw milk) the cheese seems to be very Sharp in flavor and the kids don't like it. My question is... What would be causing the cheese to taste so tangy?? And what can I try to make it more mild in flavor??

[linuxboy]

Colby is a high moisture cheese, and ages quickly at normal cave temps (55F). If you want it to have less flavor, pack it, and age at normal cheddar/colby temps (38F-40F). You can also stir longer to reduce the moisture content.

[medomak]

Sorry to jump in to your thread, but  I made a Colby about 5 weeks ago.  It is waxed and sitting at about 56 degrees.  I have two questions that arise from linuxboy's comments.

1) By "pack it", I'm assuming you mean wax it or vacuum seal?
2) You said "age at normal cheddar/colby temps (38F-40F)".  I'm aging higher than that, using as a guide two commonly referenced cheese books I (Ricki Carrol's and Debra Amrein-Boyes).  Would I get a better result by aging at a lower temp?

*Bonus question*  I'm getting the sense as I read more and more posts that using these books really just won't cut it if you are looking for consistency.  Flocculation times and ph markers are really where it's at if you are trying to duplicate results.  Am I on the right track here?

Thanks for your help.

Dave

[tnbquilt]

Ricki Carrol's book says that those recipes worked for her, but as you learn more about cheese making you have to start checking the acid and ph stuff. I think that was in the book, or on her website. I have two cheese books too, Ricki Carrol and an Artisan one, and I look at the recipes in the book and look up the cheese on the forums to see what problems other people have. There is a lot left out of the books. Of course you wouldn't be able to carry the book if it told everything.

Lowering the temperature would slow down the aging process, and since you have to keep it for 60 days because of the raw milk thing it does make sense to lower the temperature.

[linuxboy]

By "pack it", I'm assuming you mean wax it or vacuum seal?[/quote]
Or bandage. Any common commercial approach.

I'm aging higher than that, using as a guide two commonly referenced cheese books I (Ricki Carrol's and Debra Amrein-Boyes).  Would I get a better result by aging at a lower temp?

What do you mean by better? Flavor development will be slower. And so will paste development. I'm talking about commercial practices, which will age at a low temp. 55F will give you flavor much faster.

I'm getting the sense as I read more and more posts that using these books really just won't cut it if you are looking for consistency.  Flocculation times and ph markers are really where it's at if you are trying to duplicate results.  Am I on the right track here?

Yes, also moisture at curd knit, as determined in part by floc.

[medomak]

Thank you for your help.

Linuxboy:
This is sort of off-topic, but your comment raises a question that for no other reason than curiosity I'd like to ask.  You said that in commercial settings, colbys and cheddars would be aged at lower temps.  This means aging happens slower.  From a commercial standpoint, that seems at first glance counter-intuitive.  Wouldn't commercial cheese makers have an incentive to make their product faster?  Or are there additional benefits in a slower aging process that I'm not considering?  Again, just curious.

[linuxboy]

Some age at higher temps to try and get to market faster. There's a huge body of knowledge out there for how to make cheese more marketable and achieve flavor faster.

Slower aging gives you more control. It is also easier to hide defects. And it's easier to achieve better process and quality control with cheddar at lower temps.

[medomak]

Thanks so much.

[Boofer]

I would also add that washing the curds is important to remove excess whey which may, in turn, contribute to excessive acid...tangy flavor and crumbly texture.

-Boofer-

[Jessica_H]

I would also add that washing the curds is important to remove excess whey which may, in turn, contribute to excessive acid...tangy flavor and crumbly texture.

Interesting.  I just opened the first cheese I ever made...a washed curd gouda.  And I was also suprized how sharp and crumbly it was.  I absolutely LOVE the flavor...but it's certainly not a smooth textured and tasting traditional gouda.  The wash process was a little tougher than I expected because I had SO MUCH CURD!  It was crazy, I had to work to get any whey off in the first wash process.  The second the whey had settled more and I got more liquid off.

More notes about my washing process:

I was able to follow the recipe pretty exactly and my temperature markers were pretty spot on.  At the point where you add hot water to bring the curd to 92 degrees (the first wash) I didn’t stir enough and I went slightly over 92...maybe to 95 degrees.  But the second wash was perfect and the curd came right to 100 degrees.

And a photo of my finished product:

[tananaBrian]

Jessica_H,

  How long did you dry your cheese before waxing?  What temperature did you age the cheese at?  How long was this cheese aged?

Thx,
Brian

[Jessica_H]

The recipe said to dry for 6-10 days at 50-55 degrees.

My basement is constant at 53 degrees and 55% humidity.  After 10 days the cheese was still leaving moisture on my cutting board each time I'd flip it (about twice a day).  At 6 days I started using a drying mat (sushi mat) but still had moisture.  I waited until I had NO moisture on the mat (about 16 days).  Through that whole time I had no mold growth.  Finally about day 17-18 I started to see little specks of mold and I waxed at day 20.

[Sailor Con Queso]

Dry rubbing with salt will pull out some excess moisture and help your cheese achieve a rind quicker.

[Pelletty]

Jessica h . i believe you are putting too much rennet in your cheese and or cooking the curds at too high a temp on the gouda pic. Does your cheese have a slight bitter taste.