Boofer's Goutaler #3

[Boofer]

This cheese not only is my third attempt at a cross between Gouda and Emmentaler, but it is also my 30th attempt at making cheese. Hooyah!!

I have had marginal success getting my propionic shermaii to grow eyes. I suspect two factors: too acidic and too high salt content. In previous makes I have brined for 8 and 10 hours. I have also watched the pH level for up to 3 hours, waiting for a particular pH point (6.45) to be reached before adding rennet.

2 gallons Darigold 2% P/H milk
2 gallons Trader Joe's Organic P/H milk
1/4 tsp Aromatic B (meso)
1/16 tsp LH
1/8 tsp Propionic shermanii
1 tsp CACL2 in distilled water
6 drops annatto in distilled water
1/8 tsp dry calf rennet in distilled water

Cold milk going into the pot was pH 6.80.
I decided to add the cultures at the start as I brought the milk up to the target temperature (92F). Previous makes had ripened at 86F. The original recipe called for a temp of 98F, which is at the top end for the mesophilic culture.

Added CACL2, annatto, and rennet 3 hours later: pH 6.69 @ 89.6F

The bowl stopped spinning within 8 minutes. Need to adjust the rennet to 1/6 tsp for next make. I cut after 25 minutes, rested for 10 minutes, and whisked to further reduce the size of the curds to pea size. After another rest of 10 minutes, I removed 1.5 gallons of whey, saving .5 gallon for whey-brine and the rest for pressing under whey.

I added 1.5 gallons of 130F water, bringing the temp up to 102F which I held for 30 minutes, stirring periodically to prevent matting. While the curds were cooking, I poured some whey into a bowl and added some vinegar. This would be to dip the muslin into prior to molding. After the cooking I drained the whey from the pot and scooped the curds into the muslin-lined 7.375 inch mold.

Pressing schedule:

• 5 lbs @ 15 min under whey (100F)
• flip, rewrap, 5 lbs @ 30 min under whey (100F)
• flip, rewrap, 15 lbs @ 30 min under whey (100F)
• flip, rewrap, 5 lbs/4 pulleys in Dutch press, in pot, without whey, with seed mat

Pressed for 8 hours. Seed mat maintained temp of 88F in pot overnight, while ambient temp in room dropped to 65F. After pressing, checked pH...5.50. Removed seed mat, kept in mold under wraps for 6 hours.

Checked pH: 5.37. Into whey-brine for 4 hours. This may be a little light on salting, but I intend to dry salt later after the warm period. That should give the propionic a better chance to do its work.

After the brining, I removed the wheel, dried it, and put it into a minicave for additional drying and rind development. After 4 hours at room temp, I placed it into the cave for a week of cold conditioning.

There was a question earlier whether Trader Joe's Organic milk was homogenized. Was it creamline? I didn't know before when I used it, but this time I looked and there is no creamline, so I would declare it homogenized  . So much for truth in advertising. Actually, it's what they don't say on the label. They don't say "homogenized"  .

-Boofer-

[Boofer]

I've had a continuing problem with too much salt in my cheeses. Either the brine time is too long, salt is added when I wash, or too much salt is dusted on in an effort to eliminate mold problems.

If it's a hard cheese, how long do I brine it? Then how much salt is absorbed when I wash it every day or every other day? This is a 3-4 lb cheese wheel which is typical for the 4 gallons of milk I'm using.

This cheese is in the eye-growing warm period and it does seem to be swelling quite nicely with the continued propionibacteria action at 2 1/2 weeks. I believe the lower salt content contributed from the brine is helping the propioni do their thing. Seems like I read somewhere or saw a video where the cheesemakers up in the alps were swelling their cheeses first and dry-salting after the eyes had been created. That's what I'm trying to duplicate.

When I made this cheese, my goal was for it to have a lower salt content than previous alpines I've done. That brought the brine time down to 4 hours from 8-10 hours. I also wanted to minimize the salt I added whenever I washed the rind to remove molds. My regimen has been to utilize a 2-3% salt solution with a touch of vinegar. So far that seems to be on track. I won't really know if my efforts are correct until around 3 months from now.

-Boofer-

[Boofer]

In trying to cover all bases, I went back into my cheese files and pulled some documents that may be useful to others here.

Washing the wheel this morning, there is a slight whitish bloom that I keep knocking back every other day. The end of the week brings the end of the third week of eye development. It appears that although there has been some obvious swelling, it may have reached its peak. This weekend the cheese will go into the cave for continued ripening. At that time, I need to decide whether I should boost the salt content with a little dry salting.

I sampled a piece of Goutaler #1 today at lunch. Surprisingly tasty after all. Time helps a lot of cheeses. It also occurred to me that when I vacuum-bagged the wheels, I compressed the eyes. Ooops! I won't do that again either.

-Boofer-

[Boofer]

Just shy of three weeks, I moved the wheel into the cave yesterday. It looks like the cool, cloudy weather is giving way to the warm, sunny Spring-Summer change. My ambient warm room moved from a comfortable 66-70F to 74F yesterday. Too hot. The documentation calls for a warm room temp of 66F.

I've been fighting a gentle incursion of rind infection over the past two weeks. A mild brine with vinegar added has helped to keep it at bay.

I'm a little unsure about dry-salting this cheese. I had intended to do that, but I cut and sampled Goutaler #2 this morning and it gives me pause. While not remotely excessively salty, the taste in my mind is low salt. I do need to further protect the rind and a little salt there would really help. I just don't want a lot to move into the wheel.

-Boofer-

[Boofer]

Looking better and better. I think the rind is toughening up to the point that it can resist incursions by nasty bugs. I still have to wipe it now and then with a little vinegar & salt. The flat top and bottom also have more moisture than the edges/sides.

I may be vacuum-sealing it pretty soon.

-Boofer-

[Boofer]

Okay, two months down the road....  That's supposed to be typical affinage for Goutaler (Jarlsberg).

I decided to cut into it today. Very little accumulated whey in the vacuum bag. This is good. It sliced well, but had really tiny eyes...more like peepholes or chickadee eyes.

The flavor was reminiscent of alpines, but not truly Jarlsberg-type. Salt level was decent and not excessive which is one of the factors I was trying to control. Not bitter nor acidic. There was some elasticity to the cheese which was another factor I was trying to focus on.

Overall, I deem this a successful step in my cheesemaking growth. It would be nice if I could develop more meaningful eyes. I will attempt to replicate this cheese going forward. It's a nice little alpine.

-Boofer-

[Fatman]

Dang! that looks good.

[Sailor Con Queso]

Boof,

Good holes are tough on small cheeses. I do 8" wheels and focus more on the flavor profile and texture than I do the holes. If it develops nice holes that's just a bonus.

[Boofer]

Spot on!

-Boofer-

[DeejayDebi]

Boofer when you bag a cheese which is meant to have holes don't vaccum it - keep it loose so it can expand. The bag will help to maintain a soft rind so it can stretch without cracking but it needs room to expel gas. After about 10 days in the bag or when you start to see the cheese rounding and begining to expand take a small sewing needle and poke 1 small hole on the side of the bag to give it more room to expand yet still hold in the needed moisture.

[Boofer]

Boofer when you bag a cheese which is meant to have holes don't vaccum it - keep it loose so it can expand. The bag will help to maintain a soft rind so it can stretch without cracking but it needs room to expel gas. After about 10 days in the bag or when you start to see the cheese rounding and begining to expand take a small sewing needle and poke 1 small hole on the side of the bag to give it more room to expand yet still hold in the needed moisture.

Thanks, Debi.

This cheese did its expansion outside the bag. When it appeared to be finished, I vacuum-bagged it. Since this was my third attempt, I was watchful to not squeeze the hell out of it when bagging it (I did that with #1 & #2.  )

There was no additional gas produced after I bagged it and no moisture in the bag...surprise, surprise! My wife actually enjoyed eating it and the Reblochon. That's a big change. Yea, I'm finally making cheese that someone (besides me) will eat!

-Boofer-

[DeejayDebi]

A bit late but I really like the look and sound of this cheese Boofer!