Beaufort "BFS1.1.1" - how's that?

[ArnaudForestier]

I won't even go into the reasoning behind the numbers. 

First of my true Springtime, Beaufort trials.  More detail later.  For now, I've got a fantastic source of milk, and will be using it for all my future trials.  It comes in at a bit lower pH; so I've made the ΔpH before renneting less (I normally shoot for -.1 to -0.15; here, I went with 0.05, and less rennet).  All make parameters are within reason, though ripening was ridiculously fast, second time in a row (I went to -0.05 immediately; the heat up alone is kicking up meso SLABs, and with the addition of 1% b.e., I was again surprised to see no need for ripening time.  I do seek a slow, gentle ripening, so will have to work on this, with the new milk).  Went into press-under whey at 6.27; again, a little low, but I can live with it.

The main disappointment thus far, is the Kadova I'm using.  At this juncture, a total %^^&%&^##$ drag.  First wheel last week stuck, this wheel, same thing, despite being soaked for about 30 hours in a pretty heavily acidified, saturated brine.  Flipped at 3 minutes, and like last time (actually, worse than last time), it had "become one with the netting," so pretty disappointing.  I immediately busted out my tomme-St. Paulin mould, and have hopefully salvaged things....no sticking at all, and once again a clean rind. 

I like the look of the Kadovas, but afraid for the time being, will have to condition the thing on cheaper milk, and perhaps other styles - at this point, I'm going to have to join Sailor and others, who've experienced difficulty with alpines and Kadovas.  (I know it can be done, however - Uplands Cheeses uses them exclusively, for their "Pleasant Ridge" Beaufort-style wheels, to beautiful effect).  I'm presuming only time will properly condition this thing, but only time will tell.

One frustrating thing for me, is that I could not get the thing clean, without caustic.  But caustic strips any biofilm completely free from the netting, so each time you use it, you're starting over.  How do people condition these moulds, while dealing with the polenta that finds itself lovely and irrevocably stuck to the netting under the lid, and main netting?

[ArnaudForestier]

Ugh.  This must be Friday the 13th.  Because of the Kadova disaster, everything was thrown off.   I experimented with an immediate high-press, 20 psi, on this wheel, trying to avoid the issues from last time.  Yes, it stuck, as described above. 

It also made a more narrow-diameter wheel than the St. Paulin mould.  The result is that there was a slightly off-center, lopsided "Kadova mound" on the wheel.   I only noticed when...

The high psi also....and this is a heartbreaker....slightly bent the extension arm of the press.  The two things, the smaller (and lopsided) wheel, trying to expand into my usual mould, and this arm distortion, meant a hellish pressing.  Never could get it to "fix," despite trying all kinds of shims, etc., to get the pressure to press down on the more raised side of the wheel. 

Finally, after 4 hours, the wheel looks more or less straight.  But there was nothing even remotely approaching a consistent psi through the drain, so I do not know what kind of paste I'm looking at, now. 

Additionally, if my usual drain is 8-12 hours, at 4 hours in (despite all the monkey business above), my wheel was at 5.17.  Overshot my lowest target of 5.3.  Not horribly disappointed, just need to continue to hone in on my new milk and its dynamics (the best milk I've ever had, to be honest).

On balance, all in all, among the "less favorite days" of cheesemaking I've had.

[Boofer]

it had "become one with the netting,"

One frustrating thing for me, is that I could not get the thing clean, without caustic.

I feel your pain, Paul.

My initiation into this circle was June 30, 2010. A very painful lesson. Mine was supposed to be a Jack cheese. I pressed a little too aggressively under whey. I didn't bother to check it. I should have...perhaps I could have spared myself some pain. 

As it was, I didn't use caustic. I got out my cheese brushes and scrubbed and rinsed and scrubbed.... Man, what a fiasco! 

Oh, and I don't believe any long-term soaking will achieve anything. They are plastic.

-Boofer-

[ArnaudForestier]

Lol, Boof, yep, I got a similiar Monk's Cap pattern.  I couldn't get this stuff removed last time, with anything other than caustic (it was really gunked up under the lid netting - where no brush has gone before.....or would ever want to go).  Thankfully, salvaged in the regular Paulin mold, but a drag nonetheless.  I'm thinking of conditioning the beast on another style...also prefer a wider diameter, for a Gruyere, so all's well, etc.

On a positive note, I'd like to personally thank Wayne Harris here, for building a fine little harp for use in these alpines.  From 1" cubes to rice grains, in short, elegant order.  Thanks, man!  He, and Jos, have now officially gotten me bitten by the welding bug, once again. 

[wharris]

Doing my best to channel Cartierusm. (for those that know who he is)

I just am glad someone can used my unfinished frames...

Paul is too kind.

[susanky]

Can we see a picture of this fabulous 'harp'.  You are referring to your curd cutter, right?  I am considering one.

Also curious about your milk.  It is great when you find one you really like.  What do you like about it?
Susan

[ArnaudForestier]

Susan, here she be:




I think Wayne has crafted a truly beautiful little tool, and his kindness knows no bounds.  I'm very appreciative.

And the milk just has a really beautiful, intensely herbaceous, floral and grassy quality, with a really sweet background.  A pleasure to drink, and use.

[susanky]

That IS a beautiful curd cutter!  A friend of a friend is a knife maker.  He is contemplating making a curd cutter.  I hope it turn out half as beautiful!  I was expecting vertical lines.  Do you think the horizontal cuts are an advantage?
Susan

[ArnaudForestier]

Yep, I agree, Susan - Wayne is humble as always, but I was astounded on the elegance of this little thing.  I don't know whether the horizontal works better or not, but can say it just works so much better than my previous method, a whisk.  Now, I cut large, 1" cubes, then immediately begin with the harp.  Unlike previously, with the whisk, I find I really don't have to treat the vat with kid gloves as much, and get great grains, really quickly. 

A perfect tool, and my thanks to him again.

[susanky]

Why do you cut in 1" cubes and THEN use the curd cutter.  Why not start with the harp?
Susan

[ArnaudForestier]

I could certainly try that, Susan; I've seen it done that way, quite a bit.  In fact, foregoing any cubing, I've thought to just do literally what I've seen many of "them" do, the alpagistes: begin the cook/stir period by just troweling over some of the lower, hotter curd, burying the upper layer, with what looks like the equivalent of a dustpan. 

I'm still so new; when I see those vids of the French and Swiss makers doing this, the part that fears "hurting" the precious curds I've worked (well, let's be honest - I haven't worked at all; they, the flora, have done the living, growing, metabolizing and dying) so hard to coax into existence, shrinks in seeing something like this.  It's always been my presumption that whenever going to a really fine curd - as I consider these, or those obtained for, say, parma - to be, that one needs to allow a bit of skin to form on the larger curds, to allow them to heal some, before going in deeper.  And I don't know "they" don't do that - I've only seen videos of the "folding", or the direct-harping.  I don't know if they typically, too, do a kind of grosser, "first-pass" through the mass, before resting, before going down to "rice grain" curds.

I'm not trying to be precious when I say, it just seems so brutish, against something so fragile as the gello-like curd mass; yet the cheeses these makers make are unsurpassed.  So, I've thought to try it - literally, do a kind of deep folding throw of hotter over cooler, top level curds, followed by harp cutting. 

Or, do just what you're suggesting - dive directly in with the harp.  There really is no other way; though the milk I'm now buying is costly, if I intend to learn its nature, I just have to try these ways.

[dthelmers]

If the curd is fragile, as it is with homogenized milk, I find that cutting it large and letting it rest a bit before I cut to my desired size helps firm it up and make it less fragile. With raw milk I can just dive right in, the curd can take it.
Dave in CT

[ArnaudForestier]

Thanks Dave - I'm definitely noticing a difference with my milk.  Makes sense.

[dthelmers]

I should mention that the only raw milk I have used is local (central CT) Jersey milk. Quite a high fat content and makes a great cheese. I don't know if all raw milk forms such a stable curd, but I suspect so, as it seems to be the homogenizing process that makes the curd fragile.
Dave in CT

[ArnaudForestier]

Oh, Dave, didn't realize you're from CT - love your State.  Used to live there - "the Quiet Corner," Pomfret/Putnam, pretty idyllic - a converted chicken barn, right on a small lake.  Commuted to Hartford to work, not so fun - bartender, late hours, etc. - but worth it, for my time off living there.