Author Topic: Looking for Montasio Recipe  (Read 9878 times)

JeffHamm

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Looking for Montasio Recipe
« on: June 17, 2011, 10:14:37 PM »
Hi,

I'm thinking of making a montasio tomorrow.  The only recipe I have for it is the Rickie Carrol one.  Although I've not had any disasters following hers, I do know that the makes described here are usually improvements over what is found in the books.  Also, she doesn't include floc times, etc.

Here's a quick run through what I have now:
1) heat milk to 31.1 C (88F)
2) add starter (2.5 oz prepared thermo, 1 oz prepared meso)
3) ripen 60 minutes
4) add rennet
5) cut after 30 minutes into 1/2 cm cubes (1/4 inch) - Note, since floc targets are 10-15 minutes, we're talking a floc multiplier of 2-2.5; which makes sense for this type of cheese
6) Raise temp to 38.9 C (102 F) at a rate of approx 1 C (2 F) every 5 minutes.  Stir to prevent matting
7) maintain 38.9 C for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent matting
8) drain whey to curd level.
9) add hot water (temp not specified) until temp raised to 43.3 C (110 F)
10) maintain 43.3 C (110 F) for 10 minutes
11) quickly transfer curds to cloth lined mold
12) press at 2.3 kg (5 lbs) for 15 minutes
13) remove, flip, and re-dress, then back in the mold to press at 2.3 kg (5 lbs) for 30 minutes
14) remove, flip, and re-dress, then back in the mold to press at 4.5 kg (10 lbs) for 12 hours
15) place in saturated bine for 6 hours

Then age between 12.8 and 15.5 C (55-60 F) at 85 humidity.  The book says for 2 months, but I would think this needs more than that (6 months for table cheese, and 1 year for grating?)

What I'm planning on doing:

I'm figuring a floc multiplier of 2.25-2.5. 
I'll need some CaCl as well since I have store bought milk (but that's a pretty standard addition, 1/2 tsp, diluted in egg cup of water, added just before culture).
At step 5, I can either cut with a knife quite small, or use a whisk (as implied in the book).  A whisk tends to make much smaller curds though (i.e. rice sized) - but is the difference critical in this case?
At step 9, I'll probably add water at 50 C (122 F) to raise the temperature.

Anyway, if anyone has any suggested tweaks to the above, or if anyone has a recipe that is quite different but that they highly recommend for Montasio, please let me know. 

- Jeff
« Last Edit: June 17, 2011, 11:12:23 PM by JeffHamm »

JeffHamm

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Re: Looking for Montasio Recipe
« Reply #1 on: June 17, 2011, 11:22:17 PM »
Hi,

After more searching, I found a thread that linked to Peter Dixon's site and I found this recipe.  Are EZAL TA050 and EZAL LH100 both Thermophillic cultures? 

Also, this make doesn't involve the washing of the curds, but does suggest a longer floc multiplier than I would have expected.

My gut feeling is to go with the Peter Dixon version, as I suspect he's closer to the mark?  Anybody with more reliable opionions than my gut though?  Or better yet, has anyone made both (or even either) of these and so can give me some suggestions?

Finally, I'm not quite sure what the dry salting instructions at step 12 mean?  Dry salt once a day per 2lbs of cheese for 10-12 days ... does this mean, if the cheese is 4 lbs, dry salt twice a day, or once a day for 2 days (the recipe is based upon 100 lbs of milk - so that might result in a 20lbs cheese, etc).

Anyway, thanks for any tips/advice on this one.

- Jeff

Montasio
For DVS use 0.3-0.5U (approx. 1/8 tsp) EZAL TA050 +
0.1-0.3U EZAL LH100
Or
Use 0.5 lb. Rosell Thermo C bulk culture
For pasteurized milk use twice as much starter culture
1)   Warm to between 30.5-35.0 (87-95 F) (higher if ambient temp is cool, lower if warm)
2)   Add CaCl and starter
3)   Add lipase (optional; 1/4 tsp in water, prepared 20 minutes before adding)
4)   Ripen 30 minutes
5)   Add rennet (target floc 10-15 minutes)
6)   Use 3x multiplier
7)   Cut to corn kernel size (1/2 cm cubes), heal 5 minutes
8)   Stir and cook curds while raising temp to 47.8-50 C (118-122 F) over 45-60 minutes
9)   Let curds settle under whey, gather into large cake and drain.
10)   After draining curds, break up curds and stir for 15-35 minutes (release whey)
11)   Move to mold and press overnight
12)   Dry salt once a day for ever kg of cheese (2 lbs) for 10-12 days or brine for 8 hours/kg (4 hours/lbs)
13)   Age 6-12 months

zenith1

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Re: Looking for Montasio Recipe
« Reply #2 on: June 17, 2011, 11:54:46 PM »
Jeff- the ta is thermophilic, the Lh is L. Helviticus which is an adjunct(flavor enhancer)culture. I'll have to have a closer look at the recipe to figure out the salting you referred to.

JeffHamm

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Re: Looking for Montasio Recipe
« Reply #3 on: June 18, 2011, 06:41:20 PM »
Thanks zenith1.

I'll be starting the make in an hour or there abouts.  So, if anyone has any tips, please let me know!  I'm going with the Peter Dixon make (although I don't have LH, so it will just be a thermophillic starter). 

- Jeff

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Re: Looking for Montasio Recipe
« Reply #4 on: June 18, 2011, 07:09:50 PM »
Jeff, just to clarify, helveticus is also a thermophilic starter bacteria, a lactobacillus.  It has different proteolytic properties from TA - because of this, LH is known to work somewhat symbiotically as well, with TA. 

I did find the following, from Cheese Chem, Phys and Micro:

Montasio:

Milk: Cow, raw, partly skimmed
Natural whey culture (use whey from last batch)
Calf, powder or liquid rennet
Cooking at 48–50C
Dry-salting for 10–12 or 4–7 days in saturated brine
Ripening 12 months at 15–18 °C
Fairly deep proteolysis

Quote
Montasio

The cheese derives its name from the homonymous
place located in the Julian Alps. Currently, its manufacture
has been extended to the Friuli region and to
several provinces of the Veneto region. A mixture of
cows’ milk from two consecutive milkings is used; the
milk from the evening milking is partially skimmed
after overnight creaming. The natural whey culture
used as starter is added to the milk at 31–35 °C and
coagulation by calf rennet takes place in 30–40 min.
After cutting to the dimensions of rice grains, the
curds are cooked at 48–50 °C for several minutes,
pressed for 24 h and dry salted or immersed in saturated
brine. Ripening of extra-hard Montasio cheese
lasts 12 months at c. 18 °C and an environmental
humidity of c. 80%. Cheeses have a cylindrical shape
with a diameter of 30–40 cm, height of 8–10 cm and
weigh 5–9 kg. The mature cheese has a brown rind, a
granular texture with very small eyes and a pronounced
and moderately piquant flavour (Battistotti
et al., 1983; Ottogalli, 2001).
- Paul

JeffHamm

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Re: Looking for Montasio Recipe
« Reply #5 on: June 18, 2011, 07:44:23 PM »
Thanks ArnaudForestier!

Well, I knew I wouldn't have the right cultures (I only have two; Flora Danica for meso, and some Thermophillic labelled ST B01, both of which came in the starter kit I purchased). 

Hmmm, my ripening conditions will be a bit cooler (more like 11 C, rather than 15-18).

At least I can cut to rice sized, which is easy with the whisk. :)

So, I'll probably end up with something quite different, but hey, that's ok.


- Jeff

JeffHamm

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Re: Looking for Montasio Recipe
« Reply #6 on: June 18, 2011, 08:02:22 PM »
Well, we're under way (as in going, not near the end yet).  Milk is warmed, and starter added.  I went with 3 ice cubes of my thermo.  Will prepare my 1/4 tsp of calf lipase in about 5 minutes, to give it the 20 minutes sitting time in the water. 

Will try and remember to take photos as things progress. 

Since this was originally made in monestaries, I've put on a CD of Gregorian Chants.  Hopefully that makes up for my lack of proper starters?  Maybe I should just call this a Gregorio rather than Montasio?

- Jeff

Offline ArnaudForestier

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Re: Looking for Montasio Recipe
« Reply #7 on: June 18, 2011, 10:21:00 PM »
haha- that's awesome, Jeff.  I love Gregorian Chant.  I usually play these guys, for a similar inspiration.   Medieval Babes, The Black Madonna, 13th century pilgrimage chants - they all get their airtime.

I don't think the affinage temp is going to be a huge deal.  It will just slow it down somewhat, not a bad thing. 
- Paul

JeffHamm

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Re: Looking for Montasio Recipe
« Reply #8 on: June 18, 2011, 10:37:24 PM »
Thanks for the suggestions for music to cheese by! :)

Here's a few photos of the make.  All seems to have gone quite well.  Kept pretty close to the temperature increase rate.  Just off by about 1 C at the end of 60 minutes, and plotted the progress as I went and the rate was good throughout.  About to transfer and drain the curd for a bit.  Will see how that goes next.

- Jeff


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Re: Looking for Montasio Recipe
« Reply #9 on: June 18, 2011, 10:39:29 PM »
Looks great, Jeff - nice job!
- Paul

JeffHamm

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Re: Looking for Montasio Recipe
« Reply #10 on: June 18, 2011, 11:03:57 PM »
Thanks!  I just realised after drainging I moved straight into the mold and started pressing, but there was a step of breaking up the curds and stirring for 15-35 minutes to help release more whey.  I don't think it will make a huge difference, and I would rather get it pressed while still warm as the curds tend to cool quickly here. 

Guess we'll know in a year or so?  Anyway, will post final outcome photos when it's out of the press.

- Jeff

JeffHamm

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Re: Looking for Montasio Recipe
« Reply #11 on: June 18, 2011, 11:39:36 PM »
Decided to try and make whey ricota as well.  Will see how this goes.

- Jeff

This seems to have gone well.  Just raised the whey to 93.3 C (200 F), added 1/4 cup cider vinegar, and let it sit for 10 minutes or so.  Then, ladle the thick layer of solids into doubled over cheesecloth and let drain.  Here are the photos.  I've not made ricotta before, so I have no idea how much to expect in terms of yield, but it seems ok (since I didn't add any extra milk or cream).

Just weighed it.  Got about 310 g, but still wet.  The better side of 1/2 a pound anyway.
« Last Edit: June 19, 2011, 12:40:13 AM by JeffHamm »

susanky

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Re: Looking for Montasio Recipe
« Reply #12 on: June 19, 2011, 01:35:53 AM »
Is it necessary to add vinegar to make ricota from the whey?  I don't.  But maybe it would improve my yield?  Is there an optimal pH for ricotta to precipitate out?
Susan

JeffHamm

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Re: Looking for Montasio Recipe
« Reply #13 on: June 19, 2011, 02:03:53 AM »
I don't think it's necessary, and I was starting to get some forming before I added it.  However, I do think it might have increased the output.  Of course, since this is the first time I've made it, I'm basing that on complete ignorance!  It may be that the output was just cranking up at the time I added it.  Ricki Carrol's book lists two recipes, one with one without vinegar.

- Jeff

JeffHamm

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Re: Looking for Montasio Recipe
« Reply #14 on: June 19, 2011, 06:16:55 PM »
Hi,

And here is the cheese just out of the press.  Weighed in a 1220g, which is smaller than usual for me, but I think the cooking of the curds really helped to expel whey.  So, mostly moisture loss, not solids. 

Also, here are my make notes, in case anyone is interested or has any suggestions:

Montasio: Sunday, June 19, 2011 19 C, overcast, high pressure
10 litres homebrand standard milk (pasteurized)
3 ice cubes thermophillic
½ tsp CaCl in egg cup of water
¼ tsp calf lipase in egg cup of water
0.6 ml rennet (13 drops)
1)   Warm to between 30.5-35.0 (start : 7:23 am; start Temp 15 C)
2)   Add CaCl (time: 7:48:30 – temp 32.7 C)
3)   Add starter (time:7:52 - temp 34.0 C – moved to sink of 37.7 C)
4)   After 10 minutes, prepare ¼ tsp lipase in water (time: 8:02 am; milk temp holding at 34.0 )
5)   Ripen 30 minutes (total, so 20 minutes after preparing lipase) (target Time: 8:22 )
6)   Add lipase (optional) (Time: 8:22)
7)   Add rennet (target floc 10-15 minutes) (time added: 8:24 temp 33.6 C | floc time: 15 m 00 sec; )
8)   Use 3x multiplier (wait: 45 m 00 sec; cut time 9:09)
9)   Cut to corn kernel size (1/2 cm cubes), heal 5 minutes (start time: 9:14 – 9:19)
10)   Stir and cook curds while raising temp to 47.8-50 C (118-122 F) over 45-60 minutes (start: 9:19 34.6 C - reached 48.0 C at 10:22 am)
11)   Let curds settle under whey, gather into large cake and drain.
12)   After draining curds, break up curds and stir for 15-35 minutes (release whey) (start time: ??:?? end time ??:??) missed this step
13)   Move to mold and press (time: 10:56; 2.5 kg)
14)   Flip and redress at 11:15, at 5 kg
15)   Flip and redress at 11:49 (10 kg)
16)   12:30 increased weight to 15 kg
17)   2:30 flipped and redressed.  Increased weight to 20 kg for overnight press (knit looks good; weight around 1280g)
18)   Removed from press 6:05 am, June 20th, weight 1220g.
19)   Placed in saturated brine (6:05 am) for 8 hours/kg (4 hours/lbs) (end time: 5:00 pm weight 1182g)
20)   Age 6-12+ months
Made ricotta with the whey.  Raise whey to 93.3 C, add ¼ cider vinegar.  Ladle the thick “mat” of solids into doubled over cheese cloth and drain.  Got about 310 g, but still draining.

- Jeff
« Last Edit: June 20, 2011, 05:26:58 AM by JeffHamm »