Author Topic: Chilipepper's Cheese #009 - Farmhouse Cheddar  (Read 3293 times)

chilipepper

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Chilipepper's Cheese #009 - Farmhouse Cheddar
« on: January 16, 2009, 06:01:58 PM »
Well another one in the books or at least in the cave.

Farm House Cheddar:

January 15, 2009 (out of the press on the morning of the 16th)
  • 2 Gallons Store Bought Whole Milk
  • Add 1/4 tsp of Calcium Chloride and mix thoroughly
  • Bring milk to 90 degrees F in water bath (approximately 45 minutes)
  • Sprinkle one package of Mesophilic starter culture on surface of milk and 10 drops of Annetto to milk.  Stir for about 1 minute. Ripen for 1 hour.
  • Add 1/2 tsp of liquid Rennet in 1/4 Cup distilled water to milk and allow to set for about an hour - could have probably cut the curd after about 40 minutes.
  • Cut Curd into 1/2 inch cubes and start raising water bath temps.
  • Slowly raise temps in water bath over about 40 minutes to 100 degree F.
  • Allow to sit for 10 minutes.  The curd is noticeable smaller and harder.
  • Drain whey in cheesecloth lined colander for about 1 hour over hot whey to keep curd warm.
  • Press curd at 15 lbs (approximately 1lb/square inch) for 10 minutes.
  • Press curd at 25 lbs (approximately 1.5lb/square inch) for 10 minutes.
  • Press curd at 55 lbs (approximately 3.5lb/square inch) for 12 hours.


Curd Cut


Raising the temp of the curd - cooking.


Curd after draining and before milling.


Curd after milling (by hand) and salting.


Cheese out of the press after 25 lb press.


Cheese in the press with approximately 55 lbs of pressure.


Cheese out of press and starting to dry.  It would sure look cool with my name pressed into the top! 8)  I also need to look at getting some different sized molds for some variation in my cheese!
« Last Edit: January 16, 2009, 06:14:18 PM by chilipepper »

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #009 - Farmhouse Cheddar
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2009, 07:48:44 PM »
Chili I've got a ton of mold, PM me if you're interested.

The cheese looks fantastic. Beautiful smooth rind. Did you do something special or what's your procedure?

Most books out there don't talk about milling, at least the home made books, but milling is essential to make sure the curds are small enough so when they knit they don't have voids in them.

chilipepper

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #009 - Farmhouse Cheddar
« Reply #2 on: January 19, 2009, 04:24:39 AM »
Thanks Carter!  For the pressing and the rind I do leave it in cheesecloth in the mold and really try and pull it up to get rid of as much of the wrinkles as possible.  You will still get some but it does leave the bottom kind of nice and rounded.  I also tend to sway to the side of using cheesecloth for the wicking away of moisture.  I think that this also really help get a nice rind going right out of the press.

As for milling, while I was making this one I was looking at my grain mill for brewing and trying to ponder how I could swap out one or both rollers in it to mill my curd.  This one was hand milled and we'll see if it was enough when I cut into it after aging.

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #009 - Farmhouse Cheddar
« Reply #3 on: January 19, 2009, 07:10:20 AM »
I'll like your new avatar. Wallace!!!

chilipepper

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #009 - Farmhouse Cheddar
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2009, 06:23:52 PM »
Nick Park (creator of Wallace & Gromit) is a genius and of course Wallace is the ultimate cheese freak!  There is a new short out now too...or at least fairly new: A Matter of Loaf and Death.   Sorry I digress! :)

wharris

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #009 - Farmhouse Cheddar
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2009, 07:23:13 PM »
Looks fantastic.

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #009 - Farmhouse Cheddar
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2009, 07:38:26 PM »
HAAA I totally forgot he loves cheese. I just like Wallace and Gromit. Man it takes them forever to make those movies, but it's well worth it. Have you seen Wall-E? Very good.

chilipepper

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #009 - Farmhouse Cheddar
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2009, 11:27:11 PM »
I did finally watch Wall-E last weekend and loved it!  What I especially likes was how the previews didn't give anything away about the plot.  It was a totally unpredictable watching experience for me.  That is hard to come by now days as the previews are so detailed that you have half the movie in your head before you even start it.

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #009 - Farmhouse Cheddar
« Reply #8 on: January 24, 2009, 08:41:35 AM »
Ryan, sorry about not getting back with you on the molds yet, trying to get the website up and running plus all the parts came in for making my auto stirrer and I haven't made cheese in like 1 1/2 weeks so I'm going through withdrawls. I'll get back with you on Sunday or Monday.

Also if you read this today and have any suggestions about getting a nice solid wheel with no voids let me know, I'll be making a Farmhouse cheddar this morning. Thanks. I'm still contemplating whether we should just we worried with pounds per square inch or go for the whole enchillada and press based on pound per cubic inch?

chilipepper

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Re: Chilipepper's Cheese #009 - Farmhouse Cheddar
« Reply #9 on: January 24, 2009, 04:35:18 PM »
Carter, no problem on the molds... I'm also hoping to embark on a big (for me anyway) 5 gallon cheese today.  Speaking of auto stirrer, did you notice some of those in the Parm. videos?  Looked pretty interesting. 

As for tips and techniques of a nice closed texture solid knitted farmhouse cheddar... I've been doing a ton of reading in my Cheese Chemistry book and trying to get a handle on that very subject to help shed some light on the whole pressure issue.  I agree there are too many variables as well as too many different forces that need to be taken in to account on the cheese as it is pressed.  I think part is that we assume pressure since we use the term pressed.  Well pressure only takes into account the surface pressure.  There is so much more to it than that.  The cheese, being confined to a mold and solid bottom has pressure then acting on it from the sides as well as the bottom.  This also has a relation to the density and compressibility of the curd too.  There is also the point of over compressing which then will damage the cheese as well and create fractures within the cheese. 

One good thing is that by looking at pictures of farmhouse cheddars from Google most do have some 'openness' to the texture.  Good luck.