Andy's Gouda #3

[adalton]

I made another batch of Gouda last night, but this time used only 2 gallons of milk.  The problem with this try is I was going to use two molds and make two one pound wheels.  The cheese making process went well, but after trying to press they were leaning pretty good and figured I wasn't going to be able to do it.  Instead of saving one cheese, I removed the pressed curds from the two molds put them in 100 degree water for about 10-15 minutes broke them up, put the curd into a bigger mold and repressed.  Does anyone see a problem doing what I did?  Thinking back, I probably should of saved one of the cheeses instead of risking both or figured out a way to gather enough weight and pressed them both. Thanks, here is a photo of it.

Andy

[GlennK]

That's a great looking cheese.  What recipe did you use?  I'd like to make a Gouda next.

[adalton]

Thank you, the recipe was out of the Home cheese making by Ricki Carroll.  If you can't get it I would be more than happy to share it with you.  This winter all I'm going to make is Gouda, I want to get good at that before moving on to something else.  Colby or Cheddar will be next.

Andy

[GlennK]

Thank you, the recipe was out of the Home cheese making by Ricki Carroll. If you can't get it I would be more than happy to share it with you.  This winter all I'm going to make is Gouda, I want to get good at that before moving on to something else.  Colby or Cheddar will be next.

Andy

I have it but I haven't made any recipes out of it yet.  I want to give a Gouda a try as my first effort at a cheddar failed

[george]

Andy, you're probably fine with the whole "two-cheeses-in-one" thing.  I'm not sure of the effect of the water at that stage, but the extra time was short enough that it doesn't seem like it will make a HUGE difference in something like over-acidification etc.  (Just talking off the top of my head here, I'm certainly not the expert, but I've had situations with various cheeses that resemble yours in general upshot, and they've all turned out okay/not very different.)  At worst, you may have some extra mechanical openings because of the odd pressing - if that bothers you (I don't mind 'em myself).

GlennK, I don't know what happened to your "failed" cheddar (why did it fail?), but if you still have it, stick it in the back of the cave somewhere, or even in your fridge, and forget about it for a year or so - you'll be surprised at how yummy that extra time will make a "fail"!

[GlennK]

GlennK, I don't know what happened to your "failed" cheddar (why did it fail?), but if you still have it, stick it in the back of the cave somewhere, or even in your fridge, and forget about it for a year or so - you'll be surprised at how yummy that extra time will make a "fail"!

It was a farmhouse cheddar that I brought to 60 days and it came out dry, crumbly, and sharp.  It was very UNcheddar.  I probably should've kept it but in a fit of discouragement I tossed it out.   Oops. 

Here's the link to my thread on it.  http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,8763.0.html  Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[george]

Oh.  Farmhouse.  THAT Farmhouse.   

Well, you could try it again, but use only 1/2 a packet of the meso.  See how that works, that book calls for way too much in terms of culture amounts (I use one pack for 3 or 4 gallons).  On the other hand, there's only one recipe out of that book that I actually use, which is the stirred curd cheddar.  Make that instead.   

[GlennK]

Oh.  Farmhouse.  THAT Farmhouse.   

Well, you could try it again, but use only 1/2 a packet of the meso.  See how that works, that book calls for way too much in terms of culture amounts (I use one pack for 3 or 4 gallons).  On the other hand, there's only one recipe out of that book that I actually use, which is the stirred curd cheddar.  Make that instead.   

Thanks Mary, I might try that one.

[george]

Oh, I forgot to mention, too, to halve the amount of culture in the stirred curd recipe, too.  Good luck!