Hi,
Well, today I decided to make another Dunlop. I've made this twice now, and both times the taste was good, and both turned out very similar. The first I made in a 6.25" mould, the 2nd in an 8.5" strainer. The 2nd was to get a flat disk of a cheese, which is the traditional shape for Dunlop. However, that may work for a 10 kg cheese, but you lose more cheese to rind on a 1 kg cheese. Still, even the 2nd one was very good. So, it's back to the 6.25" mold again.
Anyway, this one has a long pressing schedule (over 2 days) and involves putting the cheese in hot water (66 C) for a minute to warm it up part way through the press. I think this would also wash off the lactic acid and salt from the outter surface, which might help prepare it for developing some sort of natural rind? Anyway, it usually picks up some wild geo and other stuff. I'll probably try and brush this all down and just toughen up the rind.
Here are my notes. The knit, after the opening couple of press and flips is really good already. It was the first time I made it too. So, things are progressing well.
Dunlop : Saturday Jan 21, 2012. Cloudy, with sun, 24/25 C.
10 litres homebrand standard
3 ice cubes ripened buttermilk
0.6 ml microbial rennet IMCU 750
½ tsp Calcium chloride 50%
2-2.5 tbls salt
1) Warm milk to 30.0C. (reached at 10:54 am; 30.5 C)
2) Add the starter (Time: 10:54 : temp: 30.5 0C)
3) Ripen 1 hour (target time 11:54)
4) add ½ tsp calcium chloride in egg cup of water (11:54; 29.9 c; raise back to 30)
5) add 0.6 ml rennet in egg cup of water (time: 11:58 : temp: 30.6 0C)
Floc time = 13m 0sec.
6) floc 3.5x = 45 m 30 sec = cut time: 12:43:30
7) Cut into broad bean size cubes (1 cm?) & stir (12:43; heal 10 minutes; 12:57)
8) raise temperate to 360C over 20 minutes (start time: 1:00 end time:1:19; temp : 36.6 0C; rise started at too slow a rate, then rose quickly. But, curds seem really good all the same).
9) cook 20 minutes (start time: 1:19 end time: 1:47 ooops)
10) drain whey
11) put curds in cheesecloth in collandar, pressed with 2 l whey 15 minutes (1:58-2:13)
11) cut into several (6) broad slabs
12) stack, & change slabs several times over 30 minutes (start time: 2:13 end time: 2:43 ; in pot placed in sink of warm water; around 40 C; flipped every 10 minutes)
13) Mill into small pieces (thumbnail size)
14) sprinkle with salt (amount not stated in recipe; I used 2.5 tbls)
15) wrap, place in mold in pot, press lightly (5 kg 0.36 PSI) for 15 minutes (start time: 3:00 end time: 3:13)
16) press heavier (25kg; 1.79 PSI) for 3 hours (start time: 3:15 end time: 6:15) ; knit exceptionally good at this point; better than some others after all night. Still emitting whey.
17) flip & redress, press overnight (35.2 kg; 2.53 PSI) (start time: 6:15 end time: ?:?? am)
18) remove from cheesecloth, and dip in 660C water for 1 minutes (?:??am – ?:?? am)
19) redress and press for 24 hours (35.2 KG; 2.53 PSI start time: ?:??am end time: ?:?? am; ????g)
20) air dry until dry to touch (moved to box on , Jan ??th)
21) Ripen 10-150C, 85% humidity. Ready in 6-8 weeks (can age longer; bandaged or waxed)