My first gouda was crumbly, my second was made with store bought H/P milk and though the make went well it developed a bitter flavor. I've noticed that no cheese I've made with raw cow or goat milk has developed bitterness. So I'm trying again. This time my pH meter started miss behaving. That made the make very difficult! I think the pH is fine, but it was way too moist! I not quite sure how I managed that, but 5 1/2 pounds from 4 gallons milk...even given that it's Brown Swiss and winter, is a little much! I'm sure it will taste wonderful, but I doubt it will be any good for extended aging.
Has anyone tried aging a semi hard cheese for a year? I would hate to accidently ruin a good cheese!
Gouda (Dave’s recipe) 2/2/12
Yield after brining 5 pounds, 9 ounces
Floc x3
SG 1146
4 gallons raw Brown Swiss cow milk, pH 6.7
¼ tsp Kazu
¼ tsp chymosin (x3)
Warmed milk to 86 degrees, added culture and let rehydrate 5 minutes.
Stir in and let ripen until pH drops approx 5-10 minutes. 30 minutes later pH was still 6.7 and temp was 86 degrees. Went ahead and proceeded with next step.
Added rennet and waited for floc. Did first check at 8 minutes and it had begun—oops. I figure it likely not to have flocculated much before that.
8 x 3 = 24 minutes, check for clean break and cut curd into 3/8 inch cubes.
Clean break at 24 minutes, so I cut the curd and let it rest for 5 minutes. Temp 86 degrees and pH 6.7?? Recalibrated my meter and pH was 6.5
Stir 20 minutes or until pH is 6.4. Started heating wash water to 130 degrees. I had stirred 27 minutes before pH was 6.4, temp 85 degrees
My meter is fluctuating too much! Forged ahead with washes. Removed 5 cups of whey and replaced with 110 degree water as it still had not finish heating up. Waited 5 minutes, then removed 6 cups whey and replaced with 6 cups 120 degree water. Waited 5 minutes and replaced 6 cups whey with 6 cups 120 degree water. Temp 96 degrees
Whey was not at target temp of 102 degrees, so started heating the whey. Reached target temp in 6 minutes. Then stirred at 102 degrees for 20 minutes.
Drained whey, catching it in a pot below the hoop. Pulled press bad snug and placed follower on top. Put hoop with curds in pot of whey. Pressed under whey for 10 minutes at 8 pounds.
Moved hoop & curds to press and pressed for 30 minutes with 60 pounds. Redressed and pressed for 30 minutes at 112 pounds, ph 6.4 Redressed and continued pressing at 112 lbs. Press until pH is 5.6 to 5.7. Meanwhile, soaked meter in cleaning solution and recalibrated it again.
First hour pH 6.4
2nd hour pH 6.3
3rd hour pH 6.0
4th hour pH 5.6
Stopped pressing, weighed cheese (5 ½ pounds) and put in brine for 16 hours.
