Emmental

[Helen]

Hi all,

I took a small break from cheese making over the holidays as my cave was full with salamis and other dry-cured delicacies. As everything has now been eaten (and I have purchased a bigger cave), I need to start filling it (to the brink!) with yummy cheeses.

I decided that it was time for me to try my hands at swiss cheeses. My second cheese was actually a baby swiss and the results was so bad that I did not feel like trying again for the longest time (it was so bad that 2 years later, it still tastes kind of blah. I have a last slice vacuumed in the cave; I am not sure I will open it before the 5th birthday). But I decided that it was time to be adventurous. :p

Ingredients
- 4 gallons whole cream line milk (Trader Joe brand - Straus Creamery)
- 1 gallon whole raw milk (Organic Pastures)
- 2.5 gallons skimmed raw milk (Organic Pastures) - the store was short on raw milk; I think I bought the latest quart available.
- 2% mother culture - Thermo C and TA61. I know it is not ideal. LH is on my to-buy list for the next Glengarry order.
- 1/2 tsp of Abiasa Propionic

Steps (largely inspired by 200 Cheeses):
1. Heated milk to 90F. pH=6.66
2. Added cultures and propionic. Waited until pH dropped to 6.50 (about 30 mn).
3. Added rennet. Flocculation point was at 15mn. Waited another 30 minutes (coefficient x3).
4. Cut curds in pea-sized pieces; which is very difficult considering the volume. Let the curds heal for 10 minutes before stirring.
5. Stirred for 10 minutes to cut to the correct size.
6. Heated milk up to 120F. Took 30 minutes as prescribed. pH dropped to 6.35.
7 Continued to stir until pH hit 6.30.
8. Pressed under whey for 30 minutes each side. Used a tomme mold (8 inches?) and 90 pounds of weight.
9. Pressed outside of whey for 3 hours. Wood cracked around the press axis so I had to limit the weight to 90 pounds. Flipped and redressed cheese and pressed overnight.
10. In the morning, took cheese out of whey and brined for 6 hours. Cheese weight 6.2 pounds or 2.8 kg. It is currently air drying in my kitchen. I will move it to the 55F cave before bed time.

I have a couple of questions, for you seasoned swiss style makers.
1. How much propionic do you use? I saw on the forum that the recommendation is 1/4 tsp for 4 gallons. However, the culture packet said 3/4 tsp for 3 gallons. I got skittish and use a big 1/2 tsp for 7.5 gallons.
2. The cheese looks uneven in color (patches of yellow and pale yellow). Is that caused by pressing?
3. As I brined, small surface cracks formed. One of them worries me as it goes slighlty deeper than the rest which are very shallow. Does it mean that my cheese structure is not sound? Will the cheese survive the swelling phase? Or is it done for?

Thanks for reading!
Helen

PS - Trying to post pictures but it won't let me... 

[Helen]

Found out what the issue was. Sorry if I annoyed anyone with posting/deleting.

[zvisaar]

hi Helen
don't forget we are here from all over the world so when u write the milk/cream u use its better writing whats the fat percentage and not the name of the brand because we don't have it all over the countries.
thanks

[Helen]

Hi Zvisaar,

I think that my describing the milk as whole milk and skimmed milk fits the bill as these is the only description available to me. I do personally like when people mention the brand they use because it allows me to see if that particular milk is available in my area.

[anarch]

Whole milk = full fat milk
skimmed milk = 0% fat milk

(in the USA)


The cheese looks great!  I have no idea if that crack will be an issue or not, I haven't yet tried this type of cheese, but looking forward to hearing about others' experiences.

I also like your pot!  Which brand is it/where did you get it?  I can only do 2.5 gallons at once right now.

[Boofer]

Yea!!!! Pictures!!! 

Some observations:

• A new cave...alright! 
• Nice clear photos. Thanks for that. Glad you figured out how to post.
• Where are you in So. Cal.? I used to frequent Lassen's in Ventura to get my Organic Pastures.
• The mottled yellow & white coloring is fairly typical from what I do. Could be milkfat/no-milkfat areas.
• Looking forward to following your progress on this cheese.

Whole milk = full fat milk
skimmed milk = 0% fat milk
(in the USA)

Good clarification, Anarch. That's all I am able to do with my makes.

-Boofer-

[JeffHamm]

Hi anarch,

Ahh, yes, skim milk, as in 0% fat, is not what skimmed milk means with reference to cheese making.  "Skimmed milk" is when the cream is allowed to float the surface and is removed (usually for butter making, or strawberries).  The milk that is left behind is the "skimmed milk" because the cream was skimmed off.  This would be more like 2% milk I believe.  So, don't make a Parm with store bought skim, use 2%.

- Jeff

[anarch]

Agreed, but the original post referenced store milk?  Raw, but skimmed?  I assume this to be skim  milk?  Maybe we need more info from the cheesemaker!

I've only ever made from raw.....my first parmesan was odd though too.

[Helen]

I also like your pot!  Which brand is it/where did you get it?  I can only do 2.5 gallons at once right now.

I can't really say which brand it is. This is usually used by my significant other for his all-grain brewing. He bought it on Amazon warehouse for less than $100.

I have to say that stirring in that big pot is very tiring (as it stands very low compared to a pot on our stove). But my goal is to make a parm one of those days... a big one! I just need to get a mold that is big enough.

[Helen]

• Where are you in So. Cal.? I used to frequent Lassen's in Ventura to get my Organic Pastures.
• The mottled yellow & white coloring is fairly typical from what I do. Could be milkfat/no-milkfat areas.

Boofer,

I live in South Orange County and work in North San Diego county. There are a couple of stores in between that sell the milk. Ventura is way too far for me. It's unfortunate because I heard Organic Pastures has a hub over there where they sell their milk significantly cheaper. I cry internally when I spend 15 bucks on a gallon.

I am happy with the cheese. The color seems to even out as it spends time in the cave.

Regarding the milk, I think the skim was 0% not 2% (by looking at the # of calories on the tag). I originally wanted to get all whole raw milk but they were out.  When I add raw milk to my make, it's more to get the good bacteria/enzymes rather than the yield anyway, so I decided to go with the skim. The end product was a respectable size, so I was happy.

I am not sure why raw milk could not be skimmed. Skimming does not pasteurize your milk. But I am no expert. Feel free to prove me wrong.

Helen

 

[Cloversmilker]

Raw milk can be put through a cream separator to achieve remove cream and lower fat percentage.  So yes, raw milk can be sold at specified fat percentage points. 

A cream separator takes a bit of time and effort to keep clean and adjusted, so probably not used a lot on the 1-2 cow dairy scale.

[DeejayDebi]

When I make parms I just leave the milk chilled over night and don't move it. My Milkmaid has fabulas creamline milk and very tan/yellowish easy to see cream on top. I just scoup it off the top with a small stainless measuring cup and save it for butter. It may not be precise but it works for me!