5 Traditional Cheddar

[anutcanfly]

I didn't believe at first either Boofer.  I thought I was doing something wrong, but the cheeses felt right.  That's why I finally checked the total solids.  Sparkles is their only milk cow at this time, and likely gets lots of loving attention from her owners grandchildren.

[DeejayDebi]

Very nice Anut! I missed this the first go round! I need to make some cheddar that won't melt.

[anutcanfly]

Hi Debi,

Yes, the cheeses that don't melt are great for cooking.  They don't disappear, so you get nice chunks of flavor.    Also, it's nice to have cheese stay on your toast and off the floor of your toasting oven!  I like to always have some of both on hand--melter's and non-melters.  So far I haven't had to make any deliberately.  They just kinda appear when I miss my pH target/moisture targets! 

[DeejayDebi]

I use them it my sausages. They don't drool out when you smoke them. It really good in pepperonis or brats or kielbasa or sausage in general.

[anutcanfly]

Oh my Gosh that sounds divine!  Where do you live? I'm on the way! 

[DeejayDebi]

CT Anut! Pick up Dave in Meridan on your way we will party! It is rather weird trying to deliberately make your cheese wrong but  was buying this stuff and it went up to $25/3 pounds. For screwed up cheddar? That's nuts!

[anutcanfly]

That's not nearly as insane as paying extra for food that has been processed less?  Go figure! 

[DeejayDebi]

Yeah I never did understand that one either. If you don't put stuff in it cost more? Weird world!

[Boofer]

Anut, I was looking for a Cheddar recipe to follow. I like your detail and pH points.

The wife will be away this week, so I'll pick up some raw Jersey milk and make my first Cheddar (my Double Gloucester doesn't count).

I just need to find a way to isolate it from the Fourme d'Amberts in the caves. Hmmm. I think I need another (3rd) cave. 

-Boofer-

[knipknup]

Great looking and thanks for the recipe.

Sounds like I need a ph meter.

[Sailor Con Queso]

Boof, Why not just add a regular size refrigerator with an external temperature controller? You can find used ones really cheap.

[Threelittlepiggiescheese]

people give away fridges regularly on craigslist or whatever your local website is, ours is usedeverywhere

[anutcanfly]

Getting an extra cave would be nice, but where do you put them? 

Goodluck with your make Boofer. 

[Boofer]

Getting an extra cave would be nice, but where do you put them? 

Exactly...no room. Thanks for the suggestion, Sailor. I guess I was just wishing and hoping...and dreaming. If I really needed it, I have an unused chest freezer that was bought years back for lagering beer kegs. I could press that into service with no problem.

Thanks for the encouragement, anut.

-Boofer-

[Boofer]

Weighed my cheese this morning and was surprised to find out it weighed 5 lbs!  The cheddar I made last week weighed 4 1/2 pounds.  The only thing I did different was to slightly reduce the amount of culture.  I held it at 102 degrees 30 minutes when pH was 6.3 (instead of 40 minutes, pH 6.2) and I cheddared 71 minutes until pH was 5.8 (last time I cheddared 85 minutes and milled and salted at pH 5.5)

Interesting to see how much a small adjustment can change the finished cheese!

I'm sorry, anut. I'm still hung up on your 5 lbs of cheese from 4 gallons milk. Checking the forum's guidelines, I find that my cheeses pretty much conform to those limits. I get 3-4 lb cheeses typically using 4 gallons of Jersey milk. I might get a heavier cheese if it's washed curd and more moisture is added in, but still nothing that approaches 5 lbs.

Cooking the curds would shrink the curds and release whey. Your make shows you did just that. I'm puzzled. 

Did you zero your scale so that you're only weighing cheese and not a container too?

-Boofer-