Author Topic: Esrom (#4) with Herbes de Provence...another brick in the wall  (Read 21936 times)

Offline Boofer

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Oh boy, a busy weekend while the wife is out of town.

Friday: Esrom #4
Saturday: Double Gloucester #1

This particular make introduces me to the use of mother cultures. I have resisted the call to move to them for quite some time, but decided 2012 was the time to get into it. This and the Gloucester prove to me that I should have started using mother cultures a long time ago.

Starting pH for the milk: 6.72 @ 6:20AM

1 gallon Dungeness Valley Creamery whole raw milk
1 gallon Twin Brook Creamery 2% milk
2 gallons Twin Brook Creamery whole creamline milk
8 cubes (8 oz) Aroma B mesophilic
1/16 tsp PLA (I liked the rind treatment that I got from using this on my last Tilsit.)
1/2 tsp CACL diluted in 1/4 cup distilled water
1/16 tsp dry calf rennet dissolved in cold distilled water
1 TBS Organic Herbes de Provence, boiled in 1 cup distilled water and cooled

6:30AM - began heating milk and culture cubes
7:35AM - pH 6.65 @ 88F
7:53AM - pH 6.60 @ 89F - added CACL, rennet, and herbes water (I think my meter is fooling me)
8:12AM - pH 6.67 - floc'd in 21 min - using a multiplier of 3.5 gives me 73.5...make that 74 min to wait
9:26AM - cut curds to 1 inch; rested curds for 5 min
9:31AM - using whisk, cut curds to 1/4 inch, stirring gently
9:35AM - replaced 1 1/2 gallon of whey with 98F water, stirring gently for 60 min
9:36AM - reserved 1 gallon of whey for whey-brine
10:45AM - drained remaining whey from curds and mixed cooled Herbes de Provence with curds
11:00AM - using hands, placed curds into prepared brick mold with Plyban, pressing down into corners to ensure a good knit
11:15AM - pressed in pot with lid on using 10lb weight for 30 min
11:45AM - flipped, redressed, pressed in pot with lid on using 10lb weight for 30 min
12:15PM - pH 6.37; flipped, removed Plyban, pressed naked in pot on press with 22lbs for 5 hrs
3:30PM - pH 5.60; flipped, continued pressing
5:30PM - pH 5.41; removed from mold; into whey-brine for 6 hrs
11:30PM - flipped in whey-brine
3/10/12
5:30AM - out of whey-brine (total 12hrs); into minicave to dry

pH targets:
renneting: (6.55) 6.60 actual (according to my meter  ::) )
cutting: (6.50) 6.60 actual (again, according to my meter   :P )
draining: (6.45) tough to do because the whey is washed
molding: (6.40) 6.37 actual (hey, what a surprise!)
demolding: (5.40) 5.41 actual ( I guess the planets are lined up.  ;) )

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

JeffHamm

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Re: Esrom (#4) with Herbes de Provence...another brick in the wall
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2012, 05:39:14 PM »
This will be interesting.  You've been getting quite a bit of use out of that brick mould, so, all in all it's just another brick in the wall I suppose.  When I saw your pH for rennet and cutting were the same by your meter, all that I could think was "No! Do it again!".  Hmmm, must stop that now.  ha!  Anyway, well done and looking forward to seeing how this one progresses.

- Jeff

Offline Boofer

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Re: Esrom (#4) with Herbes de Provence...another brick in the wall
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2012, 05:59:34 PM »
"No! Do it again!".
Thanks, Jeff. The thing is, if I get a suspicious reading, I do attempt to get a non-suspicious reading. After a bit, I write if off to the quirk of the meter. I used to fanatically follow the whims of the meter. After frustration, disappointment, disillusionment, and just a lot of disgusting meter performance, I decided I needed to feel the process and the milk more intimately.

The meter is fallible. It gives an assist, but is not the final say in what I do to the milk. Hey, it's not a perfect world right now, but I think it is improving. Repetition, observation, correction. In my particular world of cheese I'm finding out what works for me, what I like and don't like, and trying to learn how and where I can improve. I give credit to the forum and the members who have advised me over time. I've gathered a lot of good information and been able to incorporate it into what I do.

See, that meter just made me get up on my soapbox. Evil meter...  >:D

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

Cloversmilker

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Re: Esrom (#4) with Herbes de Provence...another brick in the wall
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2012, 06:39:39 PM »
Great looking cheese!

You shouldn't say that stuff about your pH meter.  It allows me to justify my pH meter free cheese making and continue on my merry way completely ignorant of acidity profiles.   ;)

JeffHamm

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Re: Esrom (#4) with Herbes de Provence...another brick in the wall
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2012, 07:49:13 PM »
Hi Boofer,

Yah, from what I've gathered the meters are a bit wonky at times.  Still, as long as they generally produce reliable results then it can speed the learning process by letting you know where you are in the acidity curve.  Also, I suppose, they can give you an idea of how well your cultures are working. 

But, having priced an Extech 100 here in NZ at well over $300 (while they're around $85 in the US), I might just hold off on getting one until I'm in Canada next time.  We're going this coming Christmas, so not too far off.

Anyway, the herbs look to be very nicely distributed.  Should be a great treat.

- Jeff

anutcanfly

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Re: Esrom (#4) with Herbes de Provence...another brick in the wall
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2012, 07:59:32 PM »
I get quirky results as well in those first readings and have learned to forge ahead when my meter does that.  Overall, having a meter has improved my cheesemaking 10 fold!

You're cheeses are looking great Boofer!  Why does your wife need to be out of town?  They don't get smelly for weeks?

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Esrom (#4) with Herbes de Provence...another brick in the wall
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2012, 03:12:49 AM »
Nice looking cheese Boofer

Offline Boofer

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Re: Esrom (#4) with Herbes de Provence...another brick in the wall
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2012, 01:49:45 PM »
Why does your wife need to be out of town?  They don't get smelly for weeks?
Actually, she doesn't smell at all. That's not why she's away.  ;)

Thanks for the good thoughts. Like my recent Leyden with cumin I was somewhat afraid to put anything in my pristine cheese. For this one, like that one, I only used a tablespoon of herbs, not wishing to overdo it. I wanted cheese with herb flavor, not herbs with cheese flavor.  :)

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Esrom (#4) with Herbes de Provence...another brick in the wall
« Reply #8 on: March 12, 2012, 07:31:36 PM »
I know what you mean! I made one according to a book recipe that called for 2 tablespoons of cummin and I don't really like cummin. YUCK! The guys at work ate it in short order though.

Offline Boofer

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Re: Esrom (#4) with Herbes de Provence...another brick in the wall
« Reply #9 on: March 14, 2012, 07:47:47 PM »
Started the wash cycle. A few bits of herb came off...to be expected.

Gave it a little air time.

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Esrom (#4) with Herbes de Provence...another brick in the wall
« Reply #10 on: March 15, 2012, 12:53:31 AM »
That really looks good!

Offline Boofer

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Re: Esrom (#4) with Herbes de Provence...another brick in the wall
« Reply #11 on: March 19, 2012, 02:18:18 PM »
I'm a little disappointed. I expected the rind development to begin by this time.

To give it a kick in the pants, this morning I misted with PLA that I rehydrated yesterday. Fingers crossed. I should get something going this week.

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

anutcanfly

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Re: Esrom (#4) with Herbes de Provence...another brick in the wall
« Reply #12 on: March 19, 2012, 03:39:39 PM »
You cross your fingers and I'll cross my toes!  We went to the cheese festival and I got to sample a lot of blues and I still have no idea what I want or how to make it!  I did try a cheese with cumin and I think I'll skip on strong spices awhile.  You couldn't taste the cheese.  Hope your works out to be tasty.   :)

Offline Hande

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Re: Esrom (#4) with Herbes de Provence...another brick in the wall
« Reply #13 on: March 19, 2012, 06:51:39 PM »
Boofer, your Esrom looking good  :)
To me PLA takes 2-3 weeks that something happen.

How you take your PH measuring ?
I like to take my sample in small cup and put that in bigger glass.
So I put meter in sample and launch timer to 2 min.
2 min seems to be good time that meter has time to get balance.
I like that system, and yours hands are free to work,  or taste some wine  :)

Hande

JeffHamm

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Re: Esrom (#4) with Herbes de Provence...another brick in the wall
« Reply #14 on: March 19, 2012, 07:23:25 PM »
If you wash it, it will come.  Patience grasshopper should sound familiar! :)

- Jeff