Author Topic: Double Gloucester...The First  (Read 12576 times)

Offline Boofer

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Double Gloucester...The First
« on: March 11, 2012, 07:54:53 AM »
Well, we've never been here before. Let's try this door....

"The adjective double refers to the fact that the traditional recipe for the cheese relies upon the milk from both morning and evening milkings. Double Gloucester has a flavor somewhere between Cheshire and Aged Cheddar. It has a hard, close, satiny texture and a pronounced but mellow taste that holds up well in cooking."


I had milk for making a cheese today but I had real trouble deciding what to do with the milk. I pondered over another Jarlsberg (using mesophilic as the Danes prescribe), Reblochon, Cantal, another Beaufort, another Tomme, a lactic, or another delightful excursion into Washed Rind Stinkyland (I think those are my favorites.). What difficulty!!

I had looked at the recipe for the Double Gloucester in the 200 Easy Cheeses book. I had even bent a page corner over. I waited until this morning when I finally decided I would like to try a Cheddar family cheese. Then too I have wanted to push my Dutch press a little harder than it's ever been pushed before.

Initial pH reading: 6.73 @ 6:30AM

1 gallon Dungeness Valley Creamery whole raw milk
1 gallon Twin Brook Creamery 2% creamline milk
2 gallons Twin Brook Creamery whole creamline milk
8 cubes (8 oz) Alp D mesophilic
1/2 tsp CACL diluted in 1/4 cup distilled water
1/2 tsp Annatto diluted in 1/4 cup distilled water
3/32 tsp dry calf rennet, dissolved in 1/4 cup cold distilled water
3 TBS of pickling salt

Followed recipe in 200 Easy Cheeses book.

Here are the highlights:
6:30AM - added cubes to cold milk, began heating to 90F
7:15AM - pH 6.65 @ 90.5F
7:50AM - pH 6.64 @ 92.1F
8:30AM - stirred in annatto
8:45AM - pH 6.57 @ 91F
8:48AM - stirred in CACL and rennet
8:57AM - floc'd in 9 min; using a 3x multiplier, I wait for 27 min and cut at 9:24.
9:35AM - delayed a bit; cut with knife to 1 inch; rest curds for 5 min.
9:40AM - using whisk, cut to 1/4 inch size, stirring gently
9:45AM - began heating to 99F; should take 45 min.
10:05AM - pH 6.43 @ 94.3F
10:30AM - pH 6.34 @ 98.4F; hold for 20 min.

After draining the whey, I formed the curd cake, cut it, salted the cut curds, and placed them in the Plyban-lined Tomme mold. I then pressed the cheese on the Dutch press using a 5lb weight and 2 pulleys which delivered 80lbs (1.9psi). After two hours pressing using the kettle inside the double boiler pot to maintain warmth, I flipped and redressed the cheese, and removed the kettle from the pot.

I wrapped the kettle with the seed warming mat and shrouded the kettle with a clean towel to retain the warmth. I applied a 25lb weight with 4 pulleys for a calculated pressure of 575lbs and 13.7psi. I find the pressing business is an inexact process. A close guesstimate. The highest calculated weight I have recorded is 356lbs, measured in the real world with a health scale using an applied weight of 350lbs. That's pretty close.

8:45PM - pH 5.20; flipped, rewrapped, and continued pressing.

My house setback thermostat turns the heat down to 65F at night. Currently, at 11:50PM, the temperature of the room with the press is 67F. The wireless humidistat shows the temperature on the cheese at 76.8F. Nice.  8)

I included a pic of my vacuum-sealed cultures that live in my freezer. It occurred to me shortly after I started this cheese making adventure that the dry cultures in the freezer might pick up moisture if not properly sealed against it. Vacuum-sealing helps to keep them at optimum quality.

-Boofer-
« Last Edit: March 14, 2012, 08:04:54 PM by Boofer »
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

JeffHamm

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Re: Double Gloucester...The First
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2012, 04:19:03 PM »
That looks like everything went to plan.  I recall Deejay Debbie raved about Cotswold, which is Double Gloc. with chives and onions, a year or two ago and I copied her recipe.  I've been meaning to make it as Double Gloc. ever since, and almost did this past weekend, so I'm going to live vicariously through you for this one.  Looking forward to seeing how it comes out of the press.  Looks like you've got the press working hard. 

- Jeff

Offline Boofer

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Re: Double Gloucester...The First
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2012, 05:34:23 PM »
Stop the press!

I had my doubts about the acidity for this new style for me. Never made anything in the cheddar family. Never pressed this hard. Never pressed this long. Only the second make with mother cultures. I figured I'd be lucky if I got a 4.00 reading. Surprise!! pH=5.19!! Last night around 8:30PM it read 5.20.

The difference in final weight compared to the Esrom #4 from Friday is about a pound. The cooking removed some weight, as did squeezing everything out of it as long as I could. I think I'm going to have one hard, dry cheese. Time will tell. I'm looking at six months affinage, which would put it around Labor Day...maybe the middle of September.

The question now is: do I vacuum-seal or try to develop a rind for a couple months and then vacuum-seal (to forestall additional moisture loss)?

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

JeffHamm

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Re: Double Gloucester...The First
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2012, 05:42:11 PM »
That is a beautiful looking wheel boofer!  I would suggest developing a natural rind for 4 to 6 weeks, then vac-pac it.  A cheese to you for such a great looking result. 

- Jeff

anutcanfly

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Re: Double Gloucester...The First
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2012, 08:05:23 PM »
I've been curious about that cheese.  Looking foward to you slicing in to it.  :)

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Double Gloucester...The First
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2012, 08:59:24 PM »
Ah Boofer that is a very promising make! Love the look of the curds at milling. Should be perfect!

Offline Boofer

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Re: Double Gloucester...The First
« Reply #6 on: March 14, 2012, 08:00:11 PM »
I checked the cheese over this morning and decided I had to seal it up to prevent any additional moisture loss.

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

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Double Gloucester...The First
« Reply #7 on: March 15, 2012, 12:46:21 AM »
Interesting cheese Boofer it looks like a teenage mutuant ninja turtle shell!

Offline Boofer

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Re: Double Gloucester...The First
« Reply #8 on: March 15, 2012, 03:49:10 AM »
Yeah, I needed to cut the curd smaller. I will do better next time. Still, I like it for a first effort.

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

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Double Gloucester...The First
« Reply #9 on: March 16, 2012, 12:55:04 AM »
I like it! Looks cool!  8)

anutcanfly

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Re: Double Gloucester...The First
« Reply #10 on: March 16, 2012, 03:30:43 PM »
It would really look awesome if the curds had been soaked in something green.  :)

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Double Gloucester...The First
« Reply #11 on: March 16, 2012, 06:19:05 PM »
It would really look awesome if the curds had been soaked in something green.  :)

Funny some of us have been trying to get that look with wines and ales and he gets it just pressing the curds! What a brat!  ;D

Offline Boofer

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Re: Double Gloucester...The First
« Reply #12 on: March 16, 2012, 11:57:07 PM »
It would really look awesome if the curds had been soaked in something green.  :)

Funny some of us have been trying to get that look with wines and ales and he gets it just pressing the curds! What a brat!  ;D
I love you  too!  :D

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

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Double Gloucester...The First
« Reply #13 on: March 17, 2012, 12:39:33 AM »
Sorry! Anut is a BAD influence on me!



You know we love you boofer!

anutcanfly

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Re: Double Gloucester...The First
« Reply #14 on: March 17, 2012, 12:58:09 AM »
 A)  >:D as do we!