Havarti #1

[scasnerkay]

Cheese # 21 - HAVARTI
I mostly followed recipes found here on the forum, except I just used the cultures I had on hand, the same ones I used for gouda. I was not sure what multiplier to use for flocculation, so went with 3.5. I found pH indicators for the time to stop pressing, and met those, but included other measurements along the way. The timing of the process seemed to match up well with what was expected.
Ingredients:
2 Gallons Pasturized, non-homoginized milk (pH 6.7)
1/8 tsp Flora Danica
1/8 tsp MM100
¼ tsp Calcium chloride in ¼ cup water
1.75 ml calf rennet mixed in 1/4 cup water
1 Tblsp sea salt
Procedure:
Started about 2:00. Took about 40 mins to bring milk to 86-88 °F (the cream from this batch of milk was very difficult to stir into the milk)
Sprinkled on cultures, waited 5 mins and stirred in. Ripened milk for about 30 minutes (pH 6.6)
Temp holding well. Stirred in calcium chloride, stirring well to try and get fat floating on top mixed in.
3:35: Stirred in rennet. Flocculation 15 mins, multiplier of 3.5, nice clean break at 4:30.
4:30: Cut curd into less than ½ inch as best I could. Let cut curd rest 5 mins. Gently stirred curd for 15 minutes while keeping 86-88 °F.
Let curds rest 5 mins, then drained off about 1/3 of whey.
Added  enough 130°F water to raise the temp to 94°F and stirred for 5 min.
Added more water to raise to a temperature of 98 °F.
Added salt and stirred for 30 minutes at 97-98 °F.
5:45: Let curds rest for 5 mins. (pH 6.4)
Drained off liquid and stirred to break up the curds.
Scooped the cheese into the hoop, with it barely fitting. Had to really kind of push it in.
Pressed with 5 # for 10 mins. (pH 6.3)
Flipped and pressed at 10 # for 15 mins.
Flipped and pressed at 10 # for 15 mins.
6:45: (pH 6.2) Flipped and pressed at 10 # for 30 mins.
7:20: (pH 6.0) Flipped and pressed at 15 # for 30 mins. Increased the weight for the last bit to make sure enough whey had come out since cheese seemed kind of soft still, but with nice knit.
7:50 (pH 5.9) Took cheese out of press. Weighed in at 2 # 3 0z.
Then into water for about 2 hours.
My plan is to put it into saturated brine for overnight, then onto the counter for controlled drying with a cover over it for a day or two.
I am not sure how to treat this one after it makes a rind. My thought is to treat it as I have my other cheeses, with turning it frequently in the cave, and oiling it when it seems dry enough.
Probably I will eat it young, because I am anxious to see how it turns out.

[DeejayDebi]

Good luck. Havarti is a pretty young cheese anyway so the small wait would be worth your time. I have a habit of eatting my curds during the make. That is how I know when to move on to the next step. I go by feel and taste. I guess that also helps to quell my curiosity and let my cheeses age. Hard to teach an ole girl new tricks! 

[scasnerkay]

"I go by feel and taste."
Debi,
Can you describe the sensory experience of what you are feeling and tasting? Is it different for different cheeses? I think I am starting to recognize the feel of the curds when they are about ready to go to the press. My impression is that it seems like the curds are somewhat springy and squeaky, and have a little resistance to compression when I taste them. What words would you use to describe "knowing when to move on to the next step"? I tried to figure out how to search for information on this experience, but did not find what I was looking for.
Susan

[DeejayDebi]

Susan
I think you've pretty much hit the nail on the head as they say. Each type of cheese does have a slightly different mouth feel, taste and texture although some are pretty close. I am not very good at explaining taste or feel but an good example would be to compare havarti to cheddar.

Your havarti was soft and springy almost like an old marshmellow with a very slight hint of flavor almost creamy flavor and a tiny squeek. The cheddar with be more firm, very springy like warm mozzarella and very squeeky and taste like more like a good mozzarella with a small hint of a very mild cheddar.

God does that make any sense to you? If you are already doing this you will get the hang of it quickly as you make different cheeses. One thing you should never get is a mouth full of whey just curd. If you are getting a bunch of whey it is either not ready yet or you cooked them to fast and trapped whey inside. Of course this only works for the semi firm and firm cheeses or renneted cheeses it doesn't work for say lactic acid cheeses because they don't really have chewable curds. Hope that helped - I get the impression you are on your way already.

[scasnerkay]

It is 2 weeks since I made the havarti, and it has a nice rind while it is resting in the cave. I am not sure of what treatment it should have now. Oil it, wax it, or bag it? Any comments?

[DeejayDebi]

I will almost always say bag it! Never had mold in a vaccum bag and keeps the cheese moist.

[scasnerkay]

Do I need to wait the 4 to 6 weeks for maturing with this cheese, or bag it now at about 2 weeks?

[DeejayDebi]

I bag as soon as it's dry so it stays soft.

[onnalee13]

Novice here, i'm like 4 lbs of cheese out the gate... lol
Had a question on cultures. Can you substitute Mesophilic C101 for Flora Danica in this recipe? I compared and the Flora Danica is more complex with 2 other bacteria present.
Thanks!

[scasnerkay]

As a follow up on this make... I cut into this cheese this weekend for a potluck. So it was about 3 months along.  I did bag it at about 2.5 weeks. It has almost no rind.  It was very good!! Not as creamy as I had thought I was looking for, and a bit more firm.  But smooth and with a delightful aftertaste. Actually it was very similar in flavor to the gouda I recently opened.  Same cultures.... I would definitely make this one again...