Another week...another cheese.
I had a whole bunch of glass milk bottles to return to the store. I pondered whether I should just return them...or
exchange them. I decided it would be interesting to duplicate
my Cheddar effort from last week...with slight variations.
This is my second try at Cheddar and my 49th cheese overall. I proved to myself that I'm still learning with each make following this effort. The pH curve was off the rails, owing to the use of a fresh primer and the change in culture. Pretty potent culture!
Initial pH: 6.84
Renneting pH: 6.59 (target: 6.55)
Cutting pH: 6.47 (target: 6.5)
Drain pH: 6.10 (target: 6.5)
Milling pH: ? (target: 6.45)
Moulding/Pressing pH: 5.49 (target: 6.4)
Out of press pH: 5.12 (target: 5.4)
4 gallons Twin Brooks whole creamline milk
8 ounces fresh Alp D mother culture
1 tsp annatto, in ¼ cup distilled water
1 tsp CACL, ¼ cup in distilled water
1/16 tsp Renco dry calf rennet, dissolved in ¼ cup cold distilled water
3 TBS pickling salt
Followed same guidelines as last week regarding temperatures, floc'ing, pressing, and air-drying.
The make went more rapidly than last week and the acidity started off okay, but then accelerated. Some of my pH points were missed but I am hoping that the long affinage will bring any correction needed.
The wheel wasn't pressed as long as last week's (only 4 hours), but the acidity encouraged me to stop the pressing. It seemed dry enough after 15 hours, so I sealed it and put it in the cave with the other one.
Now we wait....
-Boofer-