Cheese # 23: First Baby Swiss
After almost 2 months without making a pressed cheese, I am really happy to have a chance to try again. I enjoyed the Jarlsberg we opened for Mother's Day, so this seemed a natural cheese to do.
Using notes from other makes on this site, the floc multiplier is 3.5, and the pH targets are 6.4 drain, 5.6 brine
2 gallons pasturized/non-homoginized whole milk (pH 6.6)
¼ tsp Flora Danica
1/16 tsp PS
1/4 tsp calcium chloride in ¼ cup water (Not sure I need it with this milk, but cheap insurance…)
1.75 ml liquid calf rennet (Mad Millie) in ¼ cup water
Milk heated on diffuser over direct low flame, stirring often, to 90 degrees.
Added cultures, rehydrate 5 minutes. Stirred in and ripen for 45 mins, and pH was 6.5.
Stirred in calcium chloride
Added rennet. Floc in 12 minutes x 3.5 = 42 minutes.
Cut curd into 3/8 inch cubes and let rest 5 minutes.
Stir curds at 90 degrees for 15 minutes. Settle 5 – 10 minutes. Still measuring pH 6.5
Remove 1/3 of whey and replaced with 140-degree water, raising the temp to 102 degrees.
Stirred for 40 minutes maintaining temp of 102. Settled curds 10 – 15 minutes
pH was still 6.5, but curds were matting, squeaky, and felt like they were ready for the next stage. I am not so sure I am trusting this pH meter…
Drained whey to one inch above curds, pressing down with hand on curds.
Pressed under whey for about 10 mins, then moved curds into cheesecloth lined hoop and put back into the whey with 5 # on for another 15 mins. PH was still 6.5
Took hoop out of whey, and into press. Pressed at 10# for 30 mins, redressed and 20 # for one hour, redressed and 20 # another hour, measuring the pH of the whey draining off at 6.3. Redressed and weight to 30# and pH at 5.9. Redressed and pressing at 30#.
At about 5 hours in the press pH of whey now 5.6
It is bedtime, so into the brine for about 7 hours of sleep time….
Out of the brine, weighing in at 2#, and planning on air drying for one week. My temperature choices are 50 degrees, or 75 degrees inside the house in the daytime, so it is going to rest at 50 degrees.
After a week, I plan to oil the rind, and put it out for the PS to work…