Author Topic: My First Baby Swiss  (Read 6820 times)

Offline scasnerkay

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My First Baby Swiss
« on: May 21, 2012, 11:39:53 PM »
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…
« Last Edit: May 22, 2012, 02:48:59 AM by scasnerkay »
Susan

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Re: My First Baby Swiss
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2012, 12:01:48 AM »
Looks great!  But wait...14 tsp calcium chloride!  :o Yeah, I know...a missing slash.  :D

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Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: My First Baby Swiss
« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2012, 03:08:07 AM »
Maye that's a 114 pound cheeese Boofer!

anutcanfly

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Re: My First Baby Swiss
« Reply #3 on: May 22, 2012, 05:54:41 PM »
You'll like this cheese.  Mine is disappearing fast!  I'm going to make Swiss styles more often.  Homemade is so much better than what I've bought at the grocery store.  Besides, you get to enjoy them sooner!  :P

PS. This may not happen to you, but I've noticed that when using P/H store bought milk and calcium chloride, that a bitter taste develops after about 3 months.  So my younger cheeses were good, but the ones I tried to age got bitter.  To date those cheeses are still bitter!  If I lose my supply of raw milk I will likely only make cheeses I can eat young.
« Last Edit: May 22, 2012, 05:59:49 PM by anutcanfly »

Offline scasnerkay

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Re: My First Baby Swiss
« Reply #4 on: May 30, 2012, 04:26:29 AM »
After 7 days, I lightly applied olive oil to the surface of the baby, and place it in a box with lid for the 70 degree phase. As you can see in the photo, after 24 hours, there is a fair amount of slumping going on, and I am finding too much condensation. So I have cracked open the lid.
Susan

anutcanfly

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Re: My First Baby Swiss
« Reply #5 on: May 30, 2012, 02:37:44 PM »
Looking good!  Is that slumping or swelling?

Offline scasnerkay

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Re: My First Baby Swiss
« Reply #6 on: June 09, 2012, 04:10:09 PM »
At about 2 weeks at 75 degrees, the sides of the cheese remain very bowed as in the photo previously posted, but the top and bottom remain absolutely flat. Should I continue to let it stay at this temp in its mini cave? I have to keep wiping it down with salt and brine to combat the furry white mold and the dark spots.
Susan

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Re: My First Baby Swiss
« Reply #7 on: June 10, 2012, 05:27:18 AM »
Keep on keepin' on.

My Maasdam is at the 3 week point in its Warm Period and it requires mold maintenance every other day. One more week ought to do it though. Not much swelling on the flat side.

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BethGi

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Re: My First Baby Swiss
« Reply #8 on: July 23, 2012, 12:28:06 PM »
So I have another Jarlsberg underway. It is just starting its 'warmup' after two weeks in cool down. Last time I had bagged (not vacuumed) my Jarlsberg and had great success. This time, I have it unbagged and unwaxed. I did a salt rubdown when I first took it out from the cave. But I have read that the natural rind can crack....do I need to be concerned about that?

The cheese is about 4 lbs. and 7" in diameter and 2" high. (I also worry whether that profile will dry out too much?)

Any thoughts on the rind treatment?

Tomer1

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Re: My First Baby Swiss
« Reply #9 on: July 23, 2012, 02:09:06 PM »
Will a temp over 75f , say 80-85f cause unwanted post make acidification?
Id like to try making one but its really hot right now.

Tiffany

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Re: My First Baby Swiss
« Reply #10 on: August 14, 2012, 01:54:14 PM »
I would love to see the hole formation in this cute lil cheese!  looks like wonderful swelling.  I never get much but I have done larger diameter vs tall cheese.  am making a 6 gallon batch today I believe.  this recipe seems almost too easy wondering what the final product is like before making it.
tif
i enclosed a photo of my last baby swiss.  so you see what I mean by the size. 

Offline scasnerkay

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Re: My First Baby Swiss - Taste test!
« Reply #11 on: September 19, 2012, 01:46:20 AM »
Too bad my camera isn't working, or I could show a picture of the pretty little baby swiss, with nice holes!!
I just couldn't wait anymore...  About 3.5 months along.... Smooth, creamy, nutty, and good!! My family does not much like the swiss or Jarlsberg type cheese, but I sure do. Now, who can I share this baby with!!
Susan

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Re: My First Baby Swiss - Taste test!
« Reply #12 on: September 19, 2012, 02:44:32 PM »
Too bad my camera isn't working, or I could show a picture of the pretty little baby swiss, with nice holes!!
I just couldn't wait anymore...  About 3.5 months along.... Smooth, creamy, nutty, and good!! My family does not much like the swiss or Jarlsberg type cheese, but I sure do. Now, who can I share this baby with!!
Teaser.  :)

I'll PM my address so you'll know where to send it.  ;)

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

Alpkäserei

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Re: My First Baby Swiss
« Reply #13 on: September 20, 2012, 11:50:52 PM »
You could almost make a raclette using that recipe, about all you would need to do differently is omit the PS, and go for a fully natural rind.

And someone asked about natural rinds cracking, to prevent this, you have to keep them constantly wet until the rind has developed (you get a good golden color), and then keep them moist for a good amount of time after that.