Hi,
Well with Bastille day just gone past I decided I should make a French cheese. Since storming the Bastille isn't something one does every day, I thought I should try something new as well, so I made my first Tomme based upon Pav's instructions. I had to use buttermilk and Flora Danica as my starter, so it's not quite right, but I'm hoping it will be ok. Everything seems to have gone ok. Certainly a much softer feeling cheese than I'm used to when I'm flipping it. Anyway, will brine it tomorrow and will include photos. All I've got now is the heat rise chart, and though I reached temperature a coupld minutes early, I think I'm probably ok.
Tomme (Pav’s instructions) Sunday, July 15, 2012
11 L Standard Home Brand
2 ice cubes fd
4 ice cubes buttermilk
¼ tsp 50% CaCl
7 ml Renco
•Warm 11 litres milk 31.10C (??.? C : ??:??)
•add culture @ 7:12, 30.1 continue to heat to 31.1 at 7:15
•Ripen for 30 mins at 31.10C (88 F) (7:15 - 7:45 ; 30.8.?C)
•add CaCl2 diluted in cold water
•add rennet (7:47:30 30.8 C)
• floc time (8:00:45 = 13m 15sec 3x = floc time 39m 15sec = cut time 8:27:15)
•Cut into 1/4 inch cubes, let rest 5 mins (8:35 - 8:40)
•Stir and increase temp to 37.80C (100 F) over 30 mins. Hold at 37.80C (100 F) until the curd is at the right texture. You can tell this by pressing a tablespoon of curd in your hand. It should mat together slightly and be somewhat firm.
8:45 - 9:12; End temp - 38.1 C – hold 9:12- 10:00)
•Drain in vat or warm colander. pH should be 6.35 or higher. Let curds mat and press slightly under whey. Drained at 10:00 into mould. Flipped at 11 and 11:15
•Put into cheesecloth lined molds. This cheese sticks, so soak the cheesecloth in pH 5.2 whey beforehand.
•Press under own weight turning at 15 min, 30 min, and 1 hour increments. (flipped through the day; with 2.5 kg as weight)
•Press until pH is 5.4 or overnight. (pressed until 3:00 am)
•Brine in fully saturated brine 3-4 hours per lb of cheese. (1.652kg = 10.9 - 14.5 hours in the brine)
Brined from 3:00 am to 4:30, = 13.5 hours in the brine. Final weight 1638g ; 15.4cm x 7.9cm = 1471 ccm, for a density of 1.11 g/ccm. Bigger than my usual makes, but used an additional litre, and also the low press weight seems to leave the cheese quite "spongy" feeling compared to things like caerphilly and other cheddar types.
•Leave at12.8-18.30C (55-65 F) for a day at ~70% RH for the outer rind to dry a little before moving to the cave.
•Age 3-6 months at 10-12.80C (50-55F), 85-92% RH (or higher if using special rind treatment or making a b linens variant). Natural or oil rubbed rind.
Made a 3% brine solution (129g water, 4g non iodized salt) with 1/40 tsp b.linens on Saturday, July 21 (am). Washed the cheese with the brine that evening.
Washed again Monday, July 23, am.
Washed again Wednesday, July 25, am.
Washed again Friday, July 27, am.
Washed again, Sunday, July 29, am. Some hints of an orangish colour may be showing.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012: Washed with above solution again (am). (tacky surface, perhaps some colour)
Saturday, Aug 4, 2012: Washed with above solution again (am). (tacky, some colour, some mould)