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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => RENNET COAGULATED - Brine Ripened (Aegean Sea) => Topic started by: Spellogue on July 15, 2013, 11:57:59 PM

Title: First Feta...in a long time
Post by: Spellogue on July 15, 2013, 11:57:59 PM
Jumping back on the Feta band wagon!  I made it early on in the course of my cheesemaking follies, but they were really rustic stabs in the dark.  I hope this attempt will be a bit more refined.  Here's what I did so far:


CA137d.   7/14/13  feta
  7quart raw goat milk. Bring to 88F
  1/4 tsp aroma B
    Ripen 2.5 hr
  1/16 tsp lamb lipase dissolve in 1/4 cup filtered water hydrated for 2.5 hrs
  1/16 tsp calf rennet  6:29 pm
  Floc at.   6:35 pm.   6  min.   X3=. 18   min.   6:47pm
 Cut into 1/2 in dice
Heal 5 min
Stir 20 min raising temp to 90F.  Curd size evolved to mostly hazelnut size with many smaller bits.
Ladle into divided taleggio mold.

I plan to drain for 24hrs under no pressure.
I'll unmold and leave to dry for somewhere between 4-12 Hrs then move to 18% brine for 12 hrs. At that point I plan to dry again before cutting into 1-1/2 inch cubes and storing in a whey brine.  I'm thinking an 8% brine will be appropriate.

Here is my feta in the mold:


Title: Re: First Feta...in a long time
Post by: Spellogue on July 16, 2013, 12:34:29 AM
The long ripening time was due to an urgent concern involving a neighbor and some beer.  I always get short floc times with our goats milk, but the highly ripened milk made for a very short 6 minutes here.  If the knit is good, I'll shorten the draining/drying time if possible to compensate.  I don't want to over-acidify and risk a flinty end product.
Title: Re: First Feta...in a long time
Post by: Slemps on July 25, 2013, 08:18:50 AM
Hi Spellogue,

How did you get on with it in the end? Got any more pictures?

Sam.
Title: Re: First Feta...in a long time
Post by: Spellogue on July 25, 2013, 10:37:08 PM
The end isn't at hand just yet .  I figure this feta won't be ready to eat until about Labor Day (Sept. 2).  I do have a few iPhone pics. They'll probably show up sideways.    I tasted the cheese before packing it in it's keeping brine.  A tad firmer than the mark I was aiming to hit.  It was quite tasty, but the lipase wasn't showing through yet.  Jeff said his lipase flavor surfaced as his latest feta aged so u kept it to a light hand, especially since I used lamb lipase.  Time will tell if I'll want to increase it on the next make.  The salt seemed right to my taste, assertive but not aggressive.  I'm  hoping the 8% storage brine will keep the salt at the same level.

The jar in the middle of the last photo is Provençal chèvre in oil.

Two quarts of feta packed moderately tightly, estimating at just over 2 1/4 lbs of cheese.  I left it at room temp in the storage brine for 5 days before popping it in the fridge.  I'll try not to touch it other than for visual inspection until the end of the summer.
Title: Re: First Feta...in a long time
Post by: Slemps on July 26, 2013, 09:17:24 AM
Looks great. Tought to keep your hands off I bet!
Title: Re: First Feta...in a long time
Post by: Spellogue on September 03, 2013, 03:33:42 AM
I was able to hold off until today.  At 45 days this feta is pretty nice.  It is a rather firm cheese.  Not too salty, it is a hint less salty than the calamata olives with which I served it.  The lipase is noticeable but not overpowering, imparting a notion of ovine headiness.  I think it could stand some more aging to become a bit more assertive.  Overall though, it seems ready to eat.  I'm quite pleased.  This batch was a vast improvement over my first attempts at feta. 

It did make the yellow tomato seem a bit sweet.  I'll serve it with a red one next time.
Title: Re: First Feta...in a long time
Post by: hoeklijn on September 03, 2013, 03:02:44 PM
Nice feta, I just ordered the Danisco MT1 to also get back to feta...
Since I have acces to both sheep and goat milk, I'm planning to make a real traditional batch with 70% sheep and 30% goat... 
What's the size of the mold you're using and where did you find it?
Title: Re: First Feta...in a long time
Post by: Spellogue on September 03, 2013, 07:05:25 PM
That is a taleggio mold with the divider.  I ordered it from Yoav at artisangeek.com.  I think it only comes in one size, I want to say it is 9in x 9in by 6in high.  I highly recommend ordering the extra bottom to facilitate flipping.  I was surprised to find that the divider is only half as high as the mold itself, but I suppose you would typically be ladling a soft curd into this mold that would drift down to below the halfway point as it drains. 

I'm not familiar with MT1.  What is it?

Mmmmmm - sheeps milk. I haven't had any for a couple of years when I milked our babydoll Southdowns one season. That was a backbreaking challenge as they were a bit wild, but the cheeses I made using their milk was divine.  I used to have to straddle them while they were eating to apply the handmilker. 

A blended goat and sheeps milk feta sounds perfect!
Title: Re: First Feta...in a long time
Post by: Spellogue on September 04, 2013, 04:50:02 AM
I just measured the taleggio mold it is 7.5" x 7.5" x 5.75"   
Title: Re: First Feta...in a long time
Post by: hoeklijn on September 04, 2013, 05:50:50 AM
Thanks for the reply. I think that Taleggio mold will be the right one for my feta. MT1 is specially developd for feta, Yoav is selling it too http://artisangeek.com/danisco-choozit-mt1-specialty-feta-starter-mix/ (http://artisangeek.com/danisco-choozit-mt1-specialty-feta-starter-mix/).