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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => RENNET COAGULATED - Semi-Hard "Sweet" Washed Curd => Topic started by: Cheese Head on June 13, 2008, 05:56:01 PM
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Today with my new press and larger 6" diameter molds I make my biggest cheese todate, using this Gouda Recipe/Directions (http://cheeseforum.org/Recipes/Recipe_Cabre_al_Vino.htm) scaled up to 3 US gallons of store bought pasterurized, homogenized, whole cow's, milk ;D!
OK the choice of a simple plain Gouda is boring compared to what some users are making, the reason for choosing this are:
- My wife likes and will help me eat it (vs my very colourful blue cheese).
- I'm using new to me CHR Hansen rennet (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php?topic=148.0) that I tempted fate buying off of ebay in a baggy.
- My 6" diameter mold and up to 500 lb / 227 kg press (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php?topic=105.0) is new to me.
- Today is Friday the 13th and I don't want to tempt fate!
MAKING - JUN 13, 2008
- 1:00PM Warmed milk, added calcium chloride and 15 ice cubes of homemade mesophilic culture (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php?topic=15.0). (Note, condensation on outside of stockpot from cool milk, even inside AC'd house, as humidity now very high here in Houston).
- 1:30PM Opened CHR Hansen rennet package for 75 liters/20 US gallons milk means need 15% of content, assumed needed 20% (33% excess) over directions and tried to whey but home scales not accurate enough. Decided to divide into 5 even piles and diluted one in water and whisked into milk, and covered to let curd set.
- 3:15PM Curd set, but not clean break.
- 4:15PM Curd set, OK, not great clean break. Cut curds, started slow warming.
- 5:00PM Started cooking, draining and replacing whey.
- 6:00PM Started draining whey in cheesecloth lined colander.
- 6:30PM Started light pressing phase (using double bottle of rum as weight ;)) in fine weave nylon cheesecloth (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php?topic=150.msg368#msg368). (Daughter's try at homemade fudge to upper right).
- 7:00PM Removed cheese, found small amount of curd had been expressed up and around follower as follower slightly too small, flipped and replaced for second light pressing.
- 8:00PM Moved cheese and mold to heavy press, added extra base pad for height above whey. Found smaller 4" mold is too short for spacer, improvised with tupperware spagetty tube, started with medium three 9 lb/4 kg 12 packs for weight as small concern that new thin nylon cheesecloth may allow curd to extrude while still wet.
- 10:00PM Added two more boxes of soda pop weights for heavy overnight press with five 9 lb/4 kg 12 packs + shelf = 50 lb/23 kg.
MAKING - JUN 14, 2008
- 9:00AM Removed cheese from heavy press and removed nylon cheesecloth, still had small cheesecloth fold lines up sides and cheese stuck little to cloth. More curds extruded around follower as cut slightly too small for very thin nylon cloth. Cheese is still quite soft inside.
- 9:15AM Placed cheese in saturated brine bath.
- 11:15AM Removed from brine, semi-hard rind formed, patted dry and placed on mat in my Cheese Cave #4 (medium fridge set on warmest setting to dry and start aging process.
AFINAGE (AGING)
- June 17, 2008 6:00AM Removed cheese from medium fridge as still too cold on warmest setting at 44 F/7 C and placed in plastic box to control humidity to ~ 80% and placed in very cold household fridge.
- June 17, 2008 6:00PM Turned large gouda and added wine bathed gouda to box.
- June 18, 2008 Replaced sushi mat with clean one and turned cheese.
- June 19, 2008 Replaced sushi mat with clean one and turned cheese.
- June 20, 2008 Cheese dry to touch sealed for long term aging in vacuum bag.
- June 26, 2008 On close inspection, found water around outside of cheeses inside vacuum bag. Removed from bag and placed on plate in fridge to dry.
- June 27, 2008 Re-sealed in vacuum bags.
- July 3, 2008 Water around cheese again, removed from bag, drained, dryed, cut and ate a piece, little crumbly, nice medium strength taste, placed in Freezer Cheese Cave.
THOUGHTS
- Fine weave nylon cheesecloth used in press was much more efficient at draininig whey even without weight than using thick tight weave cotton cheesecloth, and no loss of curds even with medium weights. But had to peel off after overnight heavy press as slightly embedded into curd, super fine weave may reduce this.
- Follower cut slightly too small allowing curd to extrude past it as nylon cheesecloth wrapped over top of follower to get flat top of pressed cheese rather than lined from cloth.
- After heavy press, cheese is still quite soft inside, presumably as quite tall (6" diameter x 6 in height) and thus tougher for moisture inside to escape through dryer cheese at edge, maybe this is why cheese is traditionally built in wheels that are wider than taller.
- Had problem of water from cheese between cheese and vacuum bag seal. Next time, age - dry longer in Cheese Cave before sealing.
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Second 4 pictures . . .
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Third 4 pictures . . .
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Fourth pictures . . .
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That cheese is looking great! It also looks like the press is working very well also.
Great idea for a press and nice outcome with the cheese. ;D
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Thanks DD, but it's only started aging now so long road still to go.
My thin nylon cheesecloth worked reasonably well but as you can see from pictures I still have fold lines around side of cheese. I'm starting to think the only way around this is either no liner or cut and sew one in shape of barrel to perfectly fit.
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looking good CH, looking good. how do you like the 6" mold ?
nice to be able make a larger wheel as the 4" wheels don't last very long ;-)
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Thanks reg, yep nice to make a larger wheel, as frankly the 1 US gallon milk/ 1 lb size are a lot of work for a smallish cheese that doesn't last long ;D.
But I am surprised at with 3 US gallons everything sizes up! For example, 1) new 3 US gallon stockpot was full to the brim when stirring so I had to pour it into my largest 4 US gallon stockpot, & 2) separating curds and whey in my old cheesecloth lined kitchen colander wasn't large enough, in fact I found I could do a reasonable good job of moving the whey by making a hole in the curds in the stockpot for the whey to concentrate in and just ladle it out from there. On next cheese making I may just do that and skip the cheesecloth lined colander step.
My new cheese is now 1/2 a day old in my new cheese cave, an old small fridge.
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CH, what are you doing to get that nice rounded edge on your cheese. It finishes it up nicely.
How do you go from this:
(http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=170.0;attach=489;image)
To this:
(http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=170.0;attach=492;image)
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Nuttin, only change was to cut off the extruded curd lip from follower being slightly too small, and flip the cheese, the rounded edge is just the bottom part of the nylon cheesecloth being stressed while pressed.
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But it is a good question as asthetically, reg's cheeses look the smoothest and niced, especially when they are oiled up ;D.
I've bought and used very thin fine mesh nylon cheesecloth to reduce bulk of cloth folded up sides, but still ridges. Only other options I can think of are:
- Thinner cheeses so less noticable.
- Sew a perfect fitting barrel shapped bag to fit the mold, a lot of work.
- Go without one, ie no liner in press, but probably extrude curds out holes.
- Shave the sides of the cheese until smooth, no way, waste of good curds!
Any other ideas?
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The basic cheesecloth has been working well for me. Also I put a piece of thin plastic on top before folding the cloth over the top to avoid those creases. I don't, however get those nice, rounded edges like you get.
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Had water buildup between vacuum bag and cheese again. Drained, ate piece, placed in freezer Cheese Cave, see notes above on texture and taste and picture of amount of water for 3 US gallon/3 lb/1.5 kg cheese, similar to first amount drained a week ago.
Will olive oil soon . . .