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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => RENNET COAGULATED - Hard Cheddared (Normally Stacked & Milled) => Topic started by: Al Lewis on January 05, 2013, 06:09:37 PM

Title: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Al Lewis on January 05, 2013, 06:09:37 PM
Making my first Wensleydale today.  Most of what I'm doing is taken from Jeff Hamm's make however, I had to do some conversions due to the ingredients I'm using as opposed to those he uses.  We'll see how it comes out.  :o  Anyway, here's the recipe I'll be using for mine.

3 Gallons  PH whole milk + 1 quart heavy cream
1/4 tspn Flora Danica granules (Dissolved in warm milk for 30 mins)
1/8 tspn C21 buttermilk culture (Dissolved in warm milk for 30 mins)
1/2 tsp CaCl (33% solution) diluted in 1/4 cup warm water
30 drops calf rennet diluted in 1/4 cup warm water
Mold: 6” diameter
3 tbspn salt

1)   Warm milk to 90f
2)   Add starter and ripen 1 hour 20 minutes
3)   Add CaCl
4)   Add Rennet allow to set 1 hour
5)   Cut to ½” cubes
6)   Rest 5 minutes
7)   Hold temperature, stir gently for 1 hour 30 minutes
      Drain whey into pot for Ricotta
9)   Form a curd cake, and cut into blocks
10) Turn every 10 minutes for 30 minutes
11) Cut into 2” cubes and keep curds warm 30 minutes
12) Mill into fine crumb (Thumbnail size, and add salt after milling)
13) Press in the pot 30 minutes @ 25 pounds
14) Flip, redress, press in the pot 30 minutes @ 25 pounds
15) Flip, redress, press in the press 1 hour @75 pounds
16) Flip, redress, press in the press 1 hour @ 100 pounds
17) Flip, redress press 12 hours @ 200 pounds
18) Flip, redress press 12 hours @ 200 pounds
19) Air dry
20) Wax
21) Cave and age (minimum 4 weeks)
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Al Lewis on January 05, 2013, 06:14:08 PM
Now I like pictures as much as the next guy but if anyone really wants to see a pot of milk on my stove with a thermometer stuck in it then check any one of my other makes.  It hasn't changed.  If I ever remodel I'll post some new ones.  Until then you only get pictures of the exciting stuff and that's only for H-K-J.  ;)
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Hande on January 05, 2013, 07:36:03 PM
Quote
30 drops calf rennet diluted in 1/4 cup warm water
dilute rennet in warm water can make it weak..

Hande
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Al Lewis on January 05, 2013, 07:42:28 PM
Actually it helps it to disperse through the milk.
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: linuxboy on January 05, 2013, 08:36:58 PM
Heat denatures chymosin. Hande's point was to use cold water, not to avoid the use of water as a dilution aid.
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Al Lewis on January 05, 2013, 11:42:03 PM
Thanks LB, I understand however the "warm" water I used was the same temperature as the milk it was going into.  Tepid probably would have been a better word to describe it.  Cheese is in the press and just fit into the 6" mold.  It will be taller than round.
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Boofer on January 06, 2013, 12:55:09 AM
Thanks LB, I understand however the "warm" water I used was the same temperature as the milk it was going into.  Tepid probably would have been a better word to describe it.  Cheese is in the press and just fit into the 6" mold.  It will be taller than round.
Per linuxboy's recommendations I always use chilled distilled water to dissolve my rennet, and then only just before it gets stirred into the milk.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Al Lewis on January 06, 2013, 06:53:35 AM
Thanks guys.  I'll make a note of that for my future makes.  Well the cheese is in the press in a 6" mold at 200 pounds of pressure for the night.  It will get redressed and flipped in the am.  Press has pushed it down about 1" in height so far.
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: JeffHamm on January 06, 2013, 06:33:21 PM
Should be a good one!  Looking forward to seeing how it looks out of the press. 

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Al Lewis on January 06, 2013, 06:54:36 PM
Me too Jeff!  Still has some time to do on the second side at 200 pounds. 
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Al Lewis on January 06, 2013, 11:47:03 PM
Well it's certainly not the prettiest cheese I've made but it tastes good.  Finished up at 6" diameter and 5" tall.  Now we'll see how long it takes to form a rind so I can wax it.  May even do a short term age and just tend the rind.
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: JeffHamm on January 07, 2013, 12:23:14 AM
Looks good.  How much does it weigh?

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Al Lewis on January 07, 2013, 02:04:54 AM
Should be right at 4 pounds but I haven't weighed it yet.  Still seems very wet considering it's been under 200 pounds for 24 hours.  Probably because of the height.  Seems whenever I make a tall cheese they stay moist.  I guess there's a reason big 22.5 pound parms are short and fat.  Maybe if I stored it on its side. LOL  I'm guessing it's going to be quite a while before I can wax this one, if ever.
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Al Lewis on January 08, 2013, 12:53:13 AM
Okay Jeff, I threw it on the scales tonight and it was 3 pounds 12 ounces.  It keeps trying to get elephants foot so I have to flip it quite a bit.  Happened the same with my colby's but they were the same basic dimensions.  Bottom line is that tall cheeses don't like me!! LOL
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Al Lewis on January 10, 2013, 11:21:20 PM
This one decided it wanted to squat down a bit.  :o  Actually, I kinda like the shape. :D
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: H-K-J on January 10, 2013, 11:30:43 PM
Al, what size is your mold, also, the weight's you have in the recipe are these at the plunger on the follower?
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Al Lewis on January 11, 2013, 12:21:03 AM
The mold is 6" in diameter and 5.5" high.  It was an effort to pack that much curd into it.  The weight I used was at the follower.  The press my wife got me has a 4:1 advantage with a maximum pressing weight of 200 pounds at the follower with 50 pounds hanging on the arm.
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: JeffHamm on January 11, 2013, 12:32:11 AM
Hi Al,

Looks good.  I've had some tall ones do that too.  In my experience giving the cheese a month or two before waxing seems to be best if the curds are really moist (moisture will release under the wax, and the cheese surface gets weird).  Since it sounds like this is a wet one it may take quite some time to shed the excess moisture.  I go with the notion that 10 litres will provide 1 kilo, so if I have more than that, I know it is just moisture, and I leave them unwaxed until down around the 1100 or so grams.  But, you will know your milk and curds better than I, so go with your own experience if it tells you something different.

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Al Lewis on January 11, 2013, 05:39:56 AM
Yeah Jeff, I have experienced that with a Colby I did.  Just too moist inside to wax.  Ended up having to take the wax off and dry it some more before re-waxing it.  Now I check all of my cheeses regularly to make sure the wax is tightly adhered and that the excess moisture is not collecting under the wax.  I'm in no hurry to wax this one as there is plenty of room in the cave right now.  Need to make a few more cheeses and fill that puppy back up!  ;D
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Al Lewis on January 20, 2013, 03:21:33 PM
Well I finally got around to waxing the Wensleydale.  Had to let it form a bit of a rind first to get enough moisture out to wax it.
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: JeffHamm on January 20, 2013, 05:32:28 PM
Nice.  Now, time to age it out a while.  I've got one that's getting close to cutting.  Will post an update on that one soon.

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Al Lewis on January 20, 2013, 09:46:36 PM
Great Jeff.  I now have 24 pounds of cheese aging that is waxed.  Can't wait for some of it to come of age.  :P
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: drifterdon on January 21, 2013, 05:21:58 PM
That is a great looking cheese.
I too like the shape.
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Al Lewis on January 23, 2013, 02:33:41 AM
Checked this today and it is rock solid in the wax so the moisture is not coming to the surface.  Should age just fine this way. :D
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Al Lewis on February 17, 2013, 06:24:33 PM
Well I aged mine a bit more than the three weeks that they age Yorkshire Wensleydale but it certainly came out white and crumbly.  Taste seems to be spot on based on the descriptions I've read.  Been a long time since I had any of the real stuff.  All in all I'm very pleased with the results.
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: bbracken677 on February 17, 2013, 06:29:44 PM
I noticed that you used whole milk, plus a quart of heavy cream. Is the Wensleydale supposed to be so fat heavy?  I am curious...considering what my next make will be, and this is a definite option.
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Al Lewis on February 17, 2013, 06:45:17 PM
You may want to ask JeffHamm that question as I attempted to approximate his recipe (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10317.0.html).  What research I did on the cheese says that its made in Yorkshire and the original is only aged 3 weeks (http://itscheese.com/cheeses/wensleydale).  There are three other versions however, a blue, a aged one, and a smoked one.  This one is creamy and very crumbly.  The taste profile matches those described in the articles I read.

http://youtu.be/g61v0gR5HfU (http://youtu.be/g61v0gR5HfU)
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: JeffHamm on February 17, 2013, 07:11:17 PM
Hi Al,

Yes, the real stuff is very crumbly.  Mine never comes out crumbly though, but you've got it right on.  Nice.  I don't add the extra cream, the blue top milk I use is usually 3.3g fat / 100ml and 3.1g/ 100 ml protein (at least the most recent bottles were, I think they keep those ratio's constant through the year but I should check on that).  I've seen reference to very young versions, but I prefer mine aged out to 3 or 4 months.  Might be worth trying one early, but I tend to make caerphilly to fill that niche.  My 4th Wensleydale become contaminated with b.linens and moulds and has turned into quite a different beast.  Must make another one and age it properly.  A cheese to you for your successful outcome.

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Al Lewis on February 17, 2013, 07:44:17 PM
Thank you Jeff.  Bottom line is I made this one for the British wife and she likes it.  Have to keep the other half happy!!
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Eileen on February 20, 2013, 08:37:01 PM
I think it looks really good this shape too.

I have visited the Wensleydale cheese factory in North Yorkshire and can highly recommend the visit if any one is in the area. Naturally I bought some of their cheeses too  :D
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: bbracken677 on February 20, 2013, 11:12:38 PM
Thanks for the video!  I find the last couple of sentences interesting: Wrapped ...and then left to ripen in "cool dry storage".

I am planning on trying this make soon, and I think I will try the wrapped style and see how that works/turns out. From the last sentence it appears that 85% humidity isnt required?
Title: Re: My 1st Wensleydale
Post by: Al Lewis on February 20, 2013, 11:31:45 PM
Well I waxed mine before aging so the RH was not a factor.  Temperature was at 56F though.