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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => RENNET COAGULATED - Hard Cheddared (Normally Stacked & Milled) => Topic started by: Cartierusm on February 14, 2009, 08:39:38 AM
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Starting farmhouse cheddar tomorrow. Things to get accomplished with this batch, good knit (always a concern although I've got it down to a science now (I think)), drain sufficiently so there is not excess whey leaking out like my last batch so I can wax it in a timely manner (but I won't rush it). I will use CaCl2, check my post in ingredients after this. Oh, the biggest thing to accomplish with this batch no mess!! New cave is up and running, although one hygrometer says 98 and the built in one on the humidistat says 85, so we'll see. At least it's not low.
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Watching this space........
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LOL, thanks. I just added the culture a few minutes ago. So Pics will be a while. I gotta find a new frig or freezer for a cave, long story.
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Sorry to hear about your cheese cave.
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Oh like you didn't know before this post. Doesn't matter I've already got the shelving for the wine cellar and I'm sure the space for having just waxed and separate natural rind caves will be good in the long run.
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Here's some pics of the making of. Tomorrow I'll have some of the wheel out of the press.
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This is out of the press and it has a good knit but not great due to a couple reasons maybe. The curds clumped together as I was milling it, so it was sticky?, anyway I didn't mill it prefectly as my arms were cramping up working 16 pounds of curds. Also I'll be looking into it but maybe I need higher pressures right off the bat. I have some prefessional reacipes I can look at. But the little nubs I got are still from using plastic cheese cloth so I think those as well as any not perfect knit areas will heal themselves while air drying in the cave. Enjoy.
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Lots of character in those. A couple of requests:
1> pictures with a ruler for referance.
2> a picture of your mould.
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When I was born they threw away the mold, rumor has it they beat the hell out of the mold maker too.
Pics shortly.
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Pics, and as always Diet Coke for the Ladies.
I didn't have a ruler in the house that would show up clearly on cameras and it's pouring rain outside, so tuff.
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I've just checked out some professional recipes and they do press with higher pressures at the beginning and do vacuum chambering. So next time I think I'll go with higher pressure to begin when the curds are still plyable. I was thinking maybe more milling but a true traditional cheddar you put large blocks into the press, but I guess those large blocks already have good knit within themselves.
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I never get tired of looking at the monster wheels you make.
Fantastic!
Dave
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Oh,
The comment about "beating the hell out of the mold maker" cracked me up.
Pretty sure I'll be using that line in the future (with your permission, of course). It's easier than thinking up witty remarks on my own.
Dave
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Dave do you have any pics of the set on your cheeses? You know with fingers in or right after you cut? I've got a problem and wayne agrees he says my cuts are ragged where the curds get torn and says that's either too much CaCl2 or too much rennet, but the funny part is I get the same set with way too much rennet, don't ask, or no CaCl2, so I'm not sure what's wrong, waynes pics on his parm, his curds look freakin' beautiful but got the ragged ones the day before, then he cut down on the CaCl2 and everything's fine.
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This was the batch that made the spalsh heard around the world.
Pics after waxing the top is smooht those are just fingerprints in the dew that settled from the frig.
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The splash monster looks great! Here's hoping it ages well.
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I'm gonna go as long as i can without waxing my parm.
Matter of fact, if i can help it, i am gonna try to not wax it.
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I had the same initial thought, Wayne but I simply cannot control the humidity in my cave so waxing is in the future for my parmesan.
No matter what I do, I run with a 58%, max, humidity and that simply will not work. I'll end up with an 8" thick rind at the end of the aging period if I even try not to wax.
So, early next week I'm going to cover it up. It might not be optimal but it's better than the alternative in my situation.
Dave
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Wayne why would you even consider waxing Parm.
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I personally would not....
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I personally did.....tonight. :D
After only about three weeks my parmesan was starting to seem very hard and very dry. I did not notice any cracks, as yet, but it felt as if they could appear at any moment.
I know this is not the best treatment for this style of cheese but I simply do not have a decent cave setup at this point. This is certainly something I'm going to have to work on.
Oh and Cater.....
I probably would have allowed this cheese to age and crack and dry completely out, if not for your posts about the text book saying you could wax a parm.
Sheesh man, you gotta work with me here. :-)
Dave
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Dave don't worry about it, you're absolutely correct, if you can't competely control the environment wax it. My text books says to wax blue and pierce through the wax, then peel the wax away before distributioin.
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Since these parm wheels are already somewhat damaged goods, I am not ever ever gonna wax these. I am gonna let these form a natural rind even if they crack, crumble and the parm dust blows away.
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Wayne...
I know what you're saying, but you have to understand.....
I'm nearly 46 years old and have no life.
Waxing a cheese is one of the "high points" of my week.
Even if a parm isn't supposed to be waxed and even if it is a lost cause due to manufacturer error.....it still gave me something to do on a Sunday evening. :-)
Honestly, I figure this will turn into SOME kind of cheese, even if it isn't a typical parm. I don't have anything better to do for the next few months than wait to see what it turns in to.
Hopefully I'll be happy with the results.
Good luck with your attempt, as well.
Dave
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Am I talking to myself? I have a book that says waxing parm is just fine. ;D
Dave you don't have no life, your goal is to promote my cheese press. ;D
And waxing would be a highlight if you've been through what I've been through. Tea, knows how it is.
P.S. I meant 'wouldn't be a highlight'.
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Well, if you have a book Carter..., well then it has to be true.
BTW, who wrote it? Rikki Carroll?
;)
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Thanks for backing me up Wayne. ;D
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you know i always have your back, but sometimes you toss a meatball right over the plate and i gotta take a swing.
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Well, at least the book says (Carter's cheese press is the best) that waxing a parmesan is fine.
That makes me think that I will, at the very least turn out (You all need this press...it will change your life) something that resembles a parm.
Now if I had only added the lipase and the LH100 I might even feel as if I'm looking forward to (thecheesewhey.com) cracking it open and being happy with the cheese.
At least I don't have to worry about the humidity problem any more.
Dave
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LOL
Mr Subliminal.
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LOL, thanks Dave that was funny.
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Ahhh I only have one thing to say about that cheese Cater ... (http://deejaysworld.net/deejayssmokepit/yabb/Smilies/Bowing.gif)
Beau-ti-ful!