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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => RENNET COAGULATED - Hard Other => Topic started by: jawdog on August 20, 2010, 05:54:11 AM
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I plan on making a Manchego with 8 gal of whole milk early next week. My recipe is for 4 gals. I have a few questions.
Floc factor? 3.0 for Cheddar; 2.0 for Parm; somewhere in between?
Also, I have been using 0.5 rennet tabs for 4 gals milk. I now have liquid animal rennet, and want to be more precise. How much rennet?
And, finally, what sort of press schedule should I use (8" wide x 8" high mold)?
Thanks for your help.
John
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I plan on making a Manchego with 8 gal of whole milk early next week. My recipe is for 4 gals. I have a few questions.
Floc factor? 3.0 for Cheddar; 2.0 for Parm; somewhere in between?
3x, 1/4" curd.
Also, I have been using 0.5 rennet tabs for 4 gals milk. I now have liquid animal rennet, and want to be more precise. How much rennet?
8 ml ~200 IMCU (single strength) per 100 lbs milk
And, finally, what sort of press schedule should I use (8" wide x 8" high mold)?
4 PSI, press under whey first for 10-15 mins.
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So, 4.8 ml rennet? Is my math correct?
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Yes. Floc should be 12-15 mins.
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For best results, should I keep a heating pad on under the press to keep the curds warm?
I know these are such simple questions. Thanks for so much help.
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Not really necessary to keep curds warm with Manchego. Some mechanical openings are acceptable for it. You want slow acid development with this cheese.
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pH at draining about 6.2?
Slow developing cheeses means checking acid before brine? What pH then?
This is great information! Thanks again.
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That's a decent drain, yes. Slow development means relatively high drain, but more importantly culture selection. the ST strain needs to be moderate.
brine pH 5.4. It takes about 12 hours in the mold to get there.
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What do you mean, moderate? Less material or slower acting?
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the acidification curve for the strain needs to produce acid at a slower rate initially and also slower overall. There are generally three types of ST. One, will drop the pH really fast within a few hours, then stabilize. A second will drop moderately, and then will drop sharply after about 5.7. And the third is sort of the lazy kind. It's slow but steady and gives you a nice curve.
Modern cultures tend to favor the first because it shaves time off the cheesemaker. But, the flavors aren't as good. I like older style cultures for continental cheeses where ST is a primary acidifier but does not drop the acid to something like 5.0 in 4-6 hours.
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What do I look for when ordering a culture like this?