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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => RENNET COAGULATED - Semi-Hard "Sweet" Washed Curd => Topic started by: JeffHamm on August 26, 2012, 12:10:08 AM

Title: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: JeffHamm on August 26, 2012, 12:10:08 AM
Hi,

Just mid make right now.  My thermometer has given up the ghost though.  Was just able to squeeze a final reading out of it to realise things were at 42 C just before adding the warm water.  Normally one adds 60 C water to raise the temp to 42, so I just added 40 C water.

This make has had a lot of mistakes as I renneted before raising the temp to 40 in the first place, and all sorts of other oddities.  Anyway, the curd still looks really good though, so it should be a decent cheese.  Will post full make notes and a photo as they become available. 

49) Butterkase (mine): Saturday, Aug 26, 2012 (sunny, Pressure 1012; warm ~20.0 C)
6L homebrand standard milk
4L Nosh Blue
500 ml homebrad cream 35g/100 ml
½  tsp CaCl (50% solution)
0.5 ml microbial rennet IMCU 750 (previous makes 8 min flocs twice with 0.6 ml)
1 ice cubes Flora Danica, 1 ice cube buttermilk (meso) 2  ice cube ST B01 (Thermo) 4 tbls yogurt 1/16 tsp LH (De Winkle yogurt has Lactobacillus Acidophilus)
Start time: 7:30 ish am
1)   Warm to 35 C (hit 35 at 8:08; continued to climb to 35.2 C) (added all starter when cold, except LH)
2)   Added LH when milk was at 29 C (to rehydrate). (7:55 Temp; 29.5 C)
3)   Ripen 60 minutes (target time 9:08 actual time 9:10; Temp:  33.7 C at end)
4)   Warmed to 35.0 C (oops, should have raised to 40 here, will do it after the cut)
5)   Add ½ tsp CaCl in egg cup water (?:??; temp 35.0 C)
6)   Add 0.5 ml rennet in egg cup water (9:17:30) (floc was 10m 00 sec last time with 5.5 ml)
7)   Floc time = 9:30:30 13m 00s  5x floc = 65m 00s min until cut (previous were 3.5x floc)
8)   Cut vertical at 10:22:30 into 3 cm cubes wait 5 min (start 10:30-?:??) then cut into 1 cm cubes (good curd 10:35 ; 34.0 C)
9)   Raise temp to 40.0 C (thermometer battery died)
10)   Reached at 40 C at ?:?? actual temp: ??.? C) Kept in warm bath and stirred until 11:05
11)   Curds settle 15 minutes (start 11:05-11:35), then remove approx 3 1/3 litres of whey (1/3 orig. volume of milk) – went to get new battery.  Rested until return; thermometer broken, but last reading upon return was whey at 42.5 C
12)   Slowly add 60 0C water until you reach 42 0C (over 5-15 minutes or so ?:??-?:?? ; ??.? C) – I just added 40 C water this time, 3 litres worth.
13)   stir 45 minutes (start time: 11:50 – until 12:30)
14)   drained in cloth lined colander for 30 minutes (12:30-1:07 ) and move to mould
15)   press lightly (20 kg; 6.25” mould; 1.43 PSI) 6 hours (start time: 1:20 – pressed in pot in sink of approx 40 C water 50 min )
16)   flipped/redress at 2:10 pm (knit looks good; cloth sticking to the cheese a bit)
17)   flipped/did not redress 3:30 pm (knit looks really good; removed cloth as it was sticking a bit)
18)   flipped/did not redress 5:20 pm (knit looks excellent)
19)   flipped/did not redress 6:20 pm (knit looks excellent)
20)   Finish Press Time 7:20? pm; knit looks ????  ????g ?.? cm high x ??.? cm diam (???? cm3; ?.?? g/cm3)
21)   20 minutes fresh water (7:20-7:40)
Brine at 1 hour per lb per inch height (saturated) = 10 hours 56 min - 7:20-6:20 flipped - 5:20 am; weight after brine: 1684g; dimensions 16.0 x 7.5 = 1507cm3 = 1.12/cm3

And here it is just about post-brine.  Has about an hour to go.

Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Boofer on August 26, 2012, 04:07:11 PM
Wow, seven Butterkase makes...a new record! What dogged determination. Go, Jeff, go!  :)

-Boofer-
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: JeffHamm on August 26, 2012, 05:53:57 PM
Thank Boofer.

It's just about done.  The final result looks very good.  I made a bunch of changes this time, and I think the addition of the extra yogurt (4 tbls rather than 1) has really helped with the acid production and such, which may end up altering the flavour and texture but that's what I want to find out.  With the thermometer dying on me mid-break, this is a bit of a seat of the pants make.  So far it hasn't soiled itself, so that's promising.  :)

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: bbracken677 on August 26, 2012, 06:33:59 PM
Looks really good! Hope it turns out well for you!

Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: JeffHamm on August 26, 2012, 07:48:39 PM
Thanks.  This is the first time the cheesecloth has stuck during pressing, so I think the acidity got quite high.  Probably not ideal for butterkase actually, but with all the kafuffle around the missed pre-rennet temperature rise, and then the thermometer giving up, etc, well, I'm hoping I just stumbled upon a great new make.  It's funny, butterkase is a make I end up all over the show rather than sticking to the actual procedure as outlined.  I wonder what it would be like if I did?  Ha!

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: mjr522 on August 26, 2012, 07:53:45 PM
Accidents/mistakes are where some of the best things come from, right? Hopefully it will be great.   Let us know how it turns out.
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: JeffHamm on August 27, 2012, 01:25:56 AM
Accidents/mistakes are where some of the best things come from, right?

I certainly hope so! :)

I'm thinking I'll age this out to 3 to 5 months.  I'm thinking it might improve with time, and soon I'll have a couple cheeses to go through as it is.  Will see how it deals with the aging process.

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: JeffHamm on September 15, 2012, 06:11:33 AM
Hi,

Just a quick update.  At 3 weeks this is developing really nicely.  I've let it grow a bit of a geo rind (even though butterkase is a clean rind cheese so it's not really supposed to have one).  It was a nice, quite complete, coverage.  Had a great mushroomy aroma.  However, before things go out of hand, and before the rind started to wrinkle, etc, I gave it a good dry brushing today.  It's now quite clean again, but I suspect the geo will come back.  The cheese feels really good, and I've got great expectations for this one.  Let's hope that doesn't jinx it. 

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Boofer on September 15, 2012, 06:15:29 AM
Wow, are you up late or early? I guess I could check my phone app, but what time is it there, Jeff?

-Boofer-
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: bbracken677 on September 15, 2012, 11:40:38 AM
I think there is something like a 14 or 16 hours difference depending....
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: JeffHamm on September 15, 2012, 05:35:13 PM
Yah, it's tomorrow here.

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Tiarella on September 15, 2012, 09:05:12 PM
From the photo you seem to have the same mold I do.  love those raised pleasure dots!   ;) I made a Tomme-like cheese in this mold most recently.  I used Linuxboy's recipe but fell off track a couple of times....have to check my notes to see how.  I salted instead of brined and it's sitting on a cheese mat attempting to dry but I notice it's sweating and has bulged a wee bit.  Any ideas?
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: bbracken677 on September 16, 2012, 01:40:27 AM
Might want to give it another light salting...how old is the make?  My cheeses (in our humidity, or lack therof) typically take 3 days to dry out pretty well, sometimes 4.
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Tiarella on September 16, 2012, 05:34:39 PM
Hmmm.  Thanks Bbracken.  I'm watching it.  I've salted it about 4 times and am not sure if I've already overdone it.  I really want it to dry off so that I can put it in my care but I don't have separate mini-caves and I do have some moldy natural rind cheeses in the cave.  I'm wondering.....do you think I could put olive oil on it?  And would have help?  I'm not sure how to best inoculate it to rind molds that I actually want on it.   :(
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Boofer on September 16, 2012, 05:48:18 PM
love those raised pleasure dots!   ;)
I think I see a pattern here...several mentions of these things. Tiarella, since you're into that, check my nubbins (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10190.0.html)! And, no, while I may rub my cheeses from time to time...it's for their pleasure, not mine. ::)

-Boofer-
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Tiarella on September 16, 2012, 06:29:34 PM
I already saw your nubby cheese, Boofer but I'm glad you pointed me to it again because I can see that it is a little bulgy like mine.  Kind of like how I feel after Thanksgiving dinner.  So, maybe I won't worry.  But should I worry about long it's taking to dry?  I chose not to brine since iratherfly suggested that rubbing with salt is just as good.  So......it's still dripping a bit and I unmolded it on Friday morning....it's Sunday now.  What do you think?
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: JeffHamm on September 16, 2012, 06:46:33 PM
Hi Tiarella,

If the temperature is warm and humid, it can prevent things from drying out as the cheese will just keep itself moist by sweating.  If it's still damp after 4 or 5 days, just cave it and, if possible, keep it in a ripening box without any mold ripened cheeses.  It should have a hard friend though, as no cheese should be alone.  Then, it should be fine.

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Tiarella on September 16, 2012, 07:05:01 PM
Thanks for the advice, Jeff.  I like the part about no cheese being alone.  Maybe that's the reason, other than lack of space, that I haven't gotten into the separate cheese box solution.  Like, what if they want to have a party but they can't because they're all in separate boxes???  Huh?  Anyone thought of that?   ;)  I do need some boxes though I guess.  I need flat racks for my wine fridge first and I just can't keep up with the goat milk so I've got cheeses in all stages and I'm running out of room.  I need more racks, more mats, more fridge space, etc. 
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Tomer1 on September 16, 2012, 10:37:09 PM
If its your 7th you must really like it and it might be worth a shot. :)
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: JeffHamm on September 16, 2012, 11:49:19 PM
Hi Tomer1,

I do like it.  It's my "tweak" cheese, in that almost every make is quite different from the others.  I've made a washed rind version twice (once by encouraging the wild b-linens, and a 2nd where I added them on purpose), and have played around with the starter amounts, and types, etc.  This recent one is quite different from the previous makes, which always had very soft curds and tended to feel soft and spongy.  This one is much more solid feeling.  Could end up being quite dry and over acidified, or could be bang one.  Will see at some point.

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: JeffHamm on September 27, 2012, 05:42:16 AM
Hi,

Just a bit of an update to show the maintenance.  This developes a white mold, wild geo, which forms a nice even coat.  Every so often I brush it off, mostly, as this really is supposed to keep the rind clean.  I suppose a brine wash could be employed, but brushing keeps it down enough.  Anyway, here are two photos, one showing the full coat and the other showing it half brushed to show the contrast.  Note, that brushing half the cheese reduced it from 1410 to 1406g, so 4g were removed.  The weight after full brushing was down to 1404 (must have been the smaller half :) )

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Boofer on September 27, 2012, 06:30:47 AM
Yeah, that's a neat comparison. Looks like what I get when I brush-wash off the linens under running water.

With that first pic, I could swear I could taste it just a bit. It looks good.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: JeffHamm on September 27, 2012, 05:29:09 PM
Thanks Boofer.

This one is progressing quite a bit differently from my other makes.  All the others had a much less firm feel to them then this one.  I think the extra yogurt boosted the acidity, or got something going more vigorously, as this one was sticky to the cloth as well.  I think this will end up either being dry and crumbly, as in over acidified, or it could be that I've just now hit the right level of culture etc, and it will be the best one yet!  I've got lots of cheeses to go through at the moment, as I still have quite a bit of my caerphilly, and when that's about done I'll have my first tomme to try out.  There's also a couple semi-lactics that are just looking fantastic, though the pc coverage is very incomplete (sides are good, the two faces just have patches in the middles) so they're developing slowly.  Which is good for the cheese, but hard on the cheesemaker.  I also still have 1/2 a wheel of staffordshire in the vac bag, but I think I'm going to stretch that one anyway, and the full wheel of staffordshire with the natural rind (the hazel nut one) is around 3 months now too.  But again, I think I'll stretch that out a few more months. 

My cave is absolutely chocker full at the moment.  I was thinking I might make a wensleydale this weekend, but I'm not sure where I could put it?   (Be Good everyone).

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Tiarella on September 27, 2012, 06:25:43 PM
My cave is absolutely chocker full at the moment.  I was thinking I might make a wensleydale this weekend, but I'm not sure where I could put it?   (Be Good everyone).

Got a laugh out of your, "Be Good everyone".  Took me a minute.  Now, I have to ask, is it required to make the excited twiddly fingers movement like Wallace and Grommet whenever uttering the name "Wensleydale"?

Your cheeses look great and I appreciate that you post makes and photos. 
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: bbracken677 on September 27, 2012, 06:37:42 PM
*makes wiggly finger gestures*

"You don’t need to see his identification … These aren’t the cheeses you’re looking for … He can go about his business … Move along.”







“Use the Force, Luke.”
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: JeffHamm on September 27, 2012, 06:39:41 PM
Now, I have to ask, is it required to make the excited twiddly fingers movement like Wallace and Grommet whenever uttering the name "Wensleydale"?

Absolutely.

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Boofer on September 28, 2012, 07:08:23 AM
I was thinking I might make a wensleydale this weekend, but I'm not sure where I could put it?   (Be Good everyone).

- Jeff
So tempting... >:D.

I was in a situation like that recently. No shelf space and whoa! there's a new cheese that'll have to go in the cave somewhere. I was forced to vacuum-seal my Tomme #6 and temporarily relocate it to the big fridge while things got reorganized. Now it's back in the cave to continue aging.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: JeffHamm on November 17, 2012, 08:53:51 PM
Hi,

My wife asked me to make some Brie or Cams for presents.  I've got a couple of 1/2 brie moulds (about 20 cm diameter), so Brie it will be.  But the cheeses from these take up a whole ripening box, and my 8 litre make will produce 2 cheeses.  So, I had to vac bag a few cheeses to free up the boxes. 

This one is one that just went into a bag.  Butterkase is supposed to be a clean rind, and only aged about a month.  Well, this one is now 3 months along, and the rind has a fair amount of geo.  I brush it back, but didn't get into a brine wash routine to keep it clean.  However, as this cheese is one that I always seem to play with I'm not concerned.  I've been meaning to age one of these out a bit, so this will be it.  We'll cut it sometime in the new year, so it will be nicely done by then.

It went into the bag at 1366g, with a density of 1.11g/cm3.  It's only lost 422g since brining, but the denisity is near identicle (1.12 and now 1.11 - within measurement error tolerances).  Nice.  A shame the curds shattered during this make, but I think it will be fine.

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Tiarella on November 18, 2012, 02:35:10 AM
Okay, so you must be able to tell me this......is it okay to vacuum bag a natural rind? My wine fridge is always feeling low on space so I too think of bagging some up and moving them out or packing tighter. 
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: JeffHamm on November 18, 2012, 03:05:20 AM
Vac packing it will halt the development of the natural rind, but yes, it's ok.  The cheese police won't knock on your door! :)

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: H-K-J on November 18, 2012, 03:19:07 AM
LOL  ^-^
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Boofer on November 18, 2012, 09:49:59 PM
...is it okay to vacuum bag a natural rind?
I would agree with Jeff. I have also bagged cheeses with linens rinds (Esroms) which may be a little more moist than natural rinds with PLA, mycodore, etc. My Rebs (Geo & linens) also bagged very well. I sealed up my Fourme d'Ambert cheeses too.

I've had to vacuum-seal several times to free up shelf space in the Boofer cave network.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Tiarella on November 19, 2012, 03:42:57 AM
I read some  report comparing bagging and air aging on flavor development and it scared me to think I might lose some flavor by vacuum bagging but I have no choice.....out of room just like everyone else it seems. 

Boofer, at what point have you bagged Rebs?  I've got a washed rind similar cheese going from Mary Karlin's book.  Don't know if you saw the thread .....but I didn't have annatto so I dyed it using onion skin and beets to make a color to add to the brine.  I was trying for sunset peach but it came out golden yellow.  I like it anyway though.....

My latest washed rind is still in the yeasting room stage......although as my thread stated, it jumped ship from the Karlin recipe so now we're lost at sea and I'm not sure what to do next with it. 
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Boofer on November 19, 2012, 05:44:42 AM
Boofer, at what point have you bagged Rebs?
When they have ripened and are ready to eat.

Because they can't all be eaten in one sitting (may I have a mint, please? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr_Creosote)), vacuum-sealing holds them in stasis. I enjoyed a wedge of vacuum-sealed Reblochon #4 (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,9997.0.html) this evening with some water crackers.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Tiarella on November 19, 2012, 12:29:09 PM
Do you vac seal your Rebs whole or in wedges?  I'm assuming whole given how "gooey and sinful" you aim for.
 ;)
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Boofer on November 19, 2012, 04:39:51 PM
Do you vac seal your Rebs whole or in wedges?  I'm assuming whole given how "gooey and sinful" you aim for.
 ;)
Wedges. (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10259.30.html)  :)

-Boofer-
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: JeffHamm on January 06, 2013, 06:22:56 PM
Well, this is now 134 days old.  As we were away for the holidays, this sat in a vac bag, which seems not to have had a very good vacuum.  As a result, it got a bit damp, and the mold got wet and pasty.  I thought it was b.linens, but on this I think it was just the rind getting a bit squooshy (sorry for the technical jargon there).  Anyway, I removed it from the bag a few days ago, and the surface has been drying out.  You can see in the centre of the top face, and extending to the left, a sort of grey patch.  That's where it's still a bit damp, but it will dry out to look like the rest of the surface.

Anyway, it weighs 1224g, and the dimentions were 15.0 x 6.4 cm, for a volume of 1130 cm3, and a final densisty of 1.08g/cm3.  I've cut into it, and the internal paste has a good knit to it.  The smell of the cheese is fantastic, and very clean but definate cheesy aroma!  The few crumbs I tasted have a very good creamy mouthfeel, and an excellent flavour.  This has much more oomph to it than butterkase normally has (as it is normally cut around the 4 week mark for a gentle and mild cheeese).  However, it's not the kind of oomph that would put someone off if they don't care for sharp cheese.  This has turned out really good, and I think I'll probably keep more or less to this make procedure and age it out 3 to 6 months regularly.  It probably isn't really butterkase though, but it is a nice cheese.

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Tiarella on January 06, 2013, 07:51:10 PM

I've had to vacuum-seal several times to free up shelf space in the Boofer cave network.

-Boofer-

Ummm, do you need spelunking gear to enter the Boofer cave network?  Or is it already completely outfitted with handrails, elevators, climate control, hardwired lighting, etc.?
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Tiarella on January 06, 2013, 08:58:20 PM
Jeff,  I just opened something that looks very similar to yours.  It's a washed curd with Belgian Ale and I took it out of it's mini cave and the rind cracked being exposed to a drier than expected air in the wine fridge.  It is incredibly tasty though so I cut and bagged it. 
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: JeffHamm on January 06, 2013, 10:18:13 PM
Very nice looking cheese, and wonderful photography.  A cheese to you for the presentation.

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Boofer on January 06, 2013, 11:17:51 PM
Well, this is now 134 days old.  As we were away for the holidays, this sat in a vac bag, which seems not to have had a very good vacuum.  As a result, it got a bit damp, and the mold got wet and pasty.  I thought it was b.linens, but on this I think it was just the rind getting a bit squooshy (sorry for the technical jargon there).  Anyway, I removed it from the bag a few days ago, and the surface has been drying out.  You can see in the centre of the top face, and extending to the left, a sort of grey patch.  That's where it's still a bit damp, but it will dry out to look like the rest of the surface.

Anyway, it weighs 1224g, and the dimentions were 15.0 x 6.4 cm, for a volume of 1130 cm3, and a final densisty of 1.08g/cm3.  I've cut into it, and the internal paste has a good knit to it.  The smell of the cheese is fantastic, and very clean but definate cheesy aroma!  The few crumbs I tasted have a very good creamy mouthfeel, and an excellent flavour.  This has much more oomph to it than butterkase normally has (as it is normally cut around the 4 week mark for a gentle and mild cheeese).  However, it's not the kind of oomph that would put someone off if they don't care for sharp cheese.  This has turned out really good, and I think I'll probably keep more or less to this make procedure and age it out 3 to 6 months regularly.  It probably isn't really butterkase though, but it is a nice cheese.

- Jeff
Great-looking cheese, Jeff! You must have had this one in the back of the cave for it to age out soooo long. ::)

Jeff,  I just opened something that looks very similar to yours.  It's a washed curd with Belgian Ale and I took it out of it's mini cave and the rind cracked being exposed to a drier than expected air in the wine fridge.  It is incredibly tasty though so I cut and bagged it. 
Another beautiful cheese! Man, this cheese-making must be really easy. ??? Looks quite tasty, Kathrin.

Ummm, do you need spelunking gear to enter the Boofer cave network?  Or is it already completely outfitted with handrails, elevators, climate control, hardwired lighting, etc.?
Ah, there's a smile...see the corners of my mouth? :)

Tasted a Walnut Gouda last night. A Pecan Gouda might be tasty too.

A cheese to you both for yet again inspiring me.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Tiarella on January 07, 2013, 12:54:42 AM
Thank you, Boofer! How do I type a round of, "For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow," etc.?   ;D

Hey, your pecan idea makes me think of something.  There's a recipe called something like crispy pecans in a Sally Fallon cookbook "Nourishing Traditions" and in it you soak the pecans in salt water to rinse away the enzyme inhibitors and then roast slowly.  I may not be remembering it correctly since I read the recipe a year or so ago but I just did it and it creates a nut that has no bitterness and is somehow more "available" and less oily.  I bet doing that to pecans or walnuts and then making cheese with them would add a whole other dimension of yumminess.

 I think I'll leave the nut cheeses to you nuts  ::)  to make because whacko me is having other crazy ideas.   My son and daughter-in-law gave me some yummy food items and among them was some Meyer lemon infused olive oil and it's got a lovely strong flavor and aroma so I'm wondering about oiling a cheese with it during affinage.  Also having crazy ideas about cheese adornment.  Okay.....don't laugh but I was wondering about using a stencil and dusting the cheese with tumeric or something, even cinnamon.  Yes, it probably wouldn't hold up under washing, brushing etc. so maybe it would only work on cheese that got a coat of cheese cream sweater coat.  Still having other strange cheese ideas too.....more colors, more texture ideas.  My dad has a laser thing-a-ma-jig in his wood shop and I think it would be able to make some cool medallions.  I just don't know how to deal with lining up the imprints during different pressings or if you just use it for the last naked press.  Yes, I'm sure there's a thread on the forum somewhere in the dusty attic but I have emails to write and orders to bottle and ship so I won't be looking up medallion usage until I have one to use.


Quote from: Boofer
Another beautiful cheese! Man, this cheese-making must be really easy.  Looks quite tasty, Kathrin.

Oh, so if I can do it, it must be easy???  That's what you think?   ::)   Well, I agree, it must be easy because it came out great.  Of course I do start with really awesome milk.  But I am not so picky about anything else.  I do enjoy the washed curd and Tomme cheese makes most of all other than the bloomies.  oh, and other than the Caerphilly makes.

And Jeff, how on earth DO you wait so long and so patiently????  I have to eat all my cheese before the summer comes because my affinage has taken over part of the cellar and once it warms up I'll be restricted again to the tiny 44 bottle wine fridge.  I'm in so much trouble.   :-\ 

Oops, better go.  I can hear the livestock guardian dogs talking back to the coyotes.  I think they cuss fluently in coyote. 

Boofery Jim, I do hope your birthday has been absolutely wonderful because you are such a cheesey gentleman  (hey, that's supposed to be a compliment here at least!) and I really appreciate all the graciousness you bring to this forum.  I hope the coming year is totally smooth sailing for you and your family and that all your cheese makes will be splendiferous successes!!!  I pronounce it to be so!  Tada!  (magic wand waving)


Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Boofer on January 07, 2013, 02:43:06 AM
Wow, I am blessed. A) :-[

-Boofer-
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Tiarella on January 07, 2013, 03:09:01 AM
Wow, I am blessed. A) :-[

-Boofer-

You deserve it!   ;D
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: JeffHamm on January 07, 2013, 08:25:57 PM
Hi Tiarella,

Aging the cheese isn't too hard to do if you make a lot of it! And really, 134 days isn't that long, it's only about 4.5 months.  What I typically do, is make some cheeses that I intend to age out, like cheddars or gouda (I like aged gouda).  Then, I make cheeses that can be eaten quickly, like caerphilly, lancashire, butterkase, and some semi-lactics.  These "fast food" cheeses only need to be aged a few weeks, to a couple months, and so those can be eaten and made while the others are aging away.  The trick is to always have something you can be eating in the fridge, and making a "fast cheese replacement" at the appropriate time. 

Some of the washed rind cheeses are also ready in about two months, so they are good makes too.  By having a collection of makes that are quick to the table, you can distract yourself from wondering about the ones that need more time to get there.  I went on a cheddar frenzy last year in Jan and Feb, so I have about 4 different cheddars (and a gouda) that are now at or just about 1 year old.  Looking forward to opening some of them, but I have this butterkase to go through, and probably after that I'll cut into a wash rined tomme that should be around 5 months or so.  I might stretch that out to 6 months if I can make a caerphilly this weekend.  Will see how things go.

This butterkase has a really clean, milky, flavour.  I will definately make #8 following this procedure again.  Hmmm, then again it might be nice to try washing it with ale, or pear or apple cider? 

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Boofer on January 08, 2013, 05:50:57 AM
We're on the same wavelength, Jeff. 8)

Some for now...and some for later.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: sofusryge on January 08, 2013, 05:58:25 AM
I'm very impressed with the look of the rind on that cheese - looks very "pro". Have to award you a cheese on that!
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: Tiarella on January 08, 2013, 12:50:14 PM
Jeff, did you do a thread on your washed rind Tomme that you mention in your post about your cheese line up? 
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: JeffHamm on January 08, 2013, 05:42:02 PM
Thanks sofusryge!  I checked it again, and the greyish patch is actually where the moisture washed away the rind, which is a shame because it had a nice even look to it before I had to leave.  Still, I hope to get that to work again.

And Tiarelle there should be a thread on my washed rind tomme.  It would be called "my 2nd tomme" or something equally inspiring.  I also did my first tomme as a washed rind, and those curds didn't drain as well and it was a very soft paste, to the point it was sagging under its own weight.  That said, it was a fabulous result and I'm hoping this 2nd make is as good.  They aren't listed under the washed rind thread, but rather under this washed curd section (where most tomme threads are found).

- Jeff

P.S.
Here's the first one : http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,9949.0.html (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,9949.0.html)
and
Here's the 2nd one: http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10207.0.html (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10207.0.html)
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: sofusryge on January 10, 2013, 07:01:50 PM
I'm going to make a Butterkase following your recipe this Saturday. I don't fully understand you algorithm for brining time though:

"Brine at 1 hour per lb per inch height"

Could you clarify this for me with an example?



Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: JeffHamm on January 10, 2013, 07:44:49 PM
Hi sofusryge,

Sure.  Make a saturated brine (dissolve as much salt as the water will hold).  Now, let's say you have a 2 lbs cheese that stands 4 inches in height.  You brine that for 8 hours (2 x 4 = 8).

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: sofusryge on January 10, 2013, 08:01:05 PM
Ahh, that simple. Thanks a lot  :) It'll be my first washed curd cheese, quite exiting how that turns out. I'll post the resultat in a new thread next week.

/Sofus
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: JeffHamm on January 11, 2013, 12:24:59 AM
Not complicated, but if you use less than a saturated brine then you have to increase the time.  You can find an excel work book I put together that you can use to re-calculate brine times if you change your saturation (among other cheese related things) here: http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,8828.0.html (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,8828.0.html) . 

- Jeff
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: sofusryge on January 11, 2013, 06:20:42 AM
That's cool, i'll look in to it asap.

Thanks!

/Sofus
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: JeffHamm on February 10, 2013, 07:41:17 PM
Just the last update on this one.  Had the last bit of it the other day.  It remained very smooth and creamy textured right until the end.  Developed a really good flavour that would be ideal for those who aren't partial to sharp or strong cheeses.  It had a definite, and full, taste mind you, just one that was easy and pleasant.  Nice.

- Jeff 
Title: Re: My 7th Butterkase
Post by: bbracken677 on February 10, 2013, 08:37:32 PM
Great job Jeff!  I am going to have to give butterkase another shot...main thing I need now is the time to make some cheeses.  :(