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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => RENNET COAGULATED - Hard Cheddared (Normally Stacked & Milled) => Topic started by: wharris on March 22, 2009, 01:32:42 PM

Title: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: wharris on March 22, 2009, 01:32:42 PM

Hello all
Well,  today I am gonna tackle the Acidity issue with my Cheddars.  This will be a "stirred curd" cheddar varietal.

List of Ingredients:

• 6gal whole pasteurized/homogenized off the shelf milk (1.99/gall at SAMS Club)
• 3/8 tsp Choozit MA11
• 24 drops double strength Annatto (diluted in 2/3 cup distilled water)
• 3tsp CaCl2
• 1.5tsp veal rennet (diluted in 3/4 cup distilled water)
• 3.3oz of flaked salt

My Goals:

• To make a cheddar that is has a final pH of no lower than 5.1
• To make a cheddar whose consistency is significantly more plastic in nature than the crumblier mess that I normally get

Here is what I am gonna try.

• Use the minimum amount of DVI starter. (less than half of what was used in the past)
• Get to temperature on time.  No messing around.
• Use a bit more salt at the end to stop any more lactic acid creation by any surviving Lactococcus lactis critters
• Like to see a pH of 6.1-6.2 at the end of cooking.
• Like to see a pH of 5.1-5.2 at when its time to add put in moulds.

Basic Process:

• Add milk to vat, start heating to 90degF
• Add Annatto
• When milk is at 90, add Culture.  Stir in for 1 min
• Wait 30 min then add CaCl2
• Wait 15 min then add Rennet Solution
• Wait 45 min or until clean break, cut curd, then let rest for 15min
• Stir curd and begin heating protocol from 90-100 degF  That is 2 deg/5min
• Let sit at 100def for 30 min.
• Drain curd, not too long to avoid matting
• place in pan, stir curds with fingers, avoid mashing
• Add salt in two phases, allowing for slower absorption
• Stir every 5 min for 1 hour
• place in 8"mould
• Press@.2PSI for 15 min
• Remove from mould/flip/redress/re-mould
• Press@.5PSI for 30 min
• Remove from mould/flip/redress/re-mould
• Press@2.5PSI for 2hours
• Remove from mould/flip/redress/re-mould
• Press@6.5PSI for 24 Hours

Here is how it is playing out in real-life:

Time	Task	Water Temp	Milk Temp	pH
8:31am	Add Color	93	38	7.02
8:49am	Heating	100	53	7.00
9:45am	Heating	103	86	6.83*
10:05am	Added the MA11 Culture	107	90	6.79
10:21am	acidification	113	91	6.81
10:34am	added CaCl2	109	92	6.76
10:50am	added the rennet solution	108	92	6.68
11:35am	Cut Curd	102	90	6.63
11:53am	Started Cooking	102	90	6.59
12:18pm	Finished raising temp to 100	131	100	6.52**
12:48pm	Middle of Cooking @ 100degF	N/A	101	6.37**
1:11pm	Middle of Cooking @ 100degF	N/A	99	6.15
1:25pm	Stirring curd - Add 1/2 ofsalt	N/A	99	?
1:29pm	Stirring curd - Add last 1/2 of salt***	N/A	99	?
1:45pm	Stirring curd	N/A	99	5.92
2:01pm	Added 2 more tbls salt	N/A	99	5.83
2:01pm	Stirring curd	N/A	99	5.83
5:30pm	Placed into press for final pressing  at 6.54PSI	N/A	N/A	N/A

Notes:
*Am a bit concerned about that pH drop when I have added nothing more than Annatto
** Need to drop .4 pH before end of next phase of cooking.  I Will end the next phase when whey has a pH of 6.15, not based on the time.
*** The curd looks WAY different than previous batches.**** Am concerned now that I added salt too soon in stir process I may have killed it and it may not ever get to desired pH of 5.1


Wrap up
The Cheese is still in the press.  I am pressing at 6.54PSI for 24 hours.  My final press will not include any muslin. I am trying to avoid the wringles associated with the cloth. This morning, after 12 hours at max pressure, I notices little 1/8th in long bits of cheese that have been extruded through the drainholes in my 8" Tome mould.  I am not really worried about that.
However  I am not particularly hopeful for this batch because of the salt.  I believe that I added the salt too early in the process and I may have stopped acid production too early.  In my quest to make cheese that was not as acidic as normal, I may have over corrected.
The last pH reading i was able to get was not low enough, and the rate of decrease in pH seemed to be leveling off too soon.

The curd this time around was MUCH different than that of prior batches.  The curd was better defined, and springy to the touch.  In previous attempts, my curd was mushier to the touch. The curds this time around, just prior to pressing, were much tougher, almost like little bits of chicken breast

Lastly, and I do not know what this is worth, when I got to the last hour of my stirring effort,  very little whey was left in my pan.  At the VERY end,  when I went to drain the whey before stirring, there was no whey left.  That was a change from before. So, we shall see how well this batch knits together after 24 hours of pressure.  I will not age this batch as it is a process test batch. I will age this no more than 3 weeks.

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: DeejayDebi on March 22, 2009, 09:12:28 PM

WOW you make great notes! Good luck hon!

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: thegregger on March 22, 2009, 10:45:52 PM

Wayne:

Nice work.  If you dump this data into a simple spreadsheet, you'll be able to graphically monitor the increase in acidity for future batches.  Really cool.

In what way did the curds look different from previous batches?  Whenever I've made an acid cheese (and there have been many), the curds looked and felt fine.

Greg

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: Likesspace on March 24, 2009, 02:36:23 AM

Wayne....
One thing that I find interesting in your post is the starting Ph of your milk.
Fresh milk should have a Ph of between 6.7 & 6.5 which leads me to believe that your meter may be a bit out of calibration.
If that is the case then your final Ph might be quite a bit lower than you thought.
Just an observation but it might be worth checking in to.

Dave

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: wharris on March 24, 2009, 02:43:55 AM

Good call,

I will re-calibrate this weekend. 
Then,  I guess i will have to run the experiment again.  (Just to be sure!)
:)

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: wharris on March 24, 2009, 02:55:32 PM

I do have a question for you all.  This batch of cheddar was merely a test batch.  I am not looking to develope flavor or aroma.  The main focus of this test was the look, the feel, the texture. 

I want a highly plastic, closed curd, moist cheese.  On that I can slice (one handed) with a knife and put on a cracker.

Kinda like one would buy at a store.

At this point,  I don't care about taste.

How long do i need to wait before cutting this open and looking inside?

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: Cartierusm on March 24, 2009, 07:26:11 PM

I have to agree with Dave on the PH thing. I was told that milk by nature will always be between 6.9-6.6 ish. 7.02 is not that far off so I don't know if in the milk world that a huge difference.

As to your question... Tillamook ages I think 6-8 months for their regular cheese? But as far as close texture and wax like, remember professional cheese makers for cheddar, production volume of course, use a vacuum chamber.

I can build you one Wayne, actually you could build one your self. Just get a sturdy insulated cooler, read igloo, at Goodwill or Craigslist and buy a vacuum pump and gauge. Noramlly these would be expensive but I have sources. Here a place to get real good surplus stuff.


This one will suck start a leaf blower
http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=2009032414240810&item=4-1669&catname= (http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=2009032414240810&item=4-1669&catname=)
Then get this vacuum gauge and use regular 1/4" NPT Pipe fitting and some thick air compressor hose and you'll be good to go. You need the gauge to make sure it's pulling vacuum and you don't have an air leak. http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=2009032414240810&item=2141&catname= (http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=2009032414240810&item=2141&catname=)

P.S. if you do use a vacuum chamber I think that would pull all the moisture or residual whey out, which would lead to quicker aging.

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: wharris on March 25, 2009, 12:01:08 AM

Update:
I could not wait, and I cut into this wheel today after work.  I quartered it and fully cut up one of the quarters.

The pH of the wheel is 5.10 exactly.  That is interesting.  That actually is what i was planning.  But I was not able to see the the 0.7 pH decent from ph 5.8 to pH 5.1.  I checked my pH meter by opening a new 7.01pH control fluid. My pH meter read 7.02.  That was close enough for me. So I did not recalibrate.

So, I am on target as far as pH is concerned.  So... .what does the wheel, the cheese,  look like?
Well as soon as my cam Battery charges, i will snap up some pictures
But I will try to describe.
The curd is slightly open.  I am not sure what to do about this.  The holes are irregularly shaped, about 1/32" in size, and spaced about 3/4" separated from each other. Pressing in a vacuum might be the right whey.  (lol)

A slab of this cheese is plastic in nature.  Its moist, not runny.  Absolutely no running whey.  It is firm, dense, springy to the touch. When broken the curd is not shiny with whey.  This cheese can be cut in 1/4in slabs easily with a standard kitchen knife.

The cheese is BLAND!!!!!
I will write more later...

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: Cartierusm on March 25, 2009, 01:05:10 AM

Of course it's bland it's only 2 days old! Or is this from another batch?

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: DeejayDebi on March 25, 2009, 01:31:24 AM

Well 2 day old cheedar is about likw what ... store bough provelone?  ;D

Good job on hitting you marks. I can't wait to see this puppy!

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: wharris on March 25, 2009, 01:40:22 AM

Carter, 
I think i understand the source of your confusion. I think i was not as clear as I could have been.  So lets take a step back and break this down a bit.


I have followed the forum standard naming convention outlined below:
[Person Making the Cheese][Cheese Variety][Date Made]

So, in the case of this thread, "Wayne" is the person:
"Cheddar" in the cheese in being made:
And the date the cheddar was made was March 22, 2009 AD.

So..  putting it all together the name worked out to this:
Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209


Now that this is behind us, lets examine the current date. 
Today, the date is March 24th, 2009AD

Noting today's date, and the [Date Made] parameter of the name of the cheese, it is a simple process that can be used to yield the age of the cheese. 

Simply take the current date (March 24th, 2009AD), and subtract the date on the [Date Made] parameter of the Cheese name. This will yield a delta of 2 days time.  This cheese can therefore be considered to be in-fact 2 days old.


That being said, the age validation of cheese in any future thread that also subscribes to the forum-standard nomenclature of [Person Making the Cheese][Cheese Variety][Date Made] should be a simple process and provide clear insight as to the age of the cheese in question.

Please feel free to contact me should you have any further questions.

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: Cartierusm on March 25, 2009, 01:56:14 AM

LOL, thanks for the explanation Dr. Wayne Science Guy.

I thought you were going to call me when you were inebriated not insult me publicly in the forum?

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: makkonen on March 25, 2009, 10:03:38 AM

You guys are so cute.

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: wharris on March 25, 2009, 01:02:11 PM

OK,  Well I promise, I promise pictures are coming.  (But I am at work at the moment)

The cheese worked out pretty darn well except for the small bits of openness. 

Come to think of it, most of my Cheddars,  traditional, or stirred have a bit of an open curd to them. 

So the question I have is this: Does anyone get a completely closed curd with cheddar? 

If not,  how do we collectively think this fault should be addressed?
1>More pressure?
2>Use a vacuum chamber?
3>Adjust the recipe so the nature of the cheese is not susceptible to an open curd.
4>Stop Caring about it.
5>None of the above.

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: Cartierusm on March 25, 2009, 06:39:27 PM

Hmm, I think it could it be solved a lot of ways. Personally I haven't opened any cheddars recently so I'll let you know in 6 months.

Wayne, what I've noticed in making cheese for me to get a closed tight curd, Parm for example, the curd has to be warm. So maybe it's something you and I know about but completely forgot about because it's not very convenient for home use, but we've discussed it before, A warmed draining table. Maybe the pros use a warmed draining table while doing the cheddaring phase?

It's not a big deal to have a little openess, your wife sure won't mind, but I would worry about getting the taste, texture and moutht feel you want to achieve, as I think that's the whole point. Master something you love and then build upon it to create your own style. Oh vacuum chamber might be one of the helpful tools.

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: wharris on March 25, 2009, 06:48:48 PM

I float my cheese in a metal pan, in 110 deg water between stirs.

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: Cartierusm on March 25, 2009, 07:34:07 PM

Wow, good job. So that can't be it.

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: wharris on March 25, 2009, 07:39:52 PM

I have been racking my brain trying to figure a way to fix this.

My next batch, I will do identically. 
But I will bump up my pressure from 6.5PSI to around 10PSI.

That is,  (on an 8in mould) 50.25 sqin X 10lb = ~502lbs on the wheel.

If that does not work,  I am building a vacuum chamber and making a different press.

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: Cartierusm on March 25, 2009, 08:27:57 PM

You know you can use the vacuum pump for lots of things besides cheese. So if you need some adivce on the purchase pros and cons let me know.

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: wharris on March 25, 2009, 08:38:56 PM

I have been eyeballing one for a while.  I would like to start degassing my wine.

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: wharris on March 25, 2009, 10:29:47 PM

Pictures:

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: wharris on March 25, 2009, 10:36:49 PM

one more picture:

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: Cartierusm on March 26, 2009, 12:11:39 AM

Wayne, you are definately overly critical...hark do I hear someone saying Pot, Kettle, Black meet Carter..ahhhemm, anyway. I think that looks great, looks a lot closer to real cheddar than anything else posted thusfar.

P.S. How much are you milling the curds before pressing. Because Pros use a machine to grind it up to scrambled eggs consistency.

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: wharris on March 26, 2009, 12:20:38 AM

Thanks,

I don't know about "anything", there is a lot of good cheese made here.  But its certainly my best effort... 

The milling consists of using my fingers to break up the curds every 5 minutes  and drain the curds..

By the time I was done there was no more whey coming off the curds and they were dry and tough to thee touch.  They started off well formed about .25 inches-.5inches in size.  They got firmer over time and some got bigger.  I broke many apart while being careful not to crush any.

In between stirring, I placed the pan in the water that kept it warm.

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: DeejayDebi on March 26, 2009, 01:32:25 AM

Wayne that looks as good or better than anything I've ever bought let alone made! (http://deejaysworld.net/deejayssmokepit/yabb/Smilies/thumbsup.gif)

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: Dukester on March 26, 2009, 01:51:36 AM

WOW...I think I have now been inspired!!!!  I'm new to this forum and have kicked around the idea of making my own cheese for several years and now I have stumbled upon this forum.

I have to tell ya, I have been somewhat discouraged reading other post about how "nasty" some of the home cheeses have turned out.  But, not only now have I learned the intricate details of the forum naming convention from Wayne and Carter, but have also seen this great looking cheese of what I would hope mine turns out to be someday.  I certainly know how to calculate how old cheddar is now and Carter's high praise for vacuum pumps....ha.

You have me inspired.  I'm searching now to find what beginner equipment etc that I will need.  Who has the best price etc.  I know all you pro's will tell me to start out making cottage cheese or some other sissy cheese like cream cheese or something.  Not my bag, I want to jump right in and make some hard type cheeses like cheddar or gouda.  Got a buddy that's into home brew beer and figure my home made cheese might go along good with that..ha.

Wayne....Great looking cheese and I've learned a lot reading all your post.  Would appreciate some thoughts on beginner equipment, type of cheese to make first etc.  A picture of your press and other equipment might get my grey matter in gear for rounding all this up.  Look forward to reading more on here and hopefully soon you will be reading about my first cheese. 

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: wharris on March 26, 2009, 01:29:38 PM

Dukester,
Thanks for the kind words.  I would start off by saying the cheddar is one of the more difficult and time-consuming cheeses to make.  You can see by my log how long I was at it.  What you don’t see from my log is the prep before and the cleanup after.  All in all, you can expect to give a full day to making cheddar.
If you want to dive in to cheddar, you can.  I would invest in 4 basic things. 
•   Get a thick and sturdy stainless steel stockpot that is sized 20% bigger than your cheese batches
•   Get a good digital thermometer.  (have an analog one at the ready as a standby)
•   Get a pH meter.  Get a decent one.
•   Get/make a press. Carter and Dave can talk more about that.  Here is mine (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,463.0.html)

I would also recommend the following items that might be a bit more subjective, but I find them important.
•   Get good rennet (liquid 2x strength animal rennet)
•   Get good starter culture.
•   Get a curd knife (an icing spatula will work fine initially)
Dave (likespace) said it best, Cheese-making, the art, is an exercise in managing those subtleties that are inherit with each operational step in a cheese recipe. 
For example,  a heating protocol that says raise the temperature of your cheese 2 degrees every 5 min for 25 min, then 3 degrees every 5 min for 40 min.   That is tough.   Temperature control, that precise, is both required and difficult. It demands your attention.   I would practice with water first.
There are a number of other subtleties that I am still struggling with, and some that I still am blissfully ignorant of.   This cheese in this thread merely represents the state of the art for me and my abilities.
 

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: Estes on March 26, 2009, 10:08:38 PM

That is a fantastic looking cheese!  Really professional and inspiring.  One of these days...
Great work!

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: Brian on March 26, 2009, 11:29:50 PM

Man, that looks great!
I might have to start adding the color to mine.  Every cheese I make is of course white.

Brian

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: Likesspace on March 26, 2009, 11:40:11 PM

Wayne....
I have to say that you have produced the best looking cheese I've seen to date on this forum. Not just the best looking cheddar.....the best looking period.
Now you've gone and made me want to cut open my first attempt, just to see what I have aging. Would it hurt anything to cut one open and then rewax it for further aging?
Thanks for sharing these pictures and your procedure. This gives me hope of eventually turning out a completely commercial quality cheese.
GREAT WORK!

Dave

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: Dukester on March 27, 2009, 12:51:35 AM

Thanks Wayne, I'll let ya know when I get started.

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: wharris on March 27, 2009, 12:14:40 PM

I am going to try and duplicate this wheel this weekend.  That will be the proof that I just did not accidentally produce a decent wheel of cheddar.

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: wharris on April 04, 2009, 12:55:46 AM

Gratuitous cheese pictures.  Half waxed.
(http://vxxwgg.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pQzyTIJ9g7gg6MA4V16ojA-7aZfiSY_PAgPOEytto7HfEDEDHhGnMeoTSvo5h5usghkeqtfD65MfeIjAZzBlD8LUzNEBzEIsp/DSC_0133.jpg)
 
(http://vxxwgg.blu.livefilestore.com/y1p5NDRRMG77qKaNLGJkscusG1A7UXiS8kuuN3AbC9g6Fp-AupMmqOnEqGJxx0gjajg7r04tzRxvqhpJlgA7Ee-NQ/DSC_0134.jpg)

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: wharris on April 18, 2009, 12:50:10 PM

I waxed the remaining wheel-quarters when i made this batch 

As it approaches a month old, i opened one. 


it was FANTASTIC.
The flavor has developed some, but the texture and moisture content where perfect.

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: DeejayDebi on April 24, 2009, 03:34:48 AM

Congrats Wayne it looks lovely!

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: wharris on June 30, 2009, 09:04:33 PM

Ok its been a bit over 3 months now.

The flavor has developed DRAMATICALLY. 

This cheese is still soft and creamy (not wet), and the flavor is now much sharper,  without any trace of
bitterness.

This is not hard, nor crumbly.

The curd is still slightly open.  but untill i incorporate a vacuum into the pressing protocol, I will have to endure that.

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: Likesspace on November 26, 2009, 09:13:37 PM

Okay, I'm resurrecting an old topic here......
First of all, I still say that this is the best example of a home made cheese that I've seen on this site. Other than the VERY slight texture imperfections the cheese looks perfect.
Having said that, this is the cheese and the thread that has inspired me to begin my own cheddar making journey and so far I've been quite happy with the results.
After making one cheddar that sucked and two that have a very nice taste and texture, I feel that I am on track to eventually reach my goals.
So, here's the point to my post.....
When making a cheddar I've been draining at 6.15 and salting at 5.3 - 5.4.
I noticed in this thread that Wayne salted much earlier in the process so now I'm wondering if I am screwing up, salting so late in the make.
When I put my cheese into the mold the whey Ph usually is in the 5.35 - 5.38 range.
After pressing for 10 - 15 minutes the whey Ph (in the collection plate) is usually in the 5.18 - 5.25 range.
For those of you that know cheddar cheese, does this sound about right?
I don't think I've ever been quite as obsessed with turning out a certain variety as I am with Cheddar (okay, maybe Swiss and Stilton.....and ummm Gouda.....yeah, and possibly Parmesan and Romano) so I really want to make sure that I'm doing things right.
Since my family is not able to celebrate Thanksgiving until tomorrow, I made another batch of Cheddar today.
One thing that I am trying differently is to use a 250 watt light bulb (within a reflector) shining on the mold during pressing. About every fifteen minutes I give the mold a quarter turn, keeping the mold at about 115 degrees.
I figure I will keep the light shining on the mold for the first two hours of pressing, hoping this will give me a curd that is more closed. Will it work? Who knows..
Will it hurt anything. Doubtful.
Anyway, if someone can give me some insight concerning my Ph questions I would really appreciate it. I've made very minor changes to my recipe about every week since I've been making this type of cheese but I now feel as if I am starting to really get the hang of turning out a good example, (hopefully).
Thanks in advance and for those that celebrated Thanksgiving today, I hope it was a good one.

Dave

Title: Re: Wayne's Cheese: Cheddar032209
Post by: DeejayDebi on November 27, 2009, 03:11:32 AM

My understanding that the milk should be ripened unil  you get a pH drop of .1 from whatever you started from. This will vary depending on whether you use raw milk or Pasteurized milk.

After cooking the curds then draining the whey you should be at about a pH of 6.1 to 6.3.

At cheddaring you should be at about a pH of 5.4 to 5.5 before salting and 5.4 when milling.