sudden drop in PH

[linuxboy]

exactly. Use less, leave out altogether, or use lower temp schedule. Same principles apply as Francois posted. If you are having runaway acidity, then if it's not temp or salt schedule, it's the bacterial load... either amount or how it plays along with temp, or synergistic effect with the raw milk+ commercial starter that you added.

[Ptucker]

So how far off was the 2 gallon make that I listed a couple posts ago, in regards to the PH markers? I can slow down the make to stretch out the PH markers some but don't think I will be able to meet standard markers. It would be a 10 hour make plus pressing which it sounds like I have to monitor very close. It would be nice to sleep somewhere in there.

[linuxboy]

Then do a few batched of milk where you put in .2, .5 .8% etc bulk, and see how it behaves. Try to get it to how you want it until the times and pH line up.

[Ptucker]

Great thanks for the help, a cheese to you. I will do two 4 gal makes this Saturday and let you know how it goes.

[linuxboy]

Based on the raw milk results, it looks like you're overpitching with a culture that really likes the higher end of meso temps. So, using less commercial starter should work well.

[Ptucker]

8 gals raw milk PH 6.74 heated to 86.9 degrees F
Added 1/8 teaspoon MA 016
Held at 86 degrees F for 40 minutes PH 6.71
Added 1 teaspoon liquid animal single strength, floc in 20 minutes
Cut at 60 minutes into 1/2 inch cubes PH 6.63 rest for 5 minutes
Raise temp to 100 degrees F over 45 minutes PH 6.60
Held for 40 minutes PH 6.31
Drained and cheddared for 60 minutes PH 6.01
Salted (5 tablespoons) and pressed at PH 6.01

Pressing hour 6, is fairly dry and the PH from the cheese is 5.30, removed from press and placed in main refrigerator. The next make I will drop the starter to 1/16 teaspoon.

As I still struggle to adjust the starter on cheddar, at least on a brighter note my Jarlsberg and Baby Swiss turned out great.

[Boofer]

Very nice cheeses. A cheese comes to you for such a finely crafted pair of alpines.  :)

-Boofer-

[Ptucker]

Thanks Boofer,

I was pleased to find the final PH of yesterdays cheddar make sitting at 5.22 this morning as the last 8 makes PH has dropped below 5.0.

[FRANCOIS]

Just to nit pick---don't take it personally---there is what looks like some minor cracking along the eyes of your swiss.  This is a major issue for commercial producers.  The root causes are many and varied but it is indicative of gas continuing to form after the hot room.  This, when extreme, can lead to crumbly edges around the eye formations and flavour defects (in extreme circumstances) leading to sour notes.  In super extreme cases the cheese actually cracks itself apart.

[Boofer]

I saw that in the Jarlsberg, but not the Baby Swiss. There was a discussion on eye-splitting about a year ago.

Still, good stuff.

-Boofer-

[Ptucker]

I noticed that in the Jarlsberg, it must have taken place in the warm room because I cut them in half to fit in the gallon vacuum bags, they were 8 lb wheels and would not fit otherwise. Then moved them to the cave. I am not sure what caused it but I have a theory about it, there was a 1/4 inch long crack on the side of the wheel that appeared the 1st week in the warm room. My thought is the gas was escaping there and the pressure in the wheel was equalizing via the lowest pressure point inside the wheel and finding its way to the crack creating internal cracks along the way. Either way it still tasted great. The baby swiss had no cracks anywhere.

[Ptucker]

I figure I would give an update on the cheddar PH levels. I am pleased to report thanks to LB and all the folks that gave advice, that we have success again at making cheddar. I have been able to achieve finial PH levels of 5.2 to 5.3. Cheddars only three months old have great flavor and aroma, should age out very well at one to two years.

The below photo is a 3 month old cheddar and a picture of the lower cave with several more resting peacefully.

Thanks again to everyone.

[bbracken677]

Very nice! And a very informative thread for cheddar makes! 

Thanks and a cheese for you!