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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => RENNET COAGULATED - Hard Cheddared (Normally Stacked & Milled) => Topic started by: Tom Turophile on January 28, 2013, 05:00:05 PM

Title: Wensleydale #1 (and first pressed cheese)
Post by: Tom Turophile on January 28, 2013, 05:00:05 PM

Finally, after years of prep, I've begun my first pressed cheese -- Wensleydale, from 200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes.  I chose this one because of its short aging time and waxing (too avoid worrying about humidity). 

And I say "begun", because I have had quite a few...learnings?

• My press broke, so I did what I could -- pressed the cheese under my new pot.  It's only 44 lbs, so at best I had very light pressure (about 1 psi!).  Instead of 2 30-minutes under medium, and overnight at high, I've pressed it for 16 hours and counting.  It has actually formed well, but I'm sure this will affect the final product
• The recipe calls for the final curd to be cut in 2 in x 1/2 in curds...um, what's the third dimension?  Perhaps whatever fits in the mold?
• The night before, I realized that the 5 gallon pot that I was going to make had to be aluminum.  I was able to find a 22 qt stock pot at Wal-Mart for $22.  Great deal, and nice and wide (as opposed to tall).

4 gallons from Whole Foods (freshest I can find, and I know it is local):
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-fYEFiKdYVhM/UQanb3WgsGI/AAAAAAAAILk/7BxzimPe7m8/s912/20130127_123054.jpg)

The graniteware pot, with thermometer rigged to hang directly into the middle:
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_uxQnV8idwI/UQanb9WWQHI/AAAAAAAAILs/hKFq3M14zeY/s912/20130127_123100.jpg)

Happy with the curd size and whey release, almost through 35 minutes of stirring:
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-izCWotMIhGQ/UQanc8LmXHI/AAAAAAAAIMA/dbKHuPnsiX0/s912/20130127_152440.jpg)

Fun with physics:
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-DFDd85COAD0/UQanhO9F7EI/AAAAAAAAIMU/M7WoDzET7Ig/s912/20130127_160722.jpg)

Curd mass re-cut into four pieces:
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-vr8PVCcG7TE/UQanhRRqZnI/AAAAAAAAIMc/KXPUhqSxM60/s912/20130127_162120.jpg)

Cheese in press before adding weight and breaking (the white piece on the right snapped in the middle)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-YmChFHJRbXI/UQanhnU8mAI/AAAAAAAAIMk/HMp0UEUgcBw/s912/20130127_205255.jpg)


Yield: 3 lb 14 oz, surprisingly below the 4 lb average -- surprised because of the lack of pressing, but I suppose that the lower yield is from the milk quality.

Title: Re: Wensleydale #1 (and first pressed cheese)
Post by: Tom Turophile on February 25, 2013, 05:13:28 PM

After 23 days of aging:

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-oQTwzzfeIDY/USuav-OXpDI/AAAAAAAAIPw/B4MHcY23LN0/s800/20130224_180801.jpg)

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-KvMAePksugc/USuav8EWolI/AAAAAAAAIP0/0mBPxH6A0Zo/s800/20130224_180913.jpg)

Good moisture, tighter knit than I expected (since the press broke), but a slightly sour/off taste.  Still, it's good for what I expected.  I've vacuum-packed most of it to age and see what more aging will do.

I didn't do a great waxing job; there was some greyish mold underneath the wax, and the red from the wax leached on to the cheese.  I'll be vac-packing my gouda for sure.

Title: Re: Wensleydale #1 (and first pressed cheese)
Post by: Tom Turophile on February 27, 2013, 02:58:47 PM

Great news -- my wife brought it into her office and people were really impressed.  Nice to know that even when things don't work out, you still get a fine result.