First Parrano

[Spike]

Inspired by my first taste of this cheese last week and DeejayDebi's recipe on this board, I chose to try and make this today. Seems like a Gouda with a little lipase. I used my new new 1800 g mold. 6.75" diameter by 6" tall. Curds from 4 gallons of milk filled it to the top. After pressing the cheese was just under 4" tall. Hoping it tastes like the sample I bought. Will let you know in 6 to 9 months.

[shotski]

Nice looking wheel Spike. I look forward to hearing how it turns out. Keep us posted.

John

[Tiarella]

Nice looking cheese!  Are you going for a pristine rind or letting it go wild?  I don't know Parrano cheese at all.
:D

[Spike]

Parrano seems to be a modern cheese. For aging I think I will treat it like a Gouda. Let it dry for a month in the cheese cave and then wax. It came out of the brine very moist.

Here is a clip from Wikipedia:

Parrano cheese is a cow milk cheese produced in the Netherlands. It tastes mild and nutty, combining salty and sweet flavours. It has a semi-firm texture and a smooth, golden coloured paste. Made from pasteurized milk, Parrano is produced in 20-lb wheels and is aged for 5 months.

Combining the flavour of aged parmesan with a pliant texture, Parrano is marketed as an Italian-style cheese. Taglines have included "The Dutch cheese that thinks it's Italian" and "Sort of Italian." However, Parrano is technically Gouda cheese although its flavour is more pronounced than that of traditional Gouda.

[flac]

Sounds like a tasty cheese; looks great too. Saving this for trying some day.

[JimSteel]

That's cool, I've never heard of this cheese.  Coincidentally, I made a cow Gouda with added lipase just last night.  I accidentally left the heat on my double boiler on max and overcooked my curd brought the fires of hell upon the milk.  It complicated the make, but still might be redeemable.  It's air drying right now, but I have no idea how it's going to turn out, I probably killed all of my cultures.  In any case, the lipase seems to have produced that "sharp provolone" smell already, which surprises me.

Nice looking wheel though Spike.

[Spike]

The Parrano has been drying at room temp and humidity for a few days. Will put it in the cave tonight. It has turned more yellow. Used .75 tsp of annatto in the make. I keep dialing it back with each use, but still ending up with more color than I had expected.

It has gone from 4 lbs 4 oz out of the brine to 3 lbs 13 oz now.

[Spike]

It has been a month now and I plan on waxing this cheese tomorrow. It is down to 3 lb 2 oz. It has also developed some white on the surface in some places. Is this a problem? I plan on trying to clean it off with a brine solution before waxing. Does this sound right or should I do something else?

[Schnecken Slayer]

If you use a salted vinegar solution it will help kill the mould.

[Spike]

OK, rubbed it down with vinegar and salt brine. Thanks Slayer. Waxed it today. Now back into the cave for 5 to 6 months.

[John@PC]

Nice waxing!  I know that typical (hot) waxing temperatures kill the mold and some if not all of the mold spores.   I used to wax coat but have been experimenting (because of the rigors associated with waxing) with organic coconut oil with mixed success.   Anyone here used coconut oil?

[Spike]

I have not tried coconut oil yet, but Tiarella has had a lot of success with it and is a big advocate.

[Spike]

The parrano is just short of 6 months old, so time to taste. I had a cheese cave (dorm fridge) failure about a month after I waxed it. Temp went to 80 F for a short time. Took the wax off to check it, and then cut in half and vacuum bagged.
The flavor is good. A lot of parmesan smell and taste, but moist. Melted OK in the microwave but not so well in a grilled cheese sandwich. It is not quite as sweet as I was expecting and has a slight chalk texture. Overall I am pleased with the result.

[GlennK]

It's a beautiful cheese.  Congrats!  You overcame much adversity with that one.

[JeffHamm]

A cheese to you for a great result.  Keep that bit in the bag for another 4 or 5 months.  I bet the flavour will greatly improve, and the chalkiness will be gone.

- Jeff