pH markers for cheddar & record keeping template - need help!

[Wrangler]

Hi all

For my birthday my family have been kind enough to buy me a pH meter, a Hanna Instruments fC2022 HALO! This coupled with a new - bigger cheese press, Rikki Carrolls 'Home Cheese Making' book and other assorted cheese making goodies from my lovely wife 

Could anyone provide me with pH markers for cheddar? I have searched the forum, but it all seem a bit here there and everywhere.

I'm also looking for a record keeping template (not sure if this is what it's called ) a piece of paper where you record your cheese making process (temps /ph levels / times / etc) during the actual make of the cheese.

I'd really appreciate the help as I'm a stupendously excited child in a mans body

Thanks . W

[Gregore]

Sweet I am jealous of your halo .

I have the same model but with the wire , no blue tooth , so no app to record the ph curve

I have never made a cheddar but  my guess based on type of cheese ..... some where from 6.1 to 6.3 for molding and 5.1 to 5.4 for salting and pressing .

Now that big of a spread will give you a different cheese if you where to make a few cheeses at both the high and lows .  I am sure a little research on the forum will turn up more accurate numbers .

[Wrangler]

Thanks for the info Gregor. My mum used to watch a show about Santa Barbara. I think it was called 'Santa Barbara' she loved it. That and Days of our Lives. It was in the 80's. I hated those shows as a child. She would watch them so much I would cry but I'm sure Santa Barbara is a lovely place in real life.

Any other info would be greatly appreciated!
W

[OzzieCheese]

Hi might like to check my make sheets in my Cheddar makes:

http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,15210.0.html

I have some with a complete photo progression..

Attached is my blank template..  Have fun..

-- Mal

[Wrangler]

Hi might like to check my make sheets in my Cheddar makes:

http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,15210.0.html

I have some with a complete photo progression..

Attached is my blank template..  Have fun..

-- Mal

You sir, are a GOD! This is exactly what I was looking for thank you very much - a cheese for you!

[OzzieCheese]

Not a god but thanks for the thought. 

Not that I have anything against Rikki's book -I think we all learnt using it at one time or another - but I found the makes didn't translate well to the cultures normally used.  You can buy the packets she mentions from GreenLiving Australia http://greenlivingaustralia.com.au/cheese-making But they are awfully expensive.

Some books I would highly recommend is
Home Cheese Making in Australia by Valerie Pearson http://greenlivingaustralia.com.au/home-cheese-making-in-australia - no this not advertising - Valery taught be the basics years ago and never looked back.  I can imagine me not making cheese, it can become an obsession..

The other two are from a well known cheese maker, teacher and author - Gianaclis Caldwell and Mastering Basic Cheesemaking is a good next step and then, if you want to elevate your cheesemaking to a whole new level once you have the basics nailed.

I would definitely add this to my Christmas wish list.
Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking by Gianaclis Caldwell

BTW - welcome to the forum there are many more awesome 'gods' here that have a wealth of information on all sorts of topics and look forward to seeing your cheeses.

CHeeseOn 

-- Mal

[John@PC]

I would definitely add this to my Christmas wish list.
Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking by Gianaclis Caldwell

I will ditto that.  Gianaclis comes close to adding pH markers to "most" of her recipes but for some reason there are some (maybe 20-30%) that don't have references.  Same goes for floc factors.  My guess is that she is going by the original cheese-maker's recipe which may or may not have the pH or floc factor as reference.  That said her book is the best reference I have, much better than the "Science of Cheese" which was highly disappointing considering the high price tag ). 

[Wrangler]

Thanks for the info John and Mal. Don't know if I will have my pH meter by this weekend but will most probably be making a cheddar anyway. I think I will use Gavin Webbers tutorial on YouTube to make a 10 lt batch. My first 10 lt cheese! Woohoo. 

[OzzieCheese]

Gavin's Tutorial is ok and he does show the basics though I wouldn't cheddar the way he does.  I let my stacks weigh down on each other until the target pH is reached.  If you let the ph drop too far then you end with a very crumbly cheese at the end of the maturing time.  Also, the press he uses is not a good one for cheddar for a couple of reasons.

1. As the cheese presses the force exerted by the spring reduces
2. The supposed '24 kg' of force from the spring is not sufficient to get the whey out of the curds - this too leads to the very crumbly end result.

The whey will still provide lactose for the cultures, further dropping the pH.  The milling and salting at the pH of 5.2 - 5.3 gives a better internal structure for the final cheese.   and the to close the gap to remove the whey pockets, the weight needs to be at least 80 kg.

Hope that adds a bit more information to your cheese making.

-- Mal