My New Washed Rind - Red Hound

[OzzieCheese]

First a big HELLO! to everyone out there. The return of the mad OzzieCheese to this wonderful forum has occured. I've been away for a while and now finally back. I hope you like my latest attempt at a washed rind. I decided to call this one 'Red Hound' in honor of our new addition to the family - a white Shizue cross with lovely light B.Linens coloured fleck in her coat. Ok, I'm allowed to be besotted she's a wonderful dog and I hope I can make this a memorable cheese. I'm using an adapted recipe from G.Caldwell's wonderful book.
 

[OzzieCheese]

The method is not all that different from many other Taleggio style cheese recipes except for the 'Cooking' stage. So as to start, with a clean kitchen. To make the best use of the time I've started to preheat the milk in the laundry tub with water at about 36DegC. By the time I have finished wiping down the kitchen and cleaning the equipment, the milk has been gently heated to around 27 DegC - just about culture adding temerature.  The milk is about the best I can buy here in Queensland and it consistently makes excellent cheese.

[OzzieCheese]

The make sheet has the all the quantities but molds and cultures are adapted to cover the basic constituents of the ones listed in the book.  Flora Danica is the main culture but the MA 4001 also has a Thermophilic component which G.Caldwell mentions that a little thermo will aid in the acid formation during the the Cooking phase. as my cultures are a little old I added a drop of MOT 092 9 (thermo from Sacco). For those who would like I've added my 'chicken scrawl' of the notes.

[OzzieCheese]

I use the flocculation method to determine the correct curd cutting time. There are several descriptions on how to perform this activity on the forum. I used 8 Litres (2 Gal) of milk and the 2.5 mls of rennet was a little too strong and using the 3.5 Flocculation factor gave a cut time of 40 minutes - five minutes less than the book method stated - but this is fine as the floc method gives the correct time time to cut. You can double check that with the 'Clean Break' test if you are unsure. Next ime - for a 8 Litre make I'll reduce the rennet to 2 mls.

The method up until the cooking is pretty standard - though I would make sure that the upper 37degC isn't exceeded as it is very close to the scalding temperature of the mesophilic cultures. As you can see mine crept to touch 38 degC - but only right at the end. The 30 minute cook time is really only to get the Thermo cultures active. The cooking stage also is NOT heat the milk to 37DegC and stir for 30 minutes. IT IS slowly raise the temperature over 30 minutes to 37DegC and then let rest for 5 minutes to let the curds settle in the pot.

[OzzieCheese]

As this is an experimental cheese I decided to use my Fetta square mold. One, because I wanted a square cheese to pay homage to the traditional shape and two, I wanted to test the cheese as it matures. The molds are 100mm fetta molds and I think should make a wonderful cheese.  For those who are familiar with my 'Malembert' cheese making efforts, I will use the flipping method to turn my cheese during the draining phase. The crud by the end of the cooking phase should be nice and shiny and rounded. The 1 Centimeter cut is reasonably small for this type of cheese but the gradual cooking didn't decrease their size to an large degree.

After 5 minutes the curds will have settled to the bottom of the vat.
Remove the whey to the level of the curds - It use my stainless colander as sump to prevent squashing the curds.
Gently stir to break up the matted curd and gently and evenly fill the four molds.

[OzzieCheese]

The draining stage is almost the same as the 'Melembert' with the exception of the higher pH goal a the end before brining. The initial 30 minutes draining is aided with 5 minutes of pressing at the end and for that I just use the weight of the cheese in the mold. Place one in another and leave for 5 minutes and then reverse the stack for five minutes. This help close up the cheese without too much pressure - we want to keep as much moisture and fats in the cheese as possible.

After 30 minutes +5 and +5 it is time to start turning the cheeses every hour until the pH goal is reached 5.3-4. Because of the timing I elected to stay up until the Ph level was reached. The second image is my 'flipping rig' and the last once is just for an indication of how much they settle in size over 2 hours.


The goal pH was reached round 9:00 pm at which time I dunked the four cheeses into a premade bucket of Heavy Brine for 30 minutes.

This is where the current images run out and we'll have to discover the washing routine together as this is only my third 'Washed Rind'.  G.Caldwell uses an Ale based light washing brine with some B.Linens added, of which there are so many to choose from. My choice is a nice Australian Beer (Ale) Cooper's Pale Ale - for the first attempt of 'Red Hound'.  I'll post images to this as the weeks progress but for now I'll see ya later - hope you found this instructive and entertaining.

Happy to answer any questions - and we'll probably discover this cheese together.

[OzzieCheese]

Time for the washing routine.  Please if anyone reads this and where I have made a mistake please add a comment as it is not too late to adjust. 

The routine is basically wash twice a week until the desired softness is achieved - but that doesn't really tell you anything. What happened last time with my Brandy washed rind was that the surface goes a sort of slimy - not wet but slimy as the G.C starts on the surface. But the washing doesn't take into account that as with the Malemberts and the other Washed rinds I did; if you leave them in the 10-12DegC fridge, they will overripen on the outside and be still hard in the middle. So, my suggestion will be once I see the G.C. starting to show up the B.Linens wont be very far behind and once that happen I will be moving them to a cooler 5-6DegC fridge.

I'm lucky I have an understanding, lovely wife as at any time a whole bunch of ripening containers can take over the main fridge for a while. I dont know how it happened that we ended up with 5 fridges! Cheese making is hugely obsessive - or I am.

I changed the 'Ale' to another local Ale called 'Fruphy' - While the dictionary has the meaning as "a rumour or story, especially one that is untrue or absurd." it actually the word is said to derive from water carts designed and made by a company established by John Furphy of J. Furphy & Sons of Shepparton, Victoria. The steel and cast iron tanks were first made in the 1880s and were used on farms and by stock agents.  Either way 'Beer Tales' mixed with good cheese is always an excellent way to spend time with friend and family.

Sorry, back on track...

I used 375mls (a real stubbie) of ale and 2 tsps of salt and then poured a little into a container for the washing.

Drain the cheese containers and wipe them out and when turning them over (do every day BT) wet the cheese cloth and wipe the cheese all over. repeat for the rest.

 

[OzzieCheese]

Once you have done that the small amount in the container should be throw out and the cloth rinsed - ready for the next time - it get a bit full of little bits. The original container should have enough for a few washes. they are then ready to put back in the fridge @10DegC.

[OzzieCheese]

I will update this as things happen - or don't as the case maybe. This all a work in progress and we'll have to discover it all as we go. 

And yes Bailie is a lovely dog.  Hopefully the rind of the cheese will be like the light tan on her ears and running down her back and the inside as creamy as she is.... yes, I know... don't judge me... never thought I'd be a dog person but turns out I am

[jmason]

AC4U.
Good to see you and looking forward to seeing this age out.  I'm thinking of doing a Port Salut as my first washed rind. Cultures should be here this week.

John

[not_ally]

Wonderful tutorial, Ozzie!  Both entertaining and instructive.  I pored over your Malembert makes when making my first cams, they were so helpful!  It is really nice to see another Ozzie make.  AC4U (although you will have to split it with Baillie, she is a cutie pie.)

[OzzieCheese]

Just flipping today. Nothing exciting to see here. So, it’s basically turning the cheese over and wiping out the container. These containers will keep the RH high without fancy RH monitoring and moisture generating devices. Not that I can measure the exact RH but the fact that there is moisture on the lid when I flip the cheese I would say it’s close.
The surface is not yet slimy, but the smell is still sweet but just getting a slight yeasty smell.

Ale wash tomorrow.

[bansidhe]

Where does one get those plastic draining things?  They fit so perfectly in those red containers.  I bought some of the takeaways but only the microwave one comes with a grate. 

[OzzieCheese]

@bansidhe Sorry but I’m not understanding which draining things you are referring to. If you are referring to the white square ones I used during the hooping and draining then they are from a cheese making supply company - check out Green living Australia website. If it’s the Red ones with the white grate then they are made by Decor, you can check the same website. Not sure where you are located. Sorry I couldn’t be more help on that.

[bansidhe]

That's cool.. I was speaking of the white racks in the red boxes.  I'll check out the site you mention. Thanks!