This week's cheese was an Emmental, our third.... Same recipe, based on Ricki Carroll's book, using 8 litres of 2% P/H milk and a pint (473 ml) of 18% cream for a total of 8.5 litres of 2.9% BF.... We used 1/8 tsp. each of Su Casu, Propionii Shermani, and Holdbac LC, and 3/16 tsp. of Chy-Max Extra (double strength) rennet.... With the Holdbac to prevent late blowing, and the new rennet to prevent bitterness on aging, we expect our best Emmental yet!.... We used a Floc. multiple of 2.5X and cut and whisked the curds to 1/4".... We used the same Gouda mold as always, because it doesn't have square corners where it is more difficult for eyes to form.... After pressing at just 20 lbs. (1 psi) overnight, we brined it only 6 hrs. (to limit the salt content so that the PS grows well), dried it 3 days at 55*F and then vacuum bagged it.... For those of you wondering, vacuum bagging has no effect on eye formation, it does not prevent the cheese from expanding, in fact it may aid it from the lower pressure environment....
It weighed 1 lb. 12 oz., for a yield of 9.4%, pretty good for an Emmental!.... It is now in the cheese cave at 55*F for 2 weeks before we place it in a 70*F environment for the PS to work it's magic.... We have found that to be the best temperature for eye formation, which usually takes 2-3 weeks to complete.... After that, we will wax it and store it in our beverage cooler, which is at 46*F, for up to a year, sampling every 3 months.... Along the way, its primary uses will be French Onion Soup, and of course Fondue with our own Gruyere....
PS.... Well, this Emmental apparently thinks it's a Gruyere!.... .... It never grew in the 4 weeks we had it in the warm room, so we subsequently stored it in our cheese cave at 55*F, and no change.... We opened it at 3 months and there were quite a few cracks, and only a few small scattered holes.... However, the 1/4 we tasted is just like a Swiss, but without the holes.... We vacuum bagged the remainder, we are storing it at 46*F, and in 3 more months we will be opening the Gruyere we made a week later, as they will both be 6 months old then.... It will be interesting to compare them....
PPS.... At 6 months, this made an AWESOME Fondue with the Gruyere below.... There were a few holes, and it tasted exactly the way it should....The aroma was that of a Swiss, and it had the beginnings of a bite, typical Swiss....but we miss the eyes!.... Bob