2022 - A New Year of Cheesemaking

[rsterne]

Last Sunday we made another Havarti.... This is the 2nd we have done without added spices, based on Ricki Carroll's recipe from her "Home Cheesemaking" book.... We used 8 litres of 2% and 473 ml of 18%, which works out to 2.8 % BF.... We used the MM 100 culture, and added Holdbac to prevent late blowing, and used Chy-Max Extra rennet.... We reduced the Floc. multiple to 3.0 X from 3.5 X to compensate for the better rennet and stirring with a wooden spoon, which doesn't chop up the curds like before....



The weight after brining was 1 lb. 11 oz., (only 9.0%, a bit low for an Havarti) so it will be interesting to see how the changes affect the make.... We plan to sample it each month, eating the last at 4 months of age....

PS.... Here is a photo of this Havarti after aging 1 month.... 



Nice small voids.... beautifully pliable and slices great.... and it looks and tastes exactly right....

PPS.... Right out to 4 months, when we ate the last of it, this Havarti was absolutely wonderful.... We like the moisture content with the 3.0 X Floc. multiple....  

Bob

[rsterne]

This week's project was a Cheddasiago, ie a Cheddared Asiago.... The full make, with recipes and photos, can be found here....

http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,19730.0.html

Here is what it looked like before waxing....



The yield from 9 litres of 3.8% BF P/H Milk, after drying for 2 days, was 1 lb. 13 ozs., which works out to 9.1 %.... We will be aging it 3, 6, 9 and 12 months....

PS.... We opened this wheel at 3 months, and were treated with a mild Cheddary aroma.... The cheese is firm, dense, quite dry, and slices like a dream.... It has the texture of a nice cheddar, and a slight cheddar flavour, mixed with other complex tastes that need more time to develop.... We can tell already that this cheese will be a repeat, and we can't wait to let it age more....



PPS.... At 6 months, this cheese is fantastic!.... It smells like a mild Cheddar, but when you chew it, you are rewarded with a rich creamy taste with perfect texture.... It certainly is cheddary, but the taste is different because of the Thermo cultures used.... The longer you chew it, the richer, creamier, and more complex it becomes.... It is super cool when your own recipe is so outstanding....   

Bob

[rsterne]

Last Sunday we made our third Monterey Jack.... The last one was slighty sour, and a bit crumbly, both indications of too much acidity being developed.... In addition, it did not melt well.... We basically used the recipe in Caldwell's book "Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking" as the basis for this make.... We used 8 litres of 2% P/H milk plus 650 ml of 18% cream, for a total of 8.7 litres of 3.2% BF.... We used MA 11 for the culture, ripened at 88*F for 40 minutes, a Floc. multiple of 3.5X, cut the curds to 3/8", cooked slowly to 102*F, and then held them there for 40 min., removed 4.5 litres of whey, and then washed with 3 litres of cold water (60*F) to bring the temperature down to 81*F.... The difference this time was that we used Chy-Max rennet, stirred the curds with a wooden spoon (which doesn't cut them up), and did not stir the curds for a half hour after draining (in the hope of developing less acidity).... The (larger) curds were direct salted before pressing....



After drying for a week at 55*F, the yield was 2 lbs. 2 oz. (11%) before waxing.... We will be aging for 4 months, sampling a quarter each month along the way....

PS.... We continue to be disappointed with this cheese.... It is sour and somewhat crumbly, so we have decided not to make it again.... 

Bob

[rsterne]

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

[rsterne]

To go along with the Emmental we made last week, this week we made our second Gruyere.... We used 8 litres of 2% milk and 700 ml of 18% cream, so we started with 8.7 L of 3.3 % BF.... We used a Su Casu culture and just 1/64 tsp. of P. Shermanii, plus Holdbac, and ended up with a cheese weighing 1 lb. 13 oz. (8.8% yield) after brining and drying 4 days.... We decided to wax this one in orange wax....



We will be aging this cheese 2 years at 55*F in our Cheese Cave, consuming a quarter of it each 6 months along the way.... That way we will go through two Emmentals per Gruyere for making Fondue, with some left over for table cheese.... 

PS.... We did a Fondue with this and the Emmental above, and it was AWESOME !!!! The cheeses melted great.... Here is a photo of the Gruyere at 6 months....



We had some left over for a table cheese, and were delighted at the texture, aroma and taste.... It had a strong Swiss aroma, and a complex flavour.... and there were just a few small holes and one large crack, but it wasn't at all crumbly.... It sliced great, grated well for the Fondue, and the longer you chewed it, the creamier it became, kind of a melt-in-your-mouth experience.... 

Bob

[rsterne]

Last Sunday we made our 4th Asiago Presssato.... We used a mix of 8 litres of 2% P/H Milk plus 1 litre of 18% Coffee Cream, for a total of 9 litres of 3.8% BF.... We basically followed the recipe in Ricki Carroll's book, "Home Cheese Making".... We used a Floc. multiplier of 3.0 X and used 1/4 tsp. of Holdbac in this recipe, and used Chy-Max rennet.... We one again pressed it overnight at 1.5 psi, inside our warming cabinet at 86*F....



After brining and drying, the cheese weighed 2 lbs. 2 oz. for a yield of 10.7%.... We will be aging it for 8 months, sampling at 2, 4 and 6 months along the way.... This has become one of our favourite cheeses.... 

PS.... At 2 months, this cheese was already nice.... The flavour needs to develop a bit more, but it tastes like our previous Asiagos.... Here is what it looks like....



PPS.... At 4 months, the flavours have developed nicely and it is getting quite complex.... It slices well, and has a nice aroma....

Bob

[rsterne]

We made our third Double Gloucester last Sunday.... We used 8 litres of Whole P/H Milk plus 700 ml. of 18% cream, for a total of 8.7 litres with a BF content of 4.4%.... We more or less followed the recipe in Debra's "200 Cheese" book, but doubled the Annatto to 2 drops per liter (18 drops total) because I wanted a nice bright yellow, common to this cheese.... We used MA 11 culture, and completed our pressing at 3.5 psi overnight in our "warming cabinet", made from an old bar fridge and an aquarium heater.... Here is the result....



The weight was 2 lbs. 3 oz. after drying but before waxing, for a yield of 11.4%....We plan to age this 10 months, sampling a quarter each 2 months starting at 4 months....

PS.... At 4 months this cheese was great!.... typical creamy, rich flavour....

Bob

[pastpawn]

Wow, keep it up.  Those cheeses all look great.  It looks like you're waxing all of them.  Have you considered vac bagging them? 

[rsterne]

I vacuum bag them after cutting off the first quarter, to continue aging them.... I just like the way they age in the wax for the first few months....

We did our second Baby Swiss on Aug. 7, but I forgot to take a photo.... The warm phase went great, and the result was the most and largest eyes we have ever had in a cheese.... We used Holdbac in this make....



This photo was taken at 2 months, and the taste is typical Swiss.... and definitely the star of the class for eyes!.... It melts great on Grilled Cheese!....

PPS.... Right through to the last of this cheese, at 5 months, it was fabulous.... one of our favourite Swiss varieties, especially because you don't have to age it long....


Bob

[rsterne]

Last Sunday we did our second Parmesan-style cheese.... We based it on Ricki Carroll's book "Home Cheese Making", and used 8 litres of Skim milk plus 850 ml of 18% cream, for a total of 8.9 L of 1.7% butterfat.... We used Su Casu culture plus Holdbac, and the yield was 1 lb. 7 oz. (7.3%)....



The first Parm we made improved a lot when a year old, so this one will we sample at 12 months, and then every 4 months, consuming the last quarter at 2 years of age....

Bob

[rsterne]

Last Sunday we made our 2nd Dill Havarti, based on Ricki Carroll's recipe from her "Home Cheesemaking" book.... We used 8 litres of 2 P/H milk plus a 473 ml carton of 18% cream, for a total of 8.5 litres of 2.8% BF.... This time we added Holdbac to the MM 100, to avoid any late blowing (not that we have had a problem with Havartis).... We again used the Floc. multiple of 3.0X, as the previous Havarti was perfect for moisture....



The yield after brining and 3 days of drying at 65*F was 1 lb. 10 oz, which is 8.7%.... The plan is to age it for 4 months, with sampling at 1, 2 and 3 months.... The first one was a real hit, we expect no less this time around.... 

PS.... We were definitely not disappointed by this Dill Havarti.... At one month, the texture is perfect, and it tastes delicious, with the Dill not overpowering the cheese....



Bob

[rsterne]

We took a few weeks off because of company, but are now back at Cheesemaking.... in fact we will be making cheese every Sunday for the next 5 weeks!.... First up was our second Red Leicester....



We pretty much followed the recipe in Ricki's book, using 8 litres of 2% P/H Milk and a litre of 18% Cream, which works out to 3.8% BF.... We will be sampling it every couple of months from 6 months to a year....

Bob

[rsterne]

Last Sunday we did our second Caerphilly.... I sort of combined several recipes, and used my experience to try and make the best replica I could of this Welsh Miner's Cheese.... We used 8 litres of 2% P/H milk plus a litre of 18% Cream.... a total of 9 litres with 3.8% BF.... We used MA 4002 "Farmhouse" culture....



We direct salted the curds after draining, and after 3 days of drying at 55*F the yield was 2 lb. 8 oz., which works out to 12.6%.... The cheese is fairly soft, so I expect it to be quite moist.... We are looking forward to sampling it every 4 weeks, so it will be gone before 4 months have elapsed....

PS.... At 4 weeks, this Caerphilly was indeed quite moist.... It had a open structure, with quite a few small, irregular openings.... It was quite soft, and just a bit crumbly but sliced "OK".... The aroma was mild and cheesy, and the taste was as well.... It had a hint of sour, more of a "tang", which really fit the character of this young cheese.... We vacuum bagged the remainder, and plan to eat another quarter each 4 weeks until it is consumed....



PPS.... This cheese was great, right out to 4 months when we ate the last of it.... 

Bob

[rsterne]

Our third cheese in our catch-up Marathon is a Cranberry Wensleydale.... We make one every mid-October, so that we can enjoy it through Christmas and New Years....



We used 8 litres of 2% P/H milk plus a litre of 18% cream, for a total of 9 litres of 3.8% BF.... We added Holdbac in addition to the MM100 culture, to see if it will keep the Cranberries from fermenting.... The sterilized Cranberries (3/4 cup) were coated with a tsp. of sterilized Cinnamon before mixing them in with the milled, salted curds.... The yield was 2 lbs. 4 oz. (11.4%).... We will start consuming it the beginning of December (6 weeks), and at a wedge (1/8 of the cheese) each week, the last will be gone mid-January.... 

PS.... We sampled this cheese at 6 weeks, and will eat another quarter every 2 weeks.... We are now storing it in our Beverage Cooler at 46*F....



We did a comparison with some original Cranberry Wensleydale, and actually preferred ours!.... The Yorkshire version was a lot sweeter (too sweet for our taste) and the cheese flavour and texture was kind of lost.... It was grainy or pebbly in texture as well, almost hard to tell you were eating cheese!.... Ours was firm, drier, and you could taste the Cheddar flavour, the Cranberries, and the Cinnamon we coated them with.... We are over-the-moon with how it turned out!.... 

Bob

[rsterne]

Next cheese in our "blitz" is our second Alpine Tomme.... We used a modified version of Jim Wallace's online recipe, using 8 litres of 2 P/H milk plus a litre of 18% cream, for a total of 9 litres of 3.8% BF.... We used Su Casu starter and Holdbac to prevent late blowing.... For those of you who don't know this is a thermophilic cheese but with the cooking done by washing the curds like a Gouda.... by removing 3 litres of whey and replacing it (slowly) with the same volume of 145*F water to reach 109*F....



The weight was 2 lbs. 3 oz. (11.0%) and we will be sampling it each 2 months, ending at 8 months of aging....

PS.... It was sure worth doing a remake on this cheese.... The first one had problems, this one is a screaming success.... Here is a photo at 2 months....



It had a few small holes and one crack, but the paste was firm, quite pliable, and had a lovely aroma.... It sliced great, and tasted a bit like a young Gouda, but more flavourful, and quite complex.... We can't wait to see how it matures.... 

Bob