My Gouda

[jimmyzshack]

Saw so many different ways to make this lol this is what i did with a 3 gal batch.

Warm milk to 86-88°F
Sprinkle ½ tsp/2.5 ml mesophilic-a starter
Set aside for 30 minutes
60 drops of rennet 1/4c water
After 1 hour or until clean break, cut into 0.5 in (took an hour and a half)
Stand 5 min, stir 5 min, stand 5 min, if curds do not sink, stir and stand again.

Drain 35-45% whey then stir for 15 min.
Add 25-30% start volume ~60C/140F to reach target35-38C/95-100F depending on final moisture content you want.
Stir for 15-30 min.

(this was from another thread that worked for me)For pressing under whey. I line my 7" hoop with cheesecloth and literally put it in my whey pot with the top of the hoop above the waterline. I then put about 1/3 of the curd in the cheesecloth/hoop and press pretty firmly by hand. I add the next 1/3, press, add 1/3 and press. I then pull the hoop, cloth, and curds out and drain for about 1 minute just to reduce the fluids. All without ever letting the curds cool down.

Press at 20 pounds for 20 minutes.
Turn and press at 40 pounds for 20 min.
Turn and press at 50 pounds for 12-16 hours.

In Morning, place in a saturated brine the next morning or place immediately in a saturated brine for 3-4 hours per lb

Pic is after the press at 40

[DeejayDebi]

That looks really pretty Jimmy! Great job!

[Baby Chee]

Yep.  Looks good.

I stashed mine in the fridge after brining and they sat a week, then waxed.  I hope that worked in case you do the same.  The results won't be apparent for 6 more weeks until I open one of my matured Gouda.

[Cheese Head]

jimmy, looks great, nice smooth finish. I also get a lip from my handmade polyethylene cutting board follower that I cut a little too small and thus extrude curds up outside a little. No big deal I just trimmed/cut it off.

[Sailor Con Queso]

I wrap my homemade follower with a double layer of cheesecloth to fill the space on the mold wall and avoid the lip.

[DeejayDebi]

Now Sailor that's a grand idea!

[Sailor Con Queso]

Sometimes we learn the most from our mistakes. I too cut my follower too small and needed to "fix" the problem. Wrapping the follower also makes a great impression during pressing. I do NOT fold in the cheesecloth that my curds are in. Instead, I fold the cheesecloth OUTWARD and drape it over the mold. I then slide the wrapped follower inside so that it presses directly on the curds with no extra bulk and NO fold marks.  :o

[DeejayDebi]

I can not cut a circle with a jigsaw without wobble. All kinds of little zigs and zags but it works. I need something to hold it with besides my hands I think.

[jimmyzshack]

One more question. Can a gouda be vacuumed sealed? Everything i see talks about waxing it. http://dairyfoodsconsulting.com/recipes_gouda.shtml but like with Monterey Jack is says wax or vacuumed sealed.

[Baby Chee]

Yeah, from what I read, the vacuum sealing is essentially a simpler way to wax.  They do the same thing--sealing the exterior.  You might not have as nice a package for the cheesing, but you have a very easy and very secure rind when you vacuum seal.

[Sailor Con Queso]

I vac bag almost everything. Some, like Goudas, I bag as soon as the rind has air dried. Other, like Parmesan, I let age for 30-60 days and then bag. Swiss types I let go for 3 weeks before bagging so the CO2 and eyes can develop. I sometimes wax just for looks when I give or sell partial wheels to friends.

I always dip my cheeses into a saturated brine solution with a little bit of added white vinegar. I use a paper towel to wipe off any excess and then bag while it is still moist. My theory, and it has worked so far, is that the thin film of brine will supress anything that has contaminated the surface.

I am also bagging my blue cheeses WITHOUT VACCUM and no brine dip after 30 days or so. Keeps the humidity in the bag high and cuts down on the spread of mold. I find that this doesn't give the classic blue/tan rind look, but the flavors have been great.

[Boofer]

Good suggestion to place the follower directly on the curds in the mold and then press, eliminating any stray fold lines from the cheesecloth. That will be the next change I implement when next I make the curds & whey.

Sailor - What sort of problems have you experienced when making swiss? You say three weeks to let the eyes develop. We're not talking big eyes here, are we? Also: the brine & vinegar veneer you apply just before bagging...that works okay? Does the cheese kind of absorb the moisture from that?

-Boofer-

[Sailor Con Queso]

I have not heard of ANY of us getting the big classic Swiss eyes. I try to age it at cool room temp. I know it should be 60-65F, but that's just not practical without freezing my wife. So the room I age in is 67-68F. If you get ANY warmer than that, Swiss will start sweating and lose butterfat. We cracked one a week or so ago that did that. Flavor was great, but it was really dry.

I combine about 1/4 cup of brine and 1 tablespoon of vinegar then wipe off all of the excess with a paper towel. There is VERY little moisture left, but yes, there is some. The vac bagging traps that thin layer at the surface. I have had ZERO problems with molds or other contamination and there isn't enough vinegar to pass on any flavor. Why vinegar? They brine itself is made from acidified whey, but I like a little bit of extra acid to ward off evil spirits.  ;D

[Boofer]

Sailor - My first effort at swiss was pretty much a disaster. I had the sweats and mold...didn't know whether to cover the wheel with a bowl, or not, to maintain humidity. Boy, did that bring some surprises!  :o I guess I learned to check and wipe (at least) twice a day. I had an interesting science project! After much gentle scrubbing with brine and vinegar, I once again had a clean wheel of cheese. I decided at that point to bag it to eliminate any further infection.

I let it age for several months and then cracked into it. It was very hard, very dry, and somewhat crumbly. The flavor wasn't bad and I ended up grating some for spaghetti. Excellent! It was more a parmesan/romano than a swiss. Eh, live and learn.

Sorry for rambling on...apologies to jimmyzshack.

-Boofer-