An attempt at Caerphilly

[scasnerkay]

I think I don't have enough experience yet to be blending recipes.... I was so excited to try some cream top milk which I found at Trader Joes, and I wanted a short maturing cheese so I could taste it sooner, so Caerphilly seemed a good selection. I tried the recipe from "Little Green Cheese", but used the starter amount mentioned in Karlin's book, and hints from the forum. I tried measuring the pH, calibrating the meter before starting the cheese, but the readings stayed at 6.5 the entire time. So I am guessing it wasn't being used correctly. And after adding the rennet, I hovered over the pot assessing the surface for the moment of when the milk started setting (which I tested with the flat of a knife). What I judged to be flocculation occured at just under 5 mins! Too quick! I would like to know why the flocculation happened so fast, and what are the implications of this?

Using 2 gals of whole milk, non-homoginized!
Heated to 90 degrees (one thermometer said 90, the other said 91.5)
Added 1/4 tsp calcium chloride in 1/4 cup water
Added 1/4 tsp mm100 and 1/4 tsp Flora Danica and let it rest 40 mins
Added 1/2 tablet vegetable rennet dissolved in 1/4 cup water
Flocculation at just under 5 mins, definite clean break at 15 mins!
Cut the curd at 1/2 inch and let rest 10 mins
Gently stirring as raising the temperature to 92 degrees (the other therm said 93.5)
Kept at temp for 40 more mins of stirring gently
Drained the curd and let it rest to make a "cake" for 10 mins, then cut into 1 inch pieces and stacked and drained with turning every 3 mins or so for about 15 mins. Milled it, salted with 2 T salt and put it in the press at 10 pounds.
After 15 mins, removed from press, salted and redressed and back in for another 15 mins at 10 #
Salted, redressed, and back in the press at 20 # for one hour
Re-dressed and pressed at 52 # overnight.
The cheese looks lovely with a very nice finish, and weighs 2 # 3 oz.
I plan to let it sit on the counter for 2 days, then in the "cave" at 50 degrees for 3 weeks.

[Sailor Con Queso]

Flocculation happened too fast because you used too much rennet. Tablets are notoriously hard to work with.

[JeffHamm]

Sounds like the end result was a good make though.  And, given that you used the floc method, the extra rennet shouldn't mess up the outcome as you cut after 3x, which is good for caerphilly.  I use Gavin's make, which comes from Tim Smith's book, though I've tweaked a few bits here and there.  Turns out very nice and it's one of my favorite cheeses.  I've got one air drying that I made last weekend actually. 

I would highly suggest switching to a liquid rennet.  Much easier to adjust the amount until you get your milk floc'ing at the desired time (between 10 and 15 minutes).

Anyway, when you get the chance post a photo of your cheese. 

- Jeff

[Sailor Con Queso]

Too much rennet can definitely lead to a bitter aftertaste.

[Iezzo]

Grats on your milk find.  It can be hard to find some quality milk depending on your location, especially when you're starting out.  Post some pictures! 

...
I would highly suggest switching to a liquid rennet.  Much easier to adjust the amount until you get your milk floc'ing at the desired time (between 10 and 15 minutes).

...

I have no personal experience with vegetable rennet so take this at face value; I have read that veg. rennet tends to make a bitter cheese.  So if you do plan on changing to a liquid rennet, poke around for information on animal rennet.  Maybe others have have input on Veg vs Calf

[JeffHamm]

Hi,

As Sailor mentions, too much rennet can result in a bitter taste.  I'm not sure how much too much it has to be to start doing this though?  But, I've had floc times that have been faster than 10 minutes and it was ok so I suspect you'll be ok, but certainly cut back a touch on the next make.

- Jeff

[scasnerkay]

Regarding too much rennet... In most all the pressed cheese recipes in the Karlin book, she recommends 1/2 tsp liquid rennet for 2 gal of milk, which I understood is the equivalent of 1/2 tablet of rennet. In the booklet that came with the NEC cheese kit which I started with, it recommends 1/2 tab per 2 gals of milk. If using less than that, what would be the recommended amount for 2 gals of milk?
I thought that perhaps the large amount of starter also contributed to the quick flocculation. My thinking was that so much starter makes the milk too acidic, and then the rennet is too "effective". Is this correct? If so, if I were to have cut the amounts of starter in half (1/8 tsp of mm100 and 1/8 tsp of flora danica) would that have made a difference in the flocculation?
By the way, here is a picture of the cheese after about 36 hours of drying.

[JeffHamm]

Hi scasnerkay,

I'm not sure of the interaction between starter amount and rennet, so I'll let someone with more knowledge comment on that (and will be looking to learn myself).

As for the books and amounts of rennet to use, the problem is that the amount to use really depends upon the rennet you have.  For example, I have some microbial rennet where for 10 litres (about 2.6 gallons) I use 0.6 ml, while 1/2 tsp is 2.5 ml.  I have a calf rennet where I use about 1.6 ml for 10 litres.  1/2 tsp would be way too much for either of these rennets. 

Rennet comes in different strengths, which is measured in IMCUs (for International Milk Coagulating Units).  My microbial rennet is 750 IMCU while my calf rennet is 280 IMCU.   Let's say you have two rennets, one is 100 IMCU and the other is 200 IMCU.  That means, however much of the first you need to set your milk tells you that you need 1/2 that amount with the other (it is twice as strong; it's IMCU is double).  You might need to tweak things a bit, as your milk and rennet interactions could require that, but this will get you in the right ball park. 

Anyway, the important point is that because rennet comes in different strengths if you're using a rennet that is stronger or weaker than the rennet the author of the book is using, then the amounts the author gives you will not work for you.  Use the floc method and you can determine the right amount.  First, start with what the rennet package suggests.  If the package says use 1/2 a tablet or more then you know you have to adjust things.  Since you used 1/2 a tablet and that floc'd in 5 minutes, I would try between 1/4 and 1/2 tablet next time and see where that gets you.  Each make, just keep adjusting up or down until you've worked out the amount that you need to get that 10 - 15 minute floc period.

Good luck, and have fun.

- Jeff

[margaretsmall]

And the frustrating thing is that most books don't say what sort and strength of rennet they have used for their recipes (or for that matter, the strength of their CaCl or what strains of culture). Potential cheesemaking book authors please note!
Margaret

[anutcanfly]

Hi scasnerkay,

If your using Mary Karlin's book you may want to post the recipe you're going to use before you use it.  Mary has doubled up on cultures on many of her recipes.  So your milk would acidify too fast and yes that would speed up the affects of the rennet.

[scasnerkay]

Yippee!! I cut into the cheese today, at almost 4 weeks, and it tasted Good! It was one of my most pleasant cheeses yet! Nice flavor, smooth creamy body, and it did not taste bitter! It was very mild and simple, but good to eat! My guests also gave it a thumbs up. I think the milk (non-homoginized) made a big difference. The cheese was a different color as well compared to a manchego also opened. There were mechanical holes, but really, I have no complaints about my cheese for a change!

[anutcanfly]

Congratulations!  It's almost like Christmas, but even better, breaking into a wonderful cheese.  Well done,  Here's a cheese for your efforts! 

[JeffHamm]

Congratulations on the good result!  It's a great feeling when they turn out so good.  A cheese to you.

- Jeff