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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => RENNET COAGULATED - Brine Ripened (Aegean Sea) => Topic started by: Cheese Head on January 19, 2009, 11:17:55 PM
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Today I start my third Feta making based loosly on several recipes ;D.
MAKING
- Jan 19, 2009, 4:40PM: Poured 1 US gallon/3.8 litres of store bought pasteurized homogenized whole cow's milk from fridge into stockpot on smallest gas burner ring on stove. Turned gas on low and warmed and stirred milk to 90 F/32 C, turned off gas.
- Jan 19, 2009, 4:50PM:
- As milk pasteurized, to standardize, trickled and whisked in 1/4 teaspoon diluted CaCl2.
- Measured ~0.25 grams Danisco's Choozit Brand Mesophilic Starter Culture MM100 onto mini digital scale, tapped off onto top of milk and whisked in.
- Measured ~0.25 gram Danisco's Brand Mild Calf Lipase onto mini digital scale, tapped off onto top of milk, whisked in.
- Measured ~0.25 gram CHR Hansen Brand powdered rennet onto mini digital scale, tapped off into 1/4 cup cool water, stirred to dilute, then trickled onto milk while whisking in thoroughly for 2 minutes.
- Covered and set aside for culture to grow and curd to set.
- Jan 19, 2009, 6:10PM: Checked curd set (http://cheeseforum.org/Making/Best_Practice_Check_Curd_Clean_Break.htm), OK, not great.
- Jan 19, 2009, 7:00PM: Checked curd set, good, cut curds (http://cheeseforum.org/Making/Best_Practice_Check_Curd_Clean_Break.htm).
- Jan 19, 2009, 7:45PM: Stirred cut curds, measured pH at 5.87.
- Jan 19, 2009, 8:30PM: Ladled curds into Camembert Hoops on turning mats.
- Jan 19, 2009, 9:35PM: Turned both cheeses.
- Jan 20, 2009, 6:00AM: Placed both cheeses in fridge to dry, noticed top was softer than bottom as few turns.
- Jan 20, 2009, 4:45PM: Cut 1st cheese into 1 cm / 1/2" cubes and placed in saturated brine for 8 minutes, repeated with second cheese, tossed old brine. Weighed cheese 0.91 kg/2 pounds 0 ounces. Placed in fridge to age.
NOTES
- Used correct amount of diluted CaCl2 as per manufacturers recommendation, half the previous Feta's amount, got slower set curd.
- Put all additives into milk in a row, minimal time wait between CaCl2, Meso starter culture, Lipase, and rennet, will see if makes a difference.
- Next batch put stronger mats under curds and on draining board to stop bulging-leakage out bottom.
- Cheese was softer than previous batch when cubed for brining, presumably as less turns so less gravity drainage of whey.
- Next batch put in long term low salinity brine (http://cheeseforum.org/Making/Best_Practice_Salting_Curds.htm).
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Picture set #2 . . .
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Picture set #3 . . .
OK Carter, what do you think of them curds?
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Very nice, the whey is pretty dam clear. Store or raw?
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CH that's looking very good. So how are they this morning?
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OK that batch done and in fridge until start eating . . .
Carter, store bought past milk.
Tea, fine this morning, only had time to put in fridge, this afternoon just cubed and brined. That way ready to eat in fridge. Next batch I'll have to try preserving in "low" salinity brine (http://cheeseforum.org/Making/Best_Practice_Salting_Curds.htm). When I cut the cheese, it was slightly softer than last batch on top, I think because I didn't turn it as much (as started later and ran out of time before bed) and thus less whey removed from gravity drainage.
I tossed the brine as old and I read that you should rejuvinate it (http://cheeseforum.org/Making/Best_Practice_Making_Brine.htm#Re_Using_Saturated_Brines), which I sadly hadn't :-\.
Any advice appreciated, I remember somewhere you adding herbs to yours, I have some dried oregano, how and when would I add?
Tomorrow will report on taste ;D.
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how much whey did you add to the brine, or did you add the salt to the whey?
I'm still trying to figure out what recipe to do!
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L.L., in this batch I used a saturated brine and as much higher salt concentration, just soaked for 8 minutes, then drianed and placed unbrined cheese cubes in fridge for eating.
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L.L., in this batch I used a saturated brine and as much higher salt concentration, just soaked for 8 minutes, then drianed and placed unbrined cheese cubes in fridge for eating.
Would you recommend trying this one first then? Please say yes. :D
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oh does it make a difference what brand lipase, renet, culture you use? Can I just use the stuff I have?
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L.L., I don't think it really matter what brand you have. But different type can make a difference.
US based Dairy Connection (http://www.dairyconnection.com/hobbyiest.html) has quite a bit of info on Mesophilic Starter Cultures & Lipases, if still concerned, post what brand and types you have.
For rennet, it's whatever you get used to, ie amount, dilution, etc.