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CHEESE TYPE BOARDS (for Cheese Lovers and Cheese Makers) => RENNET COAGULATED - Semi-Hard "Sweet" Washed Curd => Topic started by: JeffHamm on March 08, 2015, 05:27:13 AM
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Haven't made Gouda in quite some time. My luck has been spotty with this cheese, with one developing a late blow, and others being good cheese, but developed in ways atypical of gouda (sharp, like cheddar, for example - what's that about?) Anyway, I think part of the problem has been I've been pressing far too long, so today, this one was just in the press for about 7 hours then into the brine. Will post a photo a bit later. Here's the protocol
Gouda Sunday, March 8th, 2015
Indoor Temp 220C, weather: overcase, Barometer: 994
8 litres Silver Top (3.1g/100ml protein 4.0g fat/100 ml)
3 litres Homebrand Trim (3.9g/100 ml protein 0.5g fat/100 ml) P-F ratio 1.09 : 1
4 ice cube buttermilk
1.65 ml calf rennet
½ tsp CaCl (50%)
Mould diameter 5.625”
1) Add CaCl2 while setting up
2) Add starter cubes and warm to 32 C (time 8:08 am Temp 32.1 C)
3) Ripen 15 min (start time 8:08 - 8:28 temp 32.1 - 32.0 C)
4) Add rennet (time: 8:28:00 floc time 8:47:00 m 19 sec 00 3x multiplier 57 m 00s cut time 9:25:00)
5) Cut into 1 cm cubes (9:29 - 9:33)
6) Let stand 10 minutes (start time 9:33 - 9:43 temp 31.3 - 31.3 C)
7) Drain 1/3 whey (3 litres worth)
8) Add 80 C water over 15 minutes until temp 33.3 C (10:05 - 10:15 31.3-33.6 C – only took about 4 cups water again; just under)
9) Cover and rest 20 minutes (10:15 - 10:35)
10) Drain to level of curds (2 litres seemed to do it)
11) Add 55 C water slowly to reach temp 37 C (10:35 - 10:49 33.2 – 37.1 C; - required 6 cups; maybe 8, might have miscounted)
12) Rest 30 minutes, stir occasionally to prevent matting (10:49 - 11:19)
13) Drain whey
14) Move curds to mold
15) Press under 10 kg (0.86 PSI) 30 minutes (11:30 - 12:00) ;in the pot
16) Flip and redress (12:03)
17) Press under 20 kg (1.77 PSI) 1 hour (12:05 - 1:00)) ; in the pot
18) Flip and redress press 1 hour (30 kg 2.66 PSI) (1:00 - 6:05) (didn’t bother as knit was excellent earlier)
19) Flip and redress press 3-5 hours (30kg 2.66 PSI, ??? - 6:05 ; 1484g, 14.5 x 9.0 – 206 cm3 cm = 1.16 g/cm3) Knit is perfect.
20) Place in saturated brine for 1 hour per lb per inch of height = 11 hours 34 minute (start time 6:05 finish time 5:40, closer to 6:00 actual am; as the top of the cheese sticks out of the brine, flipped at 8:00 pm, and again at 3:40 am) Out of the brine weight 1448g
21) Air dry then cave.
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Jeff, that looks lovely! I hope it will turn out well -- how long do you plan to age it?
I just came back to trying gouda after several that weren't quite right. My last gouda had a really good taste after 6 months of aging, but it wasn't gouda -- for one thing, way too crumbly. I theorized that I was letting it get too acidified in the press, and now that I have a pH meter, I decided to try again. To my shock, the cheese reached the target pH (5.2 - 5.3) within 1.5 hours in the press!! So my previous makes, pressing overnight, almost certainly got way too acidified.
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Hi Andy,
Yah, my gouda's have always tended to over acidify as well. Like you, I would generally press them until the next morning, so this one is the shortest I've done in the press; at about 7.5 hours. So, if mine followed the same curve as yours, then I'm still too long in the press. I felt the washing went quite well, though, but since I don't have a pH meter, we'll just have to wait and see.
Fingers crossed. Although, like you, I've found that even if it does over acidify and get crumbly and non-gouda like, it's still good cheese. I like the name Woodstock Gouda someone suggested to describe over acidified gouda. Might use that myself! ;)
- Jeff
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Good looking cheese Jeff!
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Thanks Al!
Sorry Andy, forgot to say that I'm thinking I'll age this out 3 months or so. Not sure though.
- Jeff
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3 months is my usual target for Gouda ... though as I said I left the last one for 6 months. Flavor was wonderful, just not Gouda. (Not even close!)
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I usually age my gouda's for a year or more (I still have about 1/3 of my first wheel, which is now over 4 years old; Made Dec 31, 2010). But, I like young gouda too, and haven't had much luck with the wheels cut early (the aged ones, luckily, have all been very good). I'm hoping to improve that with this make. We'll see.
- Jeff
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Moved this into the cave today. It's down to 1224g, so lost 260g of moisture during the air drying. Rind has firmed up a bit, though the cheese has settled into a more classic gouda shape, which is nice to see. Ha, take that expensive kadova mould, I got slumpy here! :) Anyway, may wax this in a few weeks. Not sure yet.
- Jeff
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Sweet-looking cheese, Jeff. Looking forward to seeing what comes from this after a little aging.
Have a cheese. ^-^
I removed my Tilsit #6 out of the brine early this morning to air-dry. In the next several days it will join Montasio #4 and Tomme #8 in the cave. Those two are 2 weeks old. I'm looking forward down the road sometime in July-August to enjoy these three favorites of mine.
When I mentioned my intent to make the Tilsit to my son, he made a request for my Esrom, mentioning it's superior melting quality. Maybe soon.... ;)
-Boofer-
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Jeff.. A quick Gouda question. I have one that is nearly 12 months old and waxed - would it still be ok .. It was my first washed curd so I'm just wondering if it will still be Ok. It sorta just got forgotten in the back of the cave and only realised it was there when I upgraded my Cave to MkIII. :-[
-- Mal
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Good to see you back in action Boofer! Thanks for the cheese. I'm hoping this one doesn't blow up like a balloon (had one of those, not good). Looking forward to watching your mastery of the washed rind produce the wonders that are tilsit and esrom! MMmmmm!
Mal, I'm afraid your 1 year old gouda will not be ok. You'll have to send it to me for safe disposal I think. No no, no need to thank me! :) Actually, it probably won't be ok, it will probably be excellent! What I would do, though, to maximize your enjoyment, is remove the wax but don't cut into it. Cave it for a week or two, and then cut it. I find that waxed cheeses really need to "air out", as I think some of the residual whey will ferment and give the cheese a bit of a fruity flavour (sort of like home brew that uses corn sugar rather than double malting). Air it for a while, and this aspect will dissipate. But 12+ month old gouda can be fantastic. You could also cut it in half, or cut 1/4 out, rewax most of it and age that for another while, and taste it over time as it continues to improve.
- Jeff
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Hi Jeff. Long time, no cheese (which I instantly corrected with AC4U when I saw your result). Question: reading your notes you say you pressed for the first hour or so "in the pot" which I assume is under whey but you also said before that you transferred the curds to the molds before pressing. Here is the sequence:
13) Drain whey
14) Move curds to mold
15) Press under 10 kg (0.86 PSI) 30 minutes (11:30 - 12:00) ;in the pot
16) Flip and redress (12:03)
17) Press under 20 kg (1.77 PSI) 1 hour (12:05 - 1:00)) ; in the pot
18) Flip and redress press 1 hour (30 kg 2.66 PSI) (1:00 - 6:05) (didn’t bother as knit was excellent earlier)
I assume the last comment meant the knit was good enough not to bother pressing under whey. Can you elaborate how you do the transfer and pressing? Do you ladle the curds into the mould then place the mould / press into the whey?
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Think I may be able to help you here John, in case Jeff isn't available, LOL. You place the curd into the prepared mold and then submerge it under the hot whey where you press it by sitting weights on the follower. Correct me if I'm wrong Jeff but I just did this with a 8 pound Emmentaler.
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Think I may be able to help you here John, in case Jeff isn't available, LOL. You place the curd into the prepared mold and then submerge it under the hot whey where you press it by sitting weights on the follower. Correct me if I'm wrong Jeff but I just did this with a 8 pound Emmentaler.
That's what I do. Good stuff. ;)
Actually, it probably won't be ok, it will probably be excellent!
I recently cut into an 18-month-old Peasant Gouda (http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,11729.msg100230.html#msg100230) that was very nice. :P
Looking forward to watching your mastery of the washed rind produce the wonders that are tilsit and esrom! MMmmmm!
I've been making a few cheeses when I can, but forgoing posting as some of it may be seen as repetitious. :-\
-Boofer-
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I've been making a few cheeses when I can, but forgoing posting as some of it may be seen as repetitious. :-\
Wait -- repetition is bad?? :)
C'mon, tell us and show us again -- some of us (me) probably didn't see it the first time, and still have so much to learn!
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I've been making a few cheeses when I can, but forgoing posting as some of it may be seen as repetitious. :-\
Wait -- repetition is bad?? :)
C'mon, tell us and show us again -- some of us (me) probably didn't see it the first time, and still have so much to learn!
Yep!!! Can be.
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Thanks for the cheese!
John, I know most people recommend pressing gouda under whey, and to get the best knit I've seen someone say that it is best not to let the curds come out of the whey - just scoop them into the mould while still in the whey, and press, keeping them submerged the whole time. This is primarily to prevent any mechanical openings. However, I have to press by stacking weights, and putting metal weights on top of curds that may allow the weights to get into the whey, and then contaminate the cheese pretty much has me forgoing aesthetics. Pressing in the pot is Sailor's trick, and applies to any type of cheese - is especially useful for cheddar though, but works well with gouda too (apparently, as this one turned out really nicely). Basically, put hot water in your sink, put the curds in cheesecloth lined mould, put the mould in a pot, put the pot in the water in the sink ... in the sink ... in the sink ... put the pot in the water in the sink! (for those who know the song "there's a hole in the bottom of the sea", you can all thank me now for the ear worm). Anyway, cover the cheese and weights with a clean towel to help keep heat and moisture in the microclimate you're creating in the pot. The water keeps the pot warm, which really aids in getting a good knit.
Boofer, repetition is good for many reasons. First, if a protocol repeats well, then posting the protocol, then the results at the end and noting that "this is a successful replication of my previous 2 or 3 makes using this protocol" gives us all an idea of a stable make procedure. Also, it saves people from having to search around for the details, which can be hard to find - especially since it is highly unlikely that the make went exactly the same way each time. It's the little changes that are good for everyone to see. So, post your repeats without shame or concern.
- Jeff
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@Jeff - You had me there haha! I really thought I had a lost cause. I've just opened my last Caerphilly and the Gouda will be next on the block. I should have the photo sof it up soon.
--Mal
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:)
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John, I know most people recommend pressing gouda under whey, and to get the best knit I've seen someone say that it is best not to let the curds come out of the whey - just scoop them into the mould while still in the whey, and press, keeping them submerged the whole time.
That was my point. I've done the drain / transfer / press in pot method before but once I switched to anonymous's method of pressing (or maybe it's more correctly called pitching using pressure to consolidate ???) for washed-curd cheeses I've had great results. Once it consolidates in the pan I cut or break the curd mass apart and stuff it into the mold and press as normal. I've done a couple of cheeses like this in the last month - just slow in posting ::).
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Not sure I'm getting all of this method John. Exactly what do you do?
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Not sure I'm getting all of this method John. Exactly what do you do?
Before transferring the curds to the mold I drain whey to level of curds and lay a plastic mat cut the size of the pan inside and press down by hand gently for about 5 min. to consolidate the curds. A better method that anonymous uses is a draining tray or other more rigid object onto which you can place some weight to get a better press. I should have some time tomorrow to post some pictures of the last one I did using this method.
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Cut into this yesterday. This is the 2nd time I've had Gouda with lots of holes. The taste is fine though, so I'm not sure if it is late blowing (which causes a bitter flavour) or just the buttermilk starter (though I've used it in Gouda's that have not produced gass and holes). So, while it's an edible cheese, I'm not happy about my gouda's swelling up so much. Sigh.
- Jeff
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Well that blows! >:D At least it's edible. ;) AC4 the effort.
Larry
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Looks great, Jeff. Interesting eye development. Are you sure you didn't make an Alpine? ;)
To soothe your disappointment, have a cheese.
-Boofer-
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Jeff, it doesn't look like any pictures of late blowing that I've seen. In fact it looks pretty good so have a cheese on me.
Kern
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Thanks for the cheeses all! I'm pretty sure it's not late blowing. The flavour is very good and definitely Gouda (so no, didn't put PS in by accident Boofer! :) ), so I suspect the holes are gas from the buttermilk starter. Also, I only pressed this for 6 and a hours, so the internal knit would not be as tight as some of my other makes and some of the holes may just be mechanical. Still, not quite the solid knit I had hoped for.
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Ate the last piece of this today. This cheese, despite my initial disappointment with the holes, was a very well rounded flavoured gouda. It melted well too. I was very pleased in the end, and people who tried it liked it too. So, alls well that ends well, as they say.