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Feta again

Started by scasnerkay, June 30, 2013, 07:24:25 PM

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scasnerkay

This make was complicated by guests dropping by, so I became distracted during the stirring phase, and stirred much longer than I meant to. Consequently, the cheese is more firm that I meant to aim for. It can easily be cut into little cubes that stay as such. I was aiming for creamy and crumbly....
I did let this one drain overnight to a lower pH than previous makes, and the flavor is quite good.

1 gallon non-homogenized, pasteurized whole milk
1/8 tsp MA4001
1/16 tsp mild lipase (in ¼ cup water)
1/4 tsp calcium chloride (in ¼ cup water)
0.7 ml calf rennet
Flocculation multiplier of 4
Saturated Brine
8 percent whey brine

Targets: from Linuxboy
Rennet 6.5
Drain 6.0 - 6.2
Brine 4.6 – 4.8

11:30  To temperature at 88 degrees.  Starter and lipase sprinkled on and rehydrated for 5 minutes. Starter stirred into milk covered and wrapped to keep warm for one hour.
12:30  Temp 91 degrees. Stirring to bring it down. Calcium chloride stirred in.
12:40  Temp 90 degrees. Stirred in rennet. Flocculation 10.5 mins. Using multiplier of 4, clean break at 45 mins.
1:30  Cut curd into 1 inch cubes, and let rest 10 mins. Then gently started stirring.
2:10  Temp 87 degrees and pH 6.3. Not sure the meter is working right due to next reading is 5.8. Decided to stir more because curd did not look right.
2:30 Testing pH at 6.1, decided to drain in cheesecloth bag for 10 mins, then into basket form with cheesecloth liner. Whey was reserved for later use as brine.
3:00  Time to turn, testing whey at 6.0.
3:40 Turning cheese, whey testing at pH 5.9
4:30  Flipped cheese and tested whey pH at 5.7
5:00 Whey pH now 5.5
6:00 Flipped and whey pH 5.3
7:30  Flipped and whey pH 5.1
9:30   Whey pH at 5.0. I decided to leave it on the counter overnight, aiming for a pH of 4.8 or less.
6:00 AM Now at whey pH of 4.8. Into the saturated brine for 8 hours.
2:00 Out of the brine and weighing 18.5 oz.
The cheese was put into cave on mat to dry for 3 days. Then into 8 percent brine made from the reserved whey.

One week after the make, I am using some of the cheese on a salad of fresh from the garden apricots, strawberries, blueberries, lemon thyme, and a drizzle of lemon juice and a neighbor's honey!


Susan

JeffHamm

Well done!  I'm thinking I might move some of my feta into oil sometime soon.  We've not used any of it yet as we've been so busy with stuff that it's just gotten lost in the fridge.  I'll have to try some this evening, and if it's ready, move some to oil for long storage and figure out something to eat some with! :)  A cheese to you for what sounds like a good outcome.

- Jeff