Raw Milk Gouda

[Tomek]

Hi there,

What could be the reason that the cheese after 3 months of ripening looks like cottage cheese (but is slightly yellow)? Cheese ripened in the refrigerator - 12 deg.C, 75% humidity. When making cheese curds was very good. I use cow raw milk.

Tomek

[MrsKK]

So are you saying that the cheese just fell apart in your refrigerator?  Or are you saying that when you cut into the cheese the interior looked like cottage cheese?

If the second question is correct, I would say that the curds didn't knit well in the press.  There can be several reasons for that but the top two would be that the curds got too dry or that the curds were not warm enough when put in the mold to be pressed.

Can you post pictures.

[Tomek]

Hi,

I'm saying that when I cut into the cheese the interior looks like cottage cheese.

Thanks for tips. I'll make one more time Gouda cheese on Saturday. Wish me luck

P.S.
I  attached foto.
1.Cheese foto (after cutting off another month to mature, and just outside it looks nice (inside is like cottage cheese - I do not have photo).
2.Mold - made from cutlery drainer 
3.Cheese press.

[Gregore]

That pic of the cheese looks perfectly fine and delicious are you saying that it changed some how from the pic?

[Tomek]

Yes I know, it looks good  . But this pic shows after cutting a piece of cheese and maturation for a further month - without paraffin. This layer is only a few millimeters (about 0.2 inch). Inside it looks like cottage cheese.

[Tomek]

I made another Gouda cheese last weekend. So, I would like to describe what I was doing. Maybe I did something wrong.

1.Heating milk in sink. Initial milk temp. 10 C (50 F). Initial water temp. 40 C (104 F).
   4 L milk (about 1 gal) from milk machine - 4,1% fat.
   Final milk temp. 33 C (91 F)
   Warming time -30 minutes.

2. Acidifying the milk. 0,4g MFC culture. Stirring slowely up and down for 2 minutes.

3. Rest for 10 minutes (under cover).

4. Adding 0,4 g calcium chloride in 60ml water (1/4 cup). Stirring slowely up and down for 2 minutes.

5. Adding rennet - 10 drops. Stirring slowely up and down for 2 minutes.

6. Rest for 1 hour under cover in 33 C (91 F).
  After 1 hour curd was too week.
  After 1 hour and 10 minutes curd was fine.

7. Cutting curd (2 cm, about 0,5 inches). Rest for 10 minutes.

8. Pour off 1/3 whey and add water (80 C,176 F) to achieve 33 C (91 F). Stirring slowely. Rest for 10 minutes.

9. Pour off the whey to the level of clot.  Add water (80 C,176 F) to achieve 38 C (100 F). Stirring slowely for 15 minutes - keep temp.

10. Molding warm curds.

11. Pressing:
      20 minutes - 10 kg (22 lb)
      20 minutes - 20 kg (44 lb)
      12 hours - 25 kg (55 lb)

12. Salting using brine (in refrigertor - 14C (57F))
      Salting time - 12 hours  (1L water, 250g salt (0,2 gal water; 0,6 lb salt))

13. Drying over 20 minutes - 25C (77F)

14. Drying in refrigerator for 3 weeks - 14C, 75%humidity (57F).

[MrsKK]

*You need to let the milk culture for at least 45 minutes to an hour, rather than the 10 minutes you allowed.

*You stirred it too long after adding the rennet, which may be part of the problem.  Rennet starts its action immediately when it hits the milk and you don't want to disturb that coagulation.  Also, the rennet should be diluted in about 1/4 cup of cool water just before adding it to the milk.

* Also, you say that the milk comes from the milk machine, so I am assuming it is raw, unpasturized milk?  If so, you don't need to add calcium chloride.  Not that it would harm anything, but no need to buy it to use when your milk is raw.

Are you turning the wheel of cheese when you change the weight?

[ezabel]

Hi MrsKK.  I don't see a problem with his acidification time, or the stirring when the rennet is added, as the recipe I use for Gouda has rennet and starter added at the same time, and if he doesn't stir it how is it supposed to be well distributed through the milk.  Totally with you though on the fact the rennet should be diluted and the calcium chloride not being required.

A few things that do leap out at me though are the processes through the washing and cooking of the curd phase.
     - Adding 80C water to the curd seems very hot.  Most recipes I've seen call for water at 60C max.  Never seen one that high before.
     - There appears to be no stirring from cutting curd to drawing off the whey.
     - How long did you take to add this water, or did it all get put into the curd at once.  The idea is to gradually lift the temp, usually over 15-20 minutes.                     
     - Once at temp, 15 minutes seems quite quick for the actual cooking.
     - The drying time once out of the brine at 20 minutes is very quick.  Usually air drying takes 2-3 days.

Just some observations that may or may not be affecting your finished cheese.

[Bantams]

Are you diluting your rennet in cool water first?  If not, that would cause issues.

If your milk came straight from the milking machine, why is it 10 degrees C/50F?  Did the milk sit around for awhile first, or did you take it out of the fridge?  I just wonder if it is starting at that temperature, it was either not chilled properly or it sat around for a long time...

[ezabel]

Bantams.  I own a large scale dairy farm in NZ.  The milk entering the vat, unless it's gone through an icebank first, is usually at 18 degrees C, having already been lowered from the temp of 38 degrees C (101F) when it leaves the cow.  It is then chilled to 5 degrees C within 2 hours of milking finishing, so that temp he gives will be spot on coming straight out of the plant.

[Bantams]

I assumed one gallon coming from a bucket milker from a single cow - which would be about 95 degrees (35 C) after milking. 
We'll just have to see what Tomek says!

[AnnDee]

I used Caldwell's recipe with great success before, it calls for the milk to be warmed to 27C only before adding culture, then increase slowly to 31C and maintain temp for 45 minutes
Stirring after rennet is needed but not too long, 1 minute. Target clean break is 45 minutes.
Also Caldwell's recipe calls for stirring before washing the curd. I think this is important so that the curd can expel enough whey.

[Tomek]

Thank you all for advice 

I would like to answer your questions:

MrsKK
Are you turning the wheel of cheese when you change the weight? - Yes. I turn the wheel of cheese whenever I change the weight of press.


ezabel
How long did you take to add this water, or did it all get put into the curd at once - I added water bit by bit.
In step 8. Pour off 1/3 whey and add water (80 C,176 F) to achieve 33 C (91 F). Stirring slowely. Rest for 10 minutes. it takes about 3 minutes.
In step 9. Pour off the whey to the level of clot.  Add water (80 C,176 F) to achieve 38 C (100 F). Stirring slowely for 15 minutes - keep temp. I added water all the time (20 minutes: 5 minutes to reach 38C, 15 minutes maintained 38C)


ezabel
The drying time once out of the brine at 20 minutes is very quick.  Usually air drying takes 2-3 days. - I Dry the cheese 20 minutes in ambient temperature - 25C, then put my cheese into the fridge for 3 weeks for further drying (without wax). Then I will waxing cheese and mature for 3 month.

Bantams
Are you diluting your rennet in cool water first? - No, I dont ;(


Bantams
If your milk came straight from the milking machine, why is it 10 degrees C/50F?  Did the milk sit around for awhile first, or did you take it out of the fridge? - I took milk to the fridge for 1 day. In milkmachine the temp of milk is about 3,5C (38F). The milk is unpasteurized.

[ezabel]

Tomek, when you said that you got your milk from the machine, I wasn't thinking of a vending machine like that 

[Tomek]

I thought so. That's why I added the picture