Gouda made on 12-18-2009

[Missy Greene]

I am going to start my first goat milk gouda today.. I have just read all of your great posts.I am qondering what your opinions are on natural rind vs waxing..could you go into your next steps after brining and air drying? thas so much, Missy

[fuzziebear3]

Wow, what a beautiful cheese and a great thread.  I also learned some things from the video.  I'm hoping to try this one myself, thanks for the recipe and the tips!!

[Likesspace]

fuzziebear3....
I sincerely hope the recipe works out for you.
I've made this cheese several times since making the initial post and I've always been happy with the results.
I've not yet refined things to where every cheese turns out exactly like the previous one but I'm getting closer with each batch.
Good luck with your attempts and make sure you let us all know how it turns out.
Also, thanks for the kind words........

Dave

[Missy Greene]

hey Dave,
I am wondering what is the  earliest you have tried your goudas. I have read in several recipes that they are good as early as 2 weeks.  Made my first one following your recipe on the 8th of March, decided to wax it instead of tryingthe natural rind the first time. Am going to start another today and try it with cumin seed.
thanks, Missy

[Likesspace]

Hi Missy,
First of all, I'm sorry for the late reply. Unfortunately I haven't had a lot to time to post here, at least not nearly as much as I'd like to.
As for your question, I have tried the Gouda recipe as early as two weeks and although it has a nice taste it is much better after at least a month. I don't know why Gouda will mature much more quickly than other cheeses but it does seem to.
About the longest I have aged a Gouda is 3 months and I can't really tell a lot of difference between a three month cheese and a two month cheese. At some point I plan to make one and let it go for a couple of years just to see what the result is.
I use a vacuum bag machine for cheese storage. When waxing I've always had problems with getting mold under the wax and I've never given a natural rind a try. After switching to  vacuuming I'm yet to see my first speck of mold which is a very nice change. For some reason that always really ticked me off.
Keep us informed on how things go for you. I'm also really looking forward to hearing how your first attempt turned out. I'm still hoping that things will slow down a little for me so that I can get back to making cheese and participating more on the forum.
Have a great weekend.
Dave

[Missy Greene]

thanks for the info Dave, didn't get to that gouda the other day as I was pasteurising my milk and thought I turned it off  when in fact it got left on low and got way to hot..oh well the chickens liked it... was away over the weekend at grandma's 89th b'day...so will have to get to that next gouda this week..will keep you posted. do you have a foodsaver vacuum sealer??? i wonder if they make bags big enough for whole chickens...we do our own meat birds...probably Deejay Deb would know that kind of thing! anyway, thanks again, Missy

[Missy Greene]

Hey folks. just opened my first goat milk gouda. It was waxed on Mar 14th. I am so Happy!! it is beautiful, smooth, mild but flavorful, and even my husband likes it! this is Dave's recipe. thanks Dave!!
See photo.
  Missy

[Brie]

It's beautiful, Missy--just perfect! Can you email me a taste?

[Gürkan Yeniçeri]

CC it to me too 

[iratherfly]

Looks incredible. It is soft and moist as it looks? Wow, I want some!
What kind of Mesophilic did you use? I am trying to figure out the best practice to get this kind of texture.

[DeejayDebi]

Great job Missy looks wonderful. Bet it just melts in your mouth! Mmmmmmm

As for the Vac bags I always buy rolls and cut them to whatever I need. and 11 inch bag will hold a good sized whole chicken or 1/2 a small turkey.

[Missy Greene]

I used M4001 and followed Dave's recipe. the gouda is half gone!  also started a new Cabra al Vino, am going to use the Blueberry wine again.

[rustinsmommy]

I made this cheese and it tasted good. I have never eaten Gouda so i am not familiar with what it is supposed to taste like or what texture it should have. Mine was a bit dry and when I grated it and tried to use it in mac and cheese, it didn't melt. it stayed in lumps and didn't get soft. What did I do wrong?

[Brie]

Rustin--you may want to post a few more details as to how you made the cheese. What kind of milk did you use? What kind of starter? What recipe did you follow? How long did you age it? This info might help us in trying to help you!

[bmckee561]

Dave:  I am going to use your recipe in my first ever attempt at Gouda.  I am curious about the pH readings though.  When you take your readings, are you measuring pH of the whey or the curds?  I have 2 pH meters and the probe end on one of them is a bit large to be jamming into actual curds.

I have made mozzarella and cream cheese to date and used the meter to measure pH of the whey itself, however I am not sure if that is the way to go.

Any help would be appreciated.

Salute!