Making cheese right now!

[Cartierusm]

Making cheddar right now using all my new equipment. I'll let you know how it turns out and take some pics.

[wharris]

LOL,  As you were writing that,  I too am making another 5 gallon batch of Cheddar.

My Cheddar collection, all in various stages of aging, and waxing.



Am pressing this batch now.


But I'm not taking any pictures.

[Cartierusm]

Wayne a couple questions about cheddar.

1. What kind of culture are you using, mother or direct set?
2. How long are you letting the milk ripen?
3. How long do you drain the curds for?

More questions to follow if I am stumped. I'm at my first press right now, 10 pounds for 15 minutes.

[wharris]

1. What kind of culture are you using, mother or direct set?
I use this direct set
2. How long are you letting the milk ripen?
45 min
3. How long do you drain the curds for?
Initially, I drain the curd in my SS colander for only 3-4 min. Rocking back in forth every 30 sec to extract more. Then i stir for the next hour, draining periodically. 

[Cartierusm]

That looks like the same stuff I use from here http://www.thecheesemaker.com/cultures.htm. Have you had any of the cheddar you've made so far?

[wharris]

yes.  I had some tonight.
I am a tough critic. But my cheese was only "ok"  IT was a  bit dry and a tad over ripe.

Too hard and crumbly too.

[Cartierusm]

A bit dry means you pressed too much, that's how my first cheddar came out a long time ago. Very crumbly. But don't throw it away, it's still cheese. Rewax it and age it more. How long had it been aging?

[wharris]

Dry and Crumbly also means too much acid.


I did not watch my pH close enough, and just do not have good data on that.

I am pressing lighter these days and focusing on turning more often.

I did wax my wheels.

[Cheese Head]

Wayne, looks great, but how are you going eat it all? Block party?

[wharris]

If all goes well, these are going to be Christmas 2009 gifts.

[Cartierusm]

Wayne what pressures are you using and how often are you turning?

[wharris]

I press with 3.6 PSI.

50lbs on my press's lever arm.  (4x distance from fulcrum)
so...
200lbs of down force around over two moulds that have 28.25square inches.
That is 200lbs/56.5sqin
That is 3.6PSI

I turn them for the first 48 hours, about every 3-6 hours.  Putting a new paper towel down at every turn.

I do this untill i stop feeling a 'damp' side.

[Tea]

   Wayne simply 

That mould certainly gives a professional finished look.
My cheddar is fairly crumbly, but the flavour is yet to develop.  Even afer nearly three months it still seems fairly mild.  But then I have been maturing in the fridge, not a warmer cave, so this is probably the reason for it slow rippening.
Watching with interest what you both are doing.

[Cartierusm]

I just did the calculations for my 4" mold and I get 4 PSI. Do you really think they do it commercially as PSI or force?

[wharris]

I'm no pro, so perhaps those amongst us can chime in.

All i know is what i saw on "Modern Marvels"  They did an episode on Cheese.

640lb blocks of cheddar were pressed at 55PSI