Playing with Caerphilly Recipes

[gemma.tyson]

Thanks Jeff.
Used your recipe as I had to start somewhere.  Have basically done the same as you have apart from using organic milk
At the moment I am pressing.  Interesting looking at the changes you made.
Had a look at the Greening of Gavin site as well.  Really a bit of an inspiration!
My curds don't look like they are really compressing properly, so I may try the 16 hour press with 20kg like you did.
Do I have to do two x 16 hour presses?
Appears to be more time consuming?  Fun though

[JeffHamm]

Hi gemma,

I would think one overnight press would be fine.  If it's not a good knit by morning, I've read that you can put a cheese in 100 F (37.7 C) water for a bit, then back in the press.  This would warm up the outter curds and may improve the seal.  I think you can only do this right out of the press, not if it's been air drying for a few days. 

- Jeff

[JeffHamm]

Hi gemma,

Just thought of something.  When you dilute your rennet, do that just before you add the rennet to the milk.  Don't prepare it in advance and let it sit around in the water.  This will weaken the rennet.  I dump mine into the water, give a wee stir, then dump it into the milk.   

- Jeff

[gemma.tyson]

Thanks Jeff, did do that as I had read it on the forum.
Just weighed my new cheese and it weighs 1.3kg WOW!
Will try another one though as I feel the curd didn't quite compress the way it should have.
My partner has the camera so I will post a pic as soon as I have it back.

Darius I found out that the herb that was in mum's cheese was caraway seed, so will definitely give that a go.
Rind already starting to go yellow at top edge.  I feel really happy with my first go at this.
Thanks everyone.

[gemma.tyson]

Some photos of my first caerphilly.  Thanks Darius and Jeff.
Not happy with the texture as it still appears to have a textured surface.  Read on the forum about pressing in brine at a set temperature,
will try to do some further reading on that before I make my next one with seed.
Darius, do the smaller ones work ok?  Are they any different and do you have to adjust your times and weights of pressing accordingly?

[darius]

gemma, I've made one or two that were just 1 gallon of milk, but kept everything else the same (except cutting additives in half). The very first Caerphilly I made was 1 gallon, and it has been the very tastiest thus far. Of course, it was also aged the most!

[JeffHamm]

I suspect the curds are cooling down too much.  I stack mine in the pot I make the curds in, and keep the pot in a sink of hot water (around 40 C).  Also, when you pack the curds into the cheesecloth lined mold, you can pack them a bit with your hands to remove any obvious caveties, and make sure you pull up the sides of the cloth when you put the follower on top. This can help pack the curds a bit too.   Finally, although I'm not familiar with your press, as I understand it, what will happen is that as you press your cheese it will, of course, shrink away from the top bar.  That means you need to reset the press every hour or two for the first while.  I just stack weights on top of mine, so the weights sink down with the cheese as it gets pressed. 

Oh, and darius, didn't you add extra salt to your first caerphilly as well?  I seem to recall you had added the 2 gallons amount of salt for the 1 gallon make. 

- Jeff

[darius]

Yes, indeed I did, Jeff. Added salt, did not brine. Although I did not intentionally add extra salt, I just forgot I cut the recipe in half! Once it aged 60-90 days it was as perfect as I could want, and not salty at all.

[JeffHamm]

That's what I thought.  I think this tell us that when adding salt, with caerphilly it is safe to add a bit more than the standard recipe calls for.  It might be one of the reasons why your first one turned out so good, though perhaps the extra salt also requires extra aging.

- Jeff

[gemma.tyson]

OK thanks Darius and Jeff
Will try a smaller version on Wednesday.
Reading over the instructions I should have mantained the temp with cutting the curd and stacking. 
I cut the stack from top to bottom, and looking at some of the other photos I probably should have taken
horizontal slices.
The edges are starting to go quite dry, ? humidity?
Will try some caraway seeds in the next lot.
Should I start a new thread for this? or can I continue on in this one?  Really appreciate the help I'm getting
Gemma

[JeffHamm]

Hi gemma,

I would think the temperature of the curds is more important than the directin of slicing.  Keeping them warm improves the knit, and influences how the cultures work on the milk. 

In terms of drying out, how are you storing your cheese?  I keep mine in plastic boxes, with lids, inside a wine cooler fridge.  By adjusting the lid I can, roughly, adjust the internal humidity of the box.  If the cheese developes cracks, it's too dry so close the lid more, but if you're fighting mold on a daily basis, and there's condensation in the box, etc, it's too humid so open the lid more.  Yah, very exact science here I know, but this does tend to work once you work out the proper lid placement.

Starting a new thread isn't necessary, but it may (or may not) attract other board members if they knew you were trying something new and were looking for suggestions and input?  But continuing this thread is also appropriate since we're all posting about various aspects of making caerphilly, which is all on topic.  If you do start a new thread though, include a post here directing people to it by telling us what the title of your new thread is.  Will also help future readers as they explore the archives.

- Jeff

[gemma.tyson]

My partner has just rewired a commercial display fridge for me.  He has added a heating pad that I normally use for my beer brewing to heat the
fridge when it cools down too much.  We're using that until he can obtain a heating element from the net.
The cheeses are all tucked in.  Now I will have to learn temperature control.  Just as well I'm not at uni at the moment.    The learning curve is huge.
One day I may even make a cheese that I can display with pride and people will know what it is. (Not Fetta) lol
Will try another caerphilly on the weekend for my brother.

[gemma.tyson]

Started the Caerphilly for my brother.
Brought the 4L of A2 milk to room temp.
Warmed to 32c, added 0.9 ml CaCl and half a sachet of Flora Danica (mad millie) into milk.
Waiting 90 minutes to culture

In the meantime am putting on a batch of shortbread, and helping my partner plant some more apple trees.

Adding 0.6ml of vegetarian rennet, aiming for a 15 minute floc time.

[gemma.tyson]

After reading through material supplied with rennet have changed the amount to 0.8ml.  Information states to use 0.2ml to 0.5ml
per litre of milk.  Last caerphilly had a very slow floc time, this may be why.

Floc time 11 minutes, next time I will aim for slightly less rennet.  Bit warmer today, so may also be affecting the setting time.
Cut curd at 33 minutes, well set.  Rested for 5 minutes
Raised temp over 10 minutes to 32C.  Kept at 32C for 40minutes.  Have found that my new simmer mat will keep my pan at just the right temp
without any heat underneath.  Beautiful!
Now for the next few steps.

[JeffHamm]

Sounds like it's all going to plan.  Nice.  11 min floc is good.  Anything between 10 and 15 is what you're aiming for.

- Jeff