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John's Cheese #031 - Feta #4

Started by Cheese Head, January 24, 2009, 06:23:33 PM

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Cheese Head

Today I start my fourth Feta making with my mom Jean, who's visiting from Vancouver Canada, based loosly on several recipes ;D.

MAKING

  • Jan 24, 2009, 12:05PM: Poured 1 US gallon/3.8 litres of store bought pasteurized homogenized whole cow's milk from fridge into stockpot on smallest gas burner ring on stove. Turned gas on low and warmed and stirred milk to 90 F/32 C, turned off gas.
  • Jan 24, 2009, 12:10PM:

    • As milk pasteurized, to standardize, trickled and whisked in 1/4 teaspoon diluted CaCl2.
    • Measured ~0.25 grams Danisco's Choozit Brand Mesophilic Starter Culture MM100 onto mini digital scale, tapped off onto top of milk and whisked in.
    • Measured ~0.40 gram Danisco's Brand Mild Calf Lipase onto mini digital scale, tapped off onto top of milk, whisked in.
    • Measured ~0.25 gram CHR Hansen Brand powdered rennet onto mini digital scale, tapped off onto milk and started stirring in before realized forgot to dilute first. Measured another ~0.20 grams, tapped off into 1/4 cup cool water, stirred to dilute, then trickled onto milk while whisking in thoroughly for another 1 minute.
    • Covered and set aside for culture to grow and curd to set @ 12:20PM.
  • Jan 24, 2009, 1:00PM: Checked for Clean Break, not yet.
  • Jan 24, 2009, 1:40PM: Checked for clean break, OK, Cut Curds and left to rest.
  • Jan 24, 2009, 3:00PM: Ladled cut curds and whey into Camembert hoops on mats on draining board.
  • Jan 24, 2009, 4:00PM: Turned cheese.
  • Jan 24, 2009, 5:00PM: Turned cheese.
  • Jan 24, 2009, 7:00PM: Turned cheese.
  • Jan 24, 2009, 9:00PM: Turned cheese.
  • Jan 24, 2009, 11:30PM: Turned cheese.
  • Jan 25 2009, 9:30AM: Removed hoops, cheese still very soft, cut each into 8 pie pieces and placed into newely made 12% brine to mature and placed container with brine & Feta in fridge.
  • Feb 10 2009, 6:00PM: Used some of Feta after aging in brine for 16 days, nice flavour, little soft and flavour not strong.


NOTES

  • Used extra Lipase to get stronger flavor, next time use more.
  • Would like cheese to be a little firmer, increase temp after cutting curds next time.

Cheese Head

#1
Pictures #2 . . .

Tea

Oh John how wonderful to share this time with your mum.  I hope the cheese turned out, and that your mum enjoyed it also.
Can't wait to see the pics.

Cheese Head

Thanks Tea, turned out fine, I'd like my next batch to be a little less moist, I assume just warm curd at a little higher temperature next time?

LadyLiberty


Tea

I don't know what yeild John's made, but out of a 10ltr batch (just over 2 gallons) I usually get 6 x 1lb blocks.
HTH

LadyLiberty

Quote from: Tea on January 26, 2009, 06:20:57 AM
I don't know what yeild John's made, but out of a 10ltr batch (just over 2 gallons) I usually get 6 x 1lb blocks.
HTH

Excellent.  I love Feta as much as I love goat cheese.  I frequently put either on salads, it's sorta a staple in my diet.  So I'm going to be making this soon.  Seems like it would be a LOT cheaper -- and better!

Tea

If you make feta using the goat's milk, you don't need to use lipase.  Feta was originally goats milk, the lipase is added to cow and sheep to give it that traditional "sharp" taste and smell.

Let us know what you decide to make and how it turns out.  Good luck.

LadyLiberty

Quote from: Tea on January 26, 2009, 09:31:04 AM
If you make feta using the goat's milk, you don't need to use lipase.  Feta was originally goats milk, the lipase is added to cow and sheep to give it that traditional "sharp" taste and smell.

Let us know what you decide to make and how it turns out.  Good luck.

I may even try my hand at videoing it :)

wharris


LadyLiberty

Quote from: Tea on January 26, 2009, 09:31:04 AM
If you make feta using the goat's milk, you don't need to use lipase.  Feta was originally goats milk, the lipase is added to cow and sheep to give it that traditional "sharp" taste and smell.

Let us know what you decide to make and how it turns out.  Good luck.

Thanks Tea!

Is this the best recipe for Feta?

Tea

Well there are a number of feta recipes here on the board.  Personally I prefer storing mine in blocks in a brine solution.  That way they will last 6-12 months, not that any makes it that far anyway.
I haven't tried the version that is cut up and salted like John does so I can't comment on his.  My recipe is post there somewhere, so have a read through them and pick one that you think would work for you.

Wayne again I can't speak for John's cheese, but mine can be eaten a couple of hours after going into the brine.

Cheese Head

Wayne, Tea knows her Feta, so yep I guess it's ready in a couple hours after being in brine.

LL, I didn't weigh this one my it's the same as my previous batch which also used 1 US gallon whole milk and I did weigh at 2.0 lb/0.91 kg of cheese, before brining. That batch I brined with saturated brine for just a few minutes and then stored in tub without brine, ready to go straight away I guess. We had some immediately and tasted great.

Tea, I remember in one of your posts that added herbs, was that during making or after and did you use dried and if so what type or is my memory kaput?

LadyLiberty

Quote from: Cheese Head/John on January 27, 2009, 03:19:37 AM
Wayne, Tea knows her Feta, so yep I guess it's ready in a couple hours after being in brine.

LL, I didn't weigh this one my it's the same as my previous batch which also used 1 US gallon whole milk and I did weigh at 2.0 lb/0.91 kg of cheese, before brining. That batch I brined with saturated brine for just a few minutes and then stored in tub without brine, ready to go straight away I guess. We had some immediately and tasted great.

Tea, I remember in one of your posts that added herbs, was that during making or after and did you use dried and if so what type or is my memory kaput?

Ok, I feel dumb now but i've seen this phrase a few times.  What is "saturated brine"?  Isn't brine what you saturate cheese IN?

Cheese Head

Never a dumb question here, for this cheese I used a 12% brine.

I built a Best Practices webpage on Brine, explains saturated brine and other stuff (page is unfinished, sorry).

More info on the Best Practices - Salting webpage.