5 Traditional Cheddar

[anutcanfly]

I didn't like how fast the pH drop during milling & salting on my last cheddar, so I used a tad less culture and I drained at 6.3, and milled at 5.8.  It dropped to 5.2 whey pH anyway, so that didn't help much!    Far as I can tell this make went well.

5th Traditional Cheddar #56                  3/3/12

Floc x3
pH targets:
pH at drain 6.3
pH at milling 5.8

4 gallons raw Brown Swiss cow milk, pH 6.6
Tad less than ½ tsp MA11
¼ tsp x3 rennet
1/8 tsp annatto
2-½ tablespoons salt

Warm milk to 88 degrees, add culture, let sit 5 minutes, then stir in and let ripen 40 minutes. Temp 88 degrees, pH 6.5

Add annatto and stir.  Add rennet and wait for floc.  Floc in 8 minutes x 3=28.  Check for clean break in 28 minutes and cut curd into ½ cubes.  Let rest 5 minutes. pH6.5 temp 87 degrees

Raise temp to 102 degrees, taking 45 minutes to get there.  Temp 102 degrees, pH6.4-6.3. 

Held for 30 minutes at 102 degrees.  Temp 102 degrees, pH 6.3 – 6.2

Drained whey and began cheddaring.  Turned every 10 minutes until pH was 5.8.

Milled, salted, and hooped.  pH after hooping was 5.2.

Pressed for ½ hour at 70 lbs, redressed and pressed another ½ hour.  Redressed and press at 204 lbs overnight.

[anutcanfly]

Weighed my cheese this morning and was surprised to find out it weighed 5 lbs!  The cheddar I made last week weighed 4 1/2 pounds.  The only thing I did different was to slightly reduce the amount of culture.  I held it at 102 degrees 30 minutes when pH was 6.3 (instead of 40 minutes, pH 6.2) and I cheddared 71 minutes until pH was 5.8 (last time I cheddared 85 minutes and milled and salted at pH 5.5)

Interesting to see how much a small adjustment can change the finished cheese!

[zenith1]

Looks really nice..that is the way that you want to use PH for the best results. Correct the next make based on your prior experience at the various steps along the way. Have a cheese for your diligence!

[anutcanfly]

Thank you zenith1   

[JeffHamm]

That looks really good.  How long are you planning on aging it?

- Jeff

[anutcanfly]

Hopefully it will survive a year or so.  I'm trying to get enough packed in my cave they have a chance at growing old.

[MrsKK]

That's always a challenge here, too.  Looks great!

[Boofer]

Beautiful cheese, anut.

I am amazed at how you are able to consistently develop a 5-pound cheese from 4 gallons of milk. Is it that Brown Swiss cow milk has more solids than Jersey or is it the time of year when cows are off the pastures and on supplements <walks away, shaking his head in disbelief and puzzlement...>? 

Did you measure the pH coming off the press? Curious about the overnight pressing and still compiling data. 

-Boofer-

[anutcanfly]

Thanks everyone! 

I'm enjoying all the extra cheese... it's almost magical.

I'm not sure what the cow is getting now, I keep forgetting to ask, but the total solids are much higher right now during the winter cold. The milk I used to use (store bought P\H) was 11% total solids.  The raw Brown Swiss cow milk I use now is 13.5% total solids.  13.5/11=1.23  4(1.23)= 4.92  So the four gallons of milk that would produce a 4 pound wheel, will now produce and 4.92 pound wheel.   So when I am making or end up with a higher moisture cheese I now get up to 5 1/2 pounds.   

[Cloversmilker]

Your cheddar looks lovely!  And thanks for describing the pH changes; you are almost inspiring me to acquire a pH meter.  One of your cheeses will soon tip me over the edge to make the order. 

Boofer,   milk solid percentage varies with breed, within breed, with feed, with season, and (honestly) the mood of the cow during milking.  Unless labeled, most US supermarket milk will be from Holsteins in confinement dairies.  Low fat, low milk solids, no cheese merit $$.  (Yes, the breed associations have measurements for this.)  Confinement operations in the US will be feeding the same year round; probably not much fluctuation in milk composition.  However small scale dairies with a grazing component can potentially have substantial seasonal variability due to diet.  And then there is the 'happy cow' effect.  If a cow is letting down completely during milking, the milker will be able to get more of the hind milk which is richer in milk solids and butterfat.  My guess is that the Brown Swiss who is providing anut's milk is a happy cow.    

[H-K-J]

When you say;
"Redressed and press at 204 lbs overnight."
this may be a stupid question to most participants here, but in all the recipe's I have read they usually call for a pressing weight of say 8 to 50 lbs what am I missing here?

[anutcanfly]

Thanks for the explaintion Cloversmilker.  Nicely done!    I would like to know the ph off the press too Boofer, but my pH meter only tests whey, so I can't get that last reading.

Hi H-K-J,  a lot of presses used by home cheese makers only press up to 50 pounds and for most cheeses that's fine.  Many cheddar styles really need every thing you can throw at them.  Keeping the curds warm or rewarming if needed right before pressing, making sure the mold and press cloth is warm and pressing with as much weight as you can! It can be very challenging to get the curds to fuse together properly.  Anytime I'm going to leave a cheese on the press overnight I like to redress at least once to see how it's doing.  If it's not fusing as well as I think it should, I pile on the weight.  I'm using a dutch style press that allows for 200 lbs, so that's what I use.

[Boofer]

Thanks for that detail, Cloversmilker. I've been pretty happy with the cheeses I've been able to put together with the Jersey raw and creamline I have in my area, but never really got close to 5 pounds from 4 gallons. Very impressive.

-Boofer-

[Hande]

"Redressed and press at 204 lbs overnight."
this may be a stupid question to most participants here, but in all the recipe's I have read they usually call for a pressing weight of say 8 to 50 lbs what am I missing here?

When I did the first Cheddar, of course, I gave the curd to cool down too much after milling.
I need to go 550lb / 8" mold, that I get some rind, lesson learned 
So to keep good temp of curd is important.

Hande

[H-K-J]

WoW! this is some important info, I have been contemplating a traditional cheddar, I will definitely have to keep these point's in mind.
Thanks