Third Gouda make: Momma and her three babies.

[Dulcelife]

Decided to continue on my Gouda mission and try a third recipe after seeing Myrrh's Beautiful post of his make using Pav's recipe.  Just so happen I had three gallons of South Tampa's only farm's raw Jersey milk I've been fortunate to have access to.  So.  No need to adjust recipe.

This was by far the most involved of the three recipes I have thus far tried.  The Extech conked out yet again (the third unit), right in the beginning of the make so I went by times.  There is something to be said for the simplicity of strips which I intend to obtain.
On to the make:
May19th
3:08pm Warmed milk to 86F.  I over shot to 90F due to misreading the thermometer.  Thankfully I caught my mistake and took measures to cooled down to 86F.
3:55pm:  Inoculated with 1/8 tsp MM100, 1/8 Flora Danica
4:04pm:  Stirred down for 30 seconds.
4:34pm:  Checked pH at 30 minutes and read 6.28.  Seems to acid too fast.
4:37pm:  Added ¾ tsp rennet in ¼ cup ice cold water and stirred 15 strokes, started timer and floated cup.
4:46pm: Flocced at 9 min. 48 sec.  Lets call it 10 x 3 = 30 minutes total.
5:07pm: Clean break!  Cut curds to 3/8"
5:11pm:  Done cutting curds, let rest 5 min.
5:17pm:  Stirred lightly for 20 min.  Checked pH looking for 6.4, got 6.84, impossible and another pH110 bites the dust.
5:40pm:  Let rest for a bit then replaced 4 cups whey (reserved), with 4 cups 135F water.  Stirred lightly for 6 min.
5:48pm:  Let rest for a bit then replaced 6 cups whey with 6 cups of 135F water.  Stirred lightly for 8 min.
6:00pm:  Let rest for a bit then replaced 6 cups whey with remaining water and stirred to 101F using additional heat to reach temperature in 15 min.  Tested curd for firmness and clinging, separation.  Curds really good at about 17 minutes.
6:17pm:  Drained whey to top of curds and let settle for 10 min.
6:28pm:  Set curds into 3 Kadova wannabes and stainless press under whey.  Three babies in one pot and SS press in another pot.  Pot with SS press on top of followers of three babies.
6:34pm:  Finished molding curds under whey.
6:44pm:  All molds out of whey press and the real molding begins.
6:50pm:  Momma Gouda in SS press.
7:00pm:  Babies in molds.  Happy family ready for 4-6 hours pressing.  I will opt for the lower 4 hour figure given the higher than ideal home temperature of 75F.
7:20pm:  unwrapped, flipped and redressed to avoid CC sticking.
7:45pm:  unwrapped, flipped and redressed.
9:00pm:  Final unwrap, flip and redress/press.
11:15pm:  unwrapped and put in whey brine.  Momma is 1lb 14oz, Babies about 9 oz.

May 20
01:15am:  Remove Babies from brine, total 2.0 hours brine time.
06:15am:  Remove Momma from brine, total 7 hours brine time.  Left Momma and babies out to dry at ambient temperature.
12:00pm:  Placed in ripening box at 51F-54F at 85% rH to dry off slowly thus avoiding cracks.  Cheeses are pretty flexible though well knit
12:00pm:  Total weight Momma 1lb 13.7oz, babies 9.3, 9.2 and 9.7= 57.9oz or 3.61lbs.

[DeejayDebi]

They look good brined yet? They seem dry. I love those little molds for gifting when I visit people.

[Dulcelife]

Deb, by the time the photo was taken the babies had been out of brine 9 hours and the momma 4 hours.  They are moist and sweating primarily from their bottoms.  From here they went to the cave at 84% or so rH for slower drying.

I'm not at the gifting stage yet, I don't trust all my makes yet.  But the little guys are great for my 2, 6, and 9 month tastings as I learn first hand how aging affects taste and texture.

Gouda #1 is gone except for a tiny slice I hid from my house full of human mice this week.  It seems no one can get enough even thought at two months the cheese was young not really developed albeit sweet.

[DeejayDebi]

LOL that does seem to happen at least at first. My family is tired of cheese! Except for mozzarella nd parmesan of course or my other grating cheeses.

[Boofer]

Explicit make detail...very nice.

So what happened to your Exstik? I'm not so sure you want to abandon a meter in favor of strips.

-Boofer-

[Dulcelife]

Boofer, I have never worked with an instrument as crappy as this piece of junk.  I have used pH and TDS meters for many years in various hydroponic endeavors dealing primarily with growing Strawberries and greenhouse "truss" tomato hybrids and such.  When I decided to delve into serious cheese making I opted to go for what seemed to be the most logical choice: a refillable, flat probed unit that was not much more than the Hannah's and others and seemed a better choice. Well this is the third unit.  First one locked up.  The second had a broken reference junction (the business end fell out when I unpacked it). And this third one is giving impossible readings as it insist everything aside from the reference solutions are 6.8

I am over it. and hate the thought of spending yet another roll of coins to get another unit. 

[linuxboy]

Keep getting them to send you replacements until one works. When they work, they're decent little units.

[Sailor Con Queso]

I agree with Boof & LB. Strips are unreliable and a step backwards. The Extech is a great meter "FOR THE PRICE", but most of us have found that the quality of their units is initially very inconsistent. I went through 3 until I found one that was fantastic. Been using it for over 2 years now with no problems. Their customer service is impeccable, so just ask them to send you another unit.

[Dulcelife]

I just  spoke to the rep at Fotronics where I bought it and he suggested I talk to manufacturer directly.   I will try that and see if I can get a new one.  Its just pretty frustrating as you all can imagine.

[linuxboy]

Many of us have been there, it's understandable. The perils of technology... but don't give up! It's pretty magical when a meter is trustworthy and you hit your stride in a make and all the numbers line up.

[Dulcelife]

Okay, so I just rinsed the probe, soaked in 4.01 for 10 minutes, calibrated.  Then, calibrated in 7.01 and calibrated yet again in 4.01.

After this sequence I dipped in 7.01 then 4.01 and back and forth three times and its spot on every time.  This is the same sequence I followed before my Gouda #3 make and it got all wonky right after the first three pH tests.

I'm so confused [in old man voice].

Mean while in the cave department:
I got tired of the inconsistent temperature of the dorm fridge.  I found the Haier beverage center at Sam's Club that has temperature range of 39F to 60F plus.  I am not worried about humidity as all ripening cheeses will be in boxes.  The baby Goudas in the photo subsequently went into boxes for the last day or so before waxing.

I have got to get my Nikon digital SLR into circulation these iPhone pictures leave a lot to be desired and this cheese business needs better documentation.

[Dulcelife]

So, Its been a really cheese-active weekend:  Made another couple Goudas (no. four), resolved to install my forced air humidifier doodad into the cave (as seen here on this forum from a laptop cooler),  so I can lose the ripening boxes, oiled some Manchegos and cleaned the Lacanshires.

All the while these little baby Goons keep getting in my way begging to be sampled.  So, what the heck? I figure: what will it hurt to cut one of the little suckers open and just check the progress...

Not bad at all.  Texture is okay, just like Gouda #2, taste is good and Gouda like as are all other qualities except one: creaminess, creaminess, creaminess.   I am working with very creamy raw Jersey milk; in fact overly creamy as the cream line on this milk comes in at close to one third from the top per gallon.  So, I need to ease up on the temperatures, cut curd a little bigger, go gentle on the stirs and possible ease up on the pressing pressure.

All in all I think this will shape up in the coming months and may be a true winner aged considerable to take advantage of the firm paste.  The good news is I have three babies I can follow progress on and the big momma I can let go for the run of the year.

Any comments, suggestions, opinions most definitely welcome.

Lou~

[Boofer]

Any comments, suggestions, opinions most definitely welcome.

Excellent dialogue and an inspiration to all Gouda makers.

The only wish I would voice is that you bring your beautiful cheeses out of the shadows so we can see them in all their glory. Turn them to face the light. Otherwise, your pics are sharp, creative, and yummy. 

Great-looking cave...getting stuffed full.

-Boofer-

[george]

You could also try washing the curd a little more - remove/replace more of the whey during the wash.  I started doing that with all my washed curd ones - I honestly don't remember the technical reason for it - but it works.  Certainly it gives me my creaminess, creaminess, creaminess.   

[hoeklijn]

Can anybody provide me with a type number of Extech? I know a supplier of Extech her in Holland, but I only found multimeters on their list...