I've been wanting to try an aged Lancashire style, so I've taken an amalgamation of some of the Lancashire recipes on the board and altered the floc time to make a slightly dryer cheese for aging out.
Lancashire (made on 22 Dec 2013)
20 l P, non-H milk (fat 3.66%, protein 3.5%)
1/4 tsp FD
1/4 tsp TCC-20
1/2 tsp CaCl, diluted in 1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp rennet, diluted in 1/2 cup water
3 tbsp salt
Floc multiplier = 3x.
Warmed culture to 31C (88F). Added culture. Stand 5 min, stir. Ripen 45 mins.
Add CaCl. Stand 5 mins
Add rennet. Target floc = 3x. Floc in 15 mins, so stand for 40 mins.
Cut to 1cm. Stir, rest 5 mins to heal.
Stir 10 mins. T = 31C.
Settle 5 mins.
Drain in colander. Twist cloth to release whey.
Return to pot. Press to develop @ 31C.
Stand 15 mins. Turn, stand 15 min. Cut in half, pile one piece on other in pot.
Cover, stand 15 mins, keeping temp at 31C.
Mill to 1". Toss with salt.
Press @ 10kg 1 hour. Turn.
Press @ 20kg 6 hours. Unmould.
This was a much, much softer cheese than the stacked and milled/ cheddared cheeses I've been used to making. I'm doing this as a natural rind and had a bit of a problem with wild blue colonisation at first. I turned it daily for the first 3 weeks, washing with saturated brine on each turn. That dealt with the blue and has left a lovely clear rind. I'm now turning it more or less daily and washing with brine when mould threatens.
Aged Lancashire is considered to be anything from 12 weeks - 24 months. I'm hoping to age this out to 6 months, but I'll see how impatient I get.
Looks good. Will be interesting to hear how the tasting goes. The waiting begins.
- Jeff