I've wanted to do one of these for a long time, ever since reading Schnecken Slayers thread (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,14031.0.html) on the one he did, but fate seems to have gotten in the way every time. Finally a good friend of mine, Floyd, gave me a 3 pound Manchego mold for Christmas this year. Actually the title is a bit misleading as this is my first Manchego, period. First let's talk about the mold a bit. I've seen a lot of Manchego's with a straight bar down the side from the insert not meeting properly. This one was made as a full circle and then cut in a "S" form to hide the break. The problem was they didn't remove enough of the edge to make the insert fit into the mold. If you pushed it in you needed to pry it out. No good. This required that I use a sanding drum on a Dremel motor to carefully grind one edge to a point where the insert fit perfectly. It didn't take as long as it sounds but be careful as Dairylene will NOT hold up to a high speed sanding drum. Very gentle. With that taken care of I enlisted the advice of Schnecken Slayer and SOSEATTLE with regards to the treatment of the saffron prior to putting it in the milk. Bill (Schnecken Slayer) soaked the whole threads in 3 Tbsp very warm milk when the culture was added and then poured them in just before adding the rennet. Susan (SOSEATTLE) crushed 1/8 tsp saffron and boiled in 1/4 cup water, then cooled and added to milk. I did both, well kinda. I crushed 1/8 tsp into a small amount of milk which I had heated in the microwave for 30 seconds. I also put 1/8 tsp of whole threads into the same milk and mix it with a spoon. In a very short time it got very yellow. I also added another 1/8 tsp of whole threads to the goats milk once I started the make.
With that dilemma solved I set out the items I would need for my make. I actually used 12 quarts of goats milk but they wouldn't all fit on the counter for the photo so four are already in the pot. I used Mary Karlin's recipe from her "Artisan Cheese Making at Home" increasing it by 1/3 for the three gallon make I did as opposed to the two gallon make in the book. The goats milk came from Trader Joes for $3.69 a quart. My make consists of:
3 gallons goats milk (Mary used cows)
3/8 tsp saffron threads
3/8 tsp MM100
3/8 tsp Thermo B
3/8 tsp calcium chloride 32% solution in 1/4 cup of non-chlorinated water
3/4 of a vegetable rennet tablet dissolved in 1/4 cup of non-chlorinated water
Mary also adds lipase powder to hers but I didn't feel that was necessary using goats milk.
First off we heat the milk to 86° F. I always put my calcium chloride into the pot when adding the milk. Then I added the saffron infused milk and the whole threads and stirred them in well. I then sprinkled the cultures over the milk and allowed them to rehydrate for 5 minutes. I stirred this, up and down motion, with a large whisk and let it set for 45 minutes. Note the threads will continue to float to the top the entire make. :o
I then added the dissolved rennet and stirred it in using the same up and down motion for 1 minute all the while maintaining the 86° F temperature. I let the mixture set for 1 hour, Mary used 30-45 minutes, after which I cut the curd into 1/2" squares. I then let if sit for five minutes after which I stirred it gently with my large whisk breaking the curd up into what Karlin describes as "rice size" pieces. Looked like tiny bits to me. I then stirred this gently for 30 minutes. After that increase the heat to bring the temperature up to 104° F over 30 minutes while stirring all the time. Once it reaches the temperature turn off the heat and allow it to rest for five minutes. You now ladle off the whey to expose the curd. I pour this whey through a butter muslin lined colander so as to not lose any curd. I then moved the curd to the colander and allowed it to drain for 15 minutes. This, in fact, made a very solid curd mass which I then had to break up in order to put it into my mold.
With the curd now in the mold, I didn't dress the mold with muslin as it's patterned, I pressed it with 15 pounds for 15 minutes. I then flipped the entire mold over and repeated pressing at 15 pounds for a further 15 minutes.
Once this is complete I moved the mold, right side up, to my press where I pressed it with 30 pounds overnight.
The following morning I found a beautiful pastel yellow cheese, I was really shooting for this color.
I removed the cheese from the mold and trimmed the edges. I then placed it into a 14% brine at 54° F and place it in my cave where it will remain for 8 hours. More to follow.
Here's a shot of the gap where the two edges of the insert met. The ridge on the left is actually the gap. The other patterns are in the mold itself. It should also be stated that these cheeses can be done in three stages as a Fresco aged 5 days, Viejo aged three months or more, and as a En Aceite coated in olive oil and aged for over a year. We'll see where this one goes. A)
It's beautiful! ^-^ Have another cheese from me.
Susan
Thank you dear!! ;D
Looking really good, Al. Worth a cheese for sure! :) I'm curious about how you flip this cheese in a patterned mold. Yoav at Artisan Geek sells such a mold but it looks like it has a fixed patterned bottom. I can see where you can remove the cheese leaving the patterned strip in place or at least easy to realign. Same with the top plate. Do you simply just drop the flipped cheese back into the mold with the patterned side strip in place, position the top plate in the former bottom pattern and let the pressure take care of impressing the new bottom (former top) or is there something more to this? I am assuming you used this mold. (http://artisangeek.com/2300g-manchego-mould-with-follower-and-pattern-strip-heavy-duty/)
Yep, that's the one I used. I did it the easy way. I turned the entire mold over and sat the weights on the bottom without ever removing the cheese. Has the exact same effect as flipping and redressing. ;D
Looks great Al, I love the fact you added some whole threads as well, which will bleed into the cheese, and gives it a bit of extra character.
ac4u also.
Thanks Bill. I agree about the threads. I knew I wanted them in there but wanted that pastel yellow as well. I guess you can get what you want, sometimes. ;D
Okay, I let this sit out overnight to dry out a bit before putting it into the cave. As the outer rind dried the color became more intense. Sadly it will form a rind like any other cheese and the yellow will go away but it's really awesome right now. Sorry about the strange pictures but I'm having to crop them way down to get them to load.
This cheese is now in a container in the cheese cave. I'll age it out to get a good rind and then decide if I want to make a Viejo or an En Aceite.
Quote from: Al Lewis on January 30, 2016, 10:54:07 PM
Yep, that's the one I used. I did it the easy way. I turned the entire mold over and sat the weights on the bottom without ever removing the cheese. Has the exact same effect as flipping and redressing. ;D
Thanks. Of course it works the way you describe. Sometimes, we engineers miss the forest for the trees! :P
I work with nuclear engineers. I could fill volumes with things they miss. Usually GD&T LOL
Man .. You're on fire at the moment !!!! >:D
Having done a few like this, the threads really do make a nice visual when you get to cut it open. Well done.. I cant add more than one cheese an hour but you surely deserve one !!
-- Mal
Quote from: Al Lewis on February 01, 2016, 09:59:49 PM
I work with nuclear engineers. I could fill volumes with things they miss. Usually GD&T LOL
LOL
1992, shut the job down on a spent rod storage facility for four weeks when I had to point out that you can't put four, 4 inch pipes through a 6 inch wall pipe inbed.
Go figure. ???
Just a short side note on this. The dried portion on the outside of the cheese in the photo above rehydrated as soon as I placed this in its aging box in the cave. It's now moist all over again and pastel yellow. I'm flipping it every day and checking for mold.
Thanks for posting your make; it made for an enjoyable project while watching the game. The cheese sure takes on a nice yellow color with the saffron. Due you know if saffron is a common Manchego flavor?
Curt
Considering the spaniards extensive use of the stuff in many of their cultural dishes, paella, tortillas, potatoes, I would say it is very likely.
I was not happy with the way this rind was forming. It was picking up everything in the area so I cleaned it off with a brush soaked in white wine and, after misting this with some Martell Noblige which made it smell amazing, I dried the rind overnight. I then mixed up a paste of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Smoked Paprika and coated it with a brush. It has dried to the touch but you will still get oil on your fingers if you handle it. My hope is that this will dry out or be absorbed while it ages and fight off any other molds. I should add that I let it sit out overnight between cleaning with the white wine and misting with cognac. I then let it sit out overnight again, while misting it a total of three times, before painting it with the oil/paprika paste. I'm letting it sit out in a 70° F room to dry out the paste a bit before moving it back into the cave. With proper aging it should have an amazing taste.
Okay, it's resting comfortably in the cheese cave. Still turning every day and misting with a bit of cognac.
Gorgeous, Al. :)
How long will you age it?
-Boofer-
Thanks Boofer!! Not sure yet on the aging but I may just leave it and forget it for a while. As long as it behaves it should be fine. ???
How do you make the pretty design on the side? Do you need a special hoop? I want to make this with cow's milk, which I believe make it a hispanico.
You need a Manchego mold Ann. They have an insert that creates that. It's also on the top and bottom. Here's (http://artisangeek.com/2300g-manchego-mould-with-follower-and-pattern-strip-heavy-duty/) the link to them.
Not much change here. Taken just after it's morning misting of cognac. The aroma is incredible!
And it looks incredible ^-^
AC4U Al (http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/images/smilies/smilie_thumbsup.gif)
Thanks buddy!! You back making cheese again? I always look forward to your makes!
soon, Very soon.
We just got back from Vancouver, WA.
Now my mother in law is only 3 miles away :-X
As soon as we get her new place arranged I may be able to get a Caerphilly going then a couple of bloomers
(I hope) ;D
Al, how did it smell before you misted yourself with cognac?
Wait -- you're misting the cheese? So that's what I've been doing wrong ... :)
Not sure if this thing is soaking up the cognac, I hope so, or if it's just dissipating but I keep misting and it keeps drying. Should be an interesting cheese. BTW the cognac and paprika seem to be doing an excellent job of keeping molds away. Not a hint of anything. ^-^
Sorry, this question is nothing about the cheese itself but more about the mould. Mine came with the attachment inside all ready to be used but do I have to take it apart to wash and sterilised?
I read on another post that after taking it apart, it shrunk. I really do not want that. Can I just soak it in a sterilising solution and not take it apart?
How do you do it anyway? Mine looks too snug to take it out.
Yes, mine was too. I had to sand the edge so it would close up enough to be small enough to go into and out of the mold body easily.
Thank you Al, you saved me from having to scrap cheese out of the mold.
I actually pressed without sanding the insert the first 30 minutes but since it was still soft so it came out from the mold unscathed with some encouragements (bashing the bottom of the mold and loosening it with fingers and other poking device). Then I found out from you (thank you again) that I have to sand the insert.
At midnight my mind wasn't very clear and I was desperate so I went for my vegetable peeler, and....it worked! Phew...
This morning it came out of the mold like a dream, it is still in the brine now. I will put up my make in a separate post.
Glad to hear it worked out for you! ;)
I'd say the vegetable peeler is the perfect tool for this!
Is it bad that I want to lick that cheese? :P
Quote from: ksk2175 on March 16, 2016, 02:11:29 PM
Is it bad that I want to lick that cheese? :P
I doubt you would enjoy that unless you love paprika. LOL
The things that happen. I left this cheese in a sterilized container in my cheese cave after I sterilized the cave. At last view, just prior to snapping the lid shut on the container it looked just like the first photo and had just been washed with cognac. When I just opened the container to check on it I found that I now have a beautiful fluffy PC covering with a blue tint underneath. I left it alone and will see where it takes it. Should be interesting. I guess washing everything down with chlorine bleach doesn't really kill everything. On the other hand, nothing in the cave has any sign of a mold so perhaps the molds were already on the cheese when I placed it back into a sterilized container. So I guess I did sterilize everything but the cheese. I'll begin flipping it every day and patting it down like I do my baby Bries and see if it develops. Man do i love this hobby!!:o