So I decided to read over a lot of recipes on various alpine cheeses, combined with what I learned from Alp, so I could attempt to create one of my own. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a great believer that nothing is new and I'm sure that someone, somewhere has tried this exact recipe before but I don't know them so I'm claiming it. LOL Here's the recipe I came up with. I'm looking for an Alpine Cheese with holes but not an emmentaler or Swiss lace. Just a nice nutty Alpine cheese. If anyone see's any blaring mistakes I would appreciate your pointing them out. Cheese porn pics to follow. :o
1 gal whole milk
3 gal 2% milk
¼ tspn Thermo B
¼ tspn TA 61
½ tspn mycodore
1 tspn calcium chloride (diluted in ¼ cup water)
1 vegetable rennet tablet (diluted in ¼ cup water )
2.5 lbs non-iodized salt mixed with 1 gal water for heavy brine
Stir in calcium chloride solution for 1 minute and wait for 1 minute then sprinkle cultures on top of milk and stir gently for 3 to 5 minutes. While warming milk to 90° F.
After 5 minutes add rennet. Stirring in an up-and-down motion for 1 minute.
Let milk sit still for 45 minutes while maintaining temperature.
Cut curd mass into ¼ inch cubes then rest for 5 minutes.
Stir gently while increasing temperature to 120° F over 35 minutes.
Drain whey to the level of the curds, then pour into muslin lined colander.
Place cloth with curd into mold. Hand form curd into mold.
Place a 10 pound weight on the follower. Press for 15 minutes.
Flip and press with 20 pounds for 30 minutes.
Flip and press with 20 pounds 1 more hour.
Remove muslin and move to press for 12 hours pressing at 30 pounds.
Remove from the mold and place in brine for 10 hours, 2.5 hours per pound. Remove from brine and pat dry with paper towel.
Place on a mat at 60-70° F for 3 days to allow it to dry. Flip every 12 hours.
Place in cave/container at 54° F, 85% RH for 2 weeks wiping with brine daily to defeat any mold growth and help develop the rind. (I'll use a mixture of 1/3 cup white wine and 2/3 cups brine in a spray bottle misting the exposed surfaces and then wiping the excess off with a paper towel.)
Move back to the cave/container at 54° F and 85% RH. If mold develops wipe with a white wine/brine solution to clean.
Turn weekly and age for 4 to 18 months.
Lookin forward to see more! :)
Yeah, me too! ??? The little guy in the corner is my buddy. Not sure if he wants to learn cheese making or is plotting my demise but he just sits there like a good boy and watches my every move. 8)
More...
and still more...
bored yet??? Is it just me or does anyone else use the faucet to spray hot water onto the outside of the mold while it's in the sink? I think it helps the knit.
Absolutely not bored!!
Just waiting to put this one to bed for the night. Straight into the brine tomorrow! Six pounds of water with the jug and all's good!! Goodnight little cheese!
For those of you shopping at Alberstons (now owned by Safeway) and Safeway, in the U.S., the cheap milk still works great for cheese.
The only thng I would change would be .... you mention wiping cheese with brine , and I think it should be wipe until you get a smear , this will create a coating that protects the cheese and it builds up each time
You may have meant to say that anyways as you obviously have read alps threads .
Quote from: Al Lewis on November 27, 2016, 12:13:20 AM
For those of you shopping at Alberstons (now owned by Safeway) and Safeway, in the U.S., the cheap milk still works great for cheese.
Al what is the brand name on that Albertsons milk you are using? All they have now in NM is something called Lucerne Farms?
Quote from: Gregore on November 27, 2016, 05:44:12 AM
The only thng I would change would be .... you mention wiping cheese with brine , and I think it should be wipe until you get a smear , this will create a coating that protects the cheese and it builds up each time
You may have meant to say that anyways as you obviously have read alps threads .
Believe me I am more than familiar with the 'Schmier'. LOL Alp and I went over it "extensively" when I made a Cognac washed Mutschli under his direction. I actually use a brush. I find it works best for this. You can read the thread in its entirety here (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10901.0.html) if you like. I did a large Mutschli and some Epoisse'. Both were washed, read as misted, with cognac. Of course the Mutschli was the only one brushed.
Quote from: lazyeiger on November 27, 2016, 01:57:38 PM
Quote from: Al Lewis on November 27, 2016, 12:13:20 AM
For those of you shopping at Alberstons (now owned by Safeway) and Safeway, in the U.S., the cheap milk still works great for cheese.
Al what is the brand name on that Albertsons milk you are using? All they have now in NM is something called Lucerne Farms?
Here is what I bought from our Albertsons.
Well out of the press this morning and into a heavy brine. Cheese weighed 4 pounds 7 ounces. Ten hours of this and we'll see how it dries.
Looks like a perfect press... :)
Al, a couple of questions/issue that I would raise - both of which will be meaningless if the results turn out well, but which might give you some ideas to work on if you don't get quite what you are hoping for.
First, this looks like a lot of culture, and an awful lot of PS, for that amount of milk. I would be concerned about how quickly it may acidify. Which leads to the second question: did you keep an eye on the pH of the cheese while it was in the press? With that much culture, and pressing overnight, I would be concerned that your pH may have gone too low.
Again, both of these will be irrelevant if the results are good - just questions to think about for future reference ...
That's the amount Caldwell calls for for an Alpine cheese this size Andy. That's one of the recipes I browsed. Surprised me too but then I remembered how much trouble everyone had making holes in cheese. I never check PH. LOL Probably should get a meter some day. Thanks for the pointers though!! ;D
Quote from: Danbo on November 27, 2016, 06:58:48 PM
Looks like a perfect press... :)
Thanks Danbo! Hoping it stays together when I hit the warm cycle. ;D
Began the three day drying regimen yesterday. We'll see how it goes. :o
Been in the cave forming it's rind for a few days now. Flipping every 12 hours. Drying nicely. Have to go to the 80°F room next weekend, while it's still elastic. Had a couple of tiny specs of blue show up even though I replaced my cheese cave and ran everything through the dishwasher with bleach. LOL Just wiped them off with some brine and a brush and they seem to have gone for good.
Ah, the anticipation.... ;)
-Boofer-
Just wiped this one down and flipped it. Looks the same! ;D
Decided to start the two week warm period on this today. Moved it into a room that ranges from 75-80°F. We'll see how it goes. :o
Looks great Al, coming along nicely 8)
Thanks buddy!! Should it ever change in appearance I'll post a new picture of it. LOL :o
Al, do you keep it on paper towel at all times?
My aging boxes has so much condensation after just 1 day and sometimes the condensation drip on to my cheese.
I usually place dry paper towel under the cheese each time I flip them during the initial drying period Ann. After that I just store them on the racks.
Not very evident from this picture however there is a slight swelling after two days in the warm cycle. Been washing this with brine with a little white vinegar to keep the blue down. It weighed 3 pounds 7 ounces this morning. 1.559 Kg
Well the warm cycle is over so I decided to oil the rind. We'll see how it comes out.
Exciting!!! :)
Finally cut into this one as the rind was taking over. Overall it has a very pleasant taste and may serve as an acceptable raclette. The rind is very "woodsy" which I like but no one else seems to. This is probably due to the fact that I found, too late, that the Shermani I used was mis-marked Mycodore so no holes. The olive oil did an excellent job of keeping the molds at bey. Should do that treatment a lot earlier in the process though. The cheese is dense but "sliceable" and slightly crumbly in texture however, I really should have made this one a lot thicker to account for drying. It's just under two inches (5 cm). Next one should be great!
That cheesed pressed up perfectly. I have no doubt that it will turn out to be great!
Quote from: Duntov on January 21, 2017, 03:41:34 PM
That cheesed pressed up perfectly. I have no doubt that it will turn out to be great!
Thank you! :D
Nice cheese
my first though when you mentioned crumbly was too much acid , I looked back over your recipe and Remembered this was a home made recipe , also noticed no ph measures so you should lessen the amount of time it is pressed .
Pretty good for something you made up from scratch.
What exactly causes a woodsy taste? AC4U tho >:D
Could be the mycodore giving you the ' woodsy ' taste. Quite the rind for only a few months old, now you have me thinking about cutting into my smoked olive Asiago that was made on Nov 20
The mycodore gives cheese a mushroom woodsy taste.
How does the shermanii get mislabeled as mycodore? ???
That's some serious rind entrenchment.
Have a cheese for catching it before became all rind. ::)
-Boofer-
Quote from: Boofer on January 23, 2017, 06:26:45 AM
How does the shermanii get mislabeled as mycodore? ???
That's some serious rind entrenchment.
Have a cheese for catching it before became all rind. ::)
-Boofer-
Thanks Boofer! It's a long story. Check your messages. LOL
So is this with or without mycodore?
Anyway, this looks good Al! AC4U
By the way, inspired by Alp's and your Mutschli post, I made Mutschli (twice now). Thank you Al!
You're very welcome dear. I love that stuff. :P
Well after vacuum packing half of this cheese I opened it yesterday and it is delicious!! Shaves off like a parm and has all of those wonderful crystals inside. Definitely a winner!! I went back and corrected the recipe.
I will have to try your recipe Al, I am curious of the taste!
You have to name this cheese. :)