My milk supplier now offers raw cream so I decided to give Roomkaas a try. From what I understand, Roomkaas is Dutch meaning 'cream cheese'. There are many variations such as a soft cream cheese up to a double cream Gouda. Having not found a Roomkaas recipe so I followed a basic Gouda and adjusted accordingly. Based on my calculations I should end up with a 65-75% butterfat content once the cheese has cured for about a month. I followed the Cornell University guidelines for pH markers. It is attached below.
I took great care not to lose much fat in the whey. A long floc time, pre-cutting the curds, slow stirring with a rounded edge spoon all led to fat retention. The whey was remarkably clear and I ended up with a massive 5 lb. 8 oz. cheese. The firmness of the cheese is much like a Butterkase so I don't think this will be a long aged cheese.
Ingredients:
4 Gallons Raw Milk
2 Quarts Raw Cream
1/3rd Tsp Mesophile Type ll
1 Tsp Calcium Chloride (to play well with my brine)
1-1/2 Tsp Single Strength Rennet
24% Brine Solution
Process:
1. Bring milk up to 86-89F and sprinkle in culture. Wait 5 minutes then stir in well.
2. Let mature for 30 minutes.
3. Add calcium chloride.
4. Add rennet and wait approximately 30-40 minutes or use 3.5 floc. Multiplier.
5. Cut curds vertically only with one inch spacing and wait five minutes.
6. Continue to cut curds ½ inch spacing and gently stir for fifteen minutes.
7. Let curds settle to bottom and remove one third of the whey.
8. Add the same volume of hot purified water back into the pot to raise the temperature to 90-102F. This should be done over a period of about fifteen minutes.
9. Stir to cook the curds for approximately 30-45 minutes depending on how dry you want the curds.
10. Place the curds in a 7 inch diameter mold covered in a bath of warm whey and press using 5-10 lbs. for fifteen minutes.
11. Remove the mold from the whey, flip and press again with 10 lbs. for thirty minutes.
12. Flip and increase pressure to 15 lbs. for thirty minutes two more times.
13. Flip and increase pressure to 25 lbs. for one hour.
14. Final flip and wait approximately twelve hours. Pressure can be increased to 50 lbs. if desired.
15. Place cheese in brine solution with salt sprinkled on top for ten hours. Flip and repeat for another ten hours for a total bringing time of twenty hours.
16. Remove from brine and pat dry. Place cheese in a cave set to 55F with 85% humidity.
17. Cheese can be coated or bagged after about seven days of drying or continue without coating for a natural rind.
My pH Markers:
Raw Milk, 6.75
After Ripening, 6.52
Whey Drain, 6.43
Molding, 6.19
Wow, impressive - and AC4U! Can't wait to get the taste report!
The surface looks amazingly smooth! I just ate some Unikaas aged Gouda. I will have to look for Roomkaas
Sam
Oh and AC4U
Quote from: AeonSam on May 15, 2017, 01:39:17 AM
The surface looks amazingly smooth!
That is because I am using a mold with a liner. No more cheesecloth for me unless I am doing a different shape. And thanks for the cheese!
Any tips on where to get the mold with the liner? Also, do you have pics of your entire make? I'm really interested in seeing the way you're doing this. I haven't focused on Gouda yet but I'm doing a washed curd cheese a lot and trying to ace it. Aged Gouda is my ultimate goal tho.
Sam
I use the Kadova K4060.
http://www.glengarrycheesemaking.on.ca/moulds/dutch-kadova-moulds/k4060-gouda-1.5-2-kg.html (http://www.glengarrycheesemaking.on.ca/moulds/dutch-kadova-moulds/k4060-gouda-1.5-2-kg.html)
Hey John,
Are you going to do a natural rind on this one? How's it coming along?
Sam
I am following this with great interest.
Quote from: AeonSam on May 21, 2017, 09:57:56 PM
Hey John,
Are you going to do a natural rind on this one? How's it coming along?
Sam
I am letting it go for one month natural and then bag. I have found that natural rind Gouda isn't as pleasant as some other natural rind cheeses.
This is a two month update. All I can saw is wow! This is the richest and most decadent make I have done so far. Just a slight sharpness and super silky smooth texture. And the color is.... very cream. The high cream content yielded a massive 5 lbs. - 0 oz. (2.3 kg). I am curious how the high cream content will age so half will be sampled in another couple of months.
Hello Duntov, very nice cheese, nothing to say, perfect, a cheese deserved for you, thank you and good appetite.
The cheese looks yummy John! I'll be stealing your recipe. :D
Based on your posts here and elsewhere (you do have a day job by the way, don't you? ::)) can added cream be a good option for cheese making in general? The increased yield is definitely a positive and the improved flavor goes without saying. The reason I'm asking is because I use cream-line milk for my cheese but we like to drink skim (or lower fat) milk. When I buy my milk I'll purchase an extra gallon for drinking so I always have some extra "free" cream to add to my cheese. Skim Mozz or Parm aside is this something I can do with most other makes and maintain the same recipe?
Quote from: John@PC on July 17, 2017, 11:55:06 PM
Based on your posts here and elsewhere (you do have a day job by the way, don't you? ::)) can added cream be a good option for cheese making in general? The increased yield is definitely a positive and the improved flavor goes without saying. The reason I'm asking is because I use cream-line milk for my cheese but we like to drink skim (or lower fat) milk. When I buy my milk I'll purchase an extra gallon for drinking so I always have some extra "free" cream to add to my cheese. Skim Mozz or Parm aside is this something I can do with most other makes and maintain the same recipe?
No day job... RETIRED and loving it!
I haven't had enough experience to know if adding extra cream should change a recipe. It does however change the taste and texture for sure. Long aging is another point altogether. Adding extra cream to short aged cheeses like a Gouda, Butterkase, Bries & Cams, stinky cheese should be fine I would think.
I added extra cream to a Double Gloucester, forgot it for 9 months until I decided to do a deep clean. When I cracked it open, it was really good, sharp but creamy with hints of sweetness.