Hello out there....
I'm looking for some feedback regarding preferred cultures for making a classic Colby (having grown up with "Longhorn" cheese in the 60s and 70s). My first Colby is a great success (sorry I didn't take pictures), with the classic texture and moisture. And, the flavor is good but it is not classic Colby flavor. It is not quite as sweet as I think it should be.
I realize there are many reasons why this could be, and a bit too much acidity could be the culprit (my inaccurate pH strips say it's around 5.3-5.5), but I'm also wondering if the culture could be playing a role. (I've found culture type plays a huge role in my cream cheeses). I'm using farm fresh full fat Jersey milk that I vat pasteurize prior to cheesemaking.
This Colby recipe called for 1/2 packet of C101 from NEC (for a 2 gallon batch), which is one of several types out there containing L. lactis ssp lactic and L. lactis ssp cremoris. In looking at reviews from several sources, I see some folks are using Flora Danica with goats milk, some are using the C101, and recently my attention has been drawn to Meso Type II which contains just L. lactis ssp cremoris. Are there any other cultures out there that people are using for Colby that produce good flavor results?
I have just a few days left to produce one more cheese before the lambing and gardening season pull my time away from cheesemaking. When I get back into it more in the fall, I will definitely have a pH meter in my possession. Meanwhile, for this last cheese, I'm considering using 1/3 packet C101 since that is what I have on hand (I also have Flora Danica and Aroma B), and either brining immediately after pressing or dry salting, to hopefully deal with any excess acidity issue (of course testing with the pH strips along the way). Any thoughts, recommendations, information, or feedback is very much welcomed! Thanks in advance, Susan
Susan, I like using Flora Danica for a number of things. It is supposed to generate a more buttery flavor, with a bit of gas production (so could be some small holes). I find that it acidifies a bit more slowly than some of the alternatives (but I have by no means tested all the alternatives!)
Hi Andy,
Thanks for your feedback. I've been considering FD but in my limited cheesemaking experiments with FD I detected not only the buttery flavor but also a bit of a sour after taste...not a bad taste at all but not really wanting that in my Colby. It could have been from over-ripening as I was letting it set 24 hours and was not monitoring acidity at that time. Have you run across this sour aftertaste with your cheese recipes using FD? If not I'm seriously considering giving it a try on this next Colby. --S.
I haven't noticed any sour off notes, but the most common way I use FD is for making camembert. There are a lot of flavors going on in that cheese! Still, though, when I open a camembert "early" - where just the outside is soft, but the inside is still crumbly/firm - the taste is definitely more sweet than tang, even though that center part is around 4.6 pH!
So ... not very helpful, I'm afraid. :( There is but one course of action - try it out, report back, and try again. The downside is that you will have to eat a lot of cheese. Wait, what am I saying - downside??? That's the upside!
Well your comments are quite helpful, thank you. I've decided to use the same exact recipe only substituting FD for the C101. As you said, it will probably turn out quite edible. This one I have now made the best mac-n-cheese last night! Just hopefully the next one will be a bit sweeter.
I do have my first Gouda aging right now, that I used FD with, but it won't be ready to try for another 3 weeks or so.
I'm still very curious about Meso Type II culture...I found reviews at another site where folks are saying it's their preferred culture for Gouda and/or Cheddar. Does it do well with a Colby? If anyone out here is using this culture I'd appreciate any thoughts you have regarding it. I imagine it may find a place in my freezer along with the other little foil packages accumulating there. --S.