I got a new 2 to 2.5 kg kadova mold in from Glengarry Cheese in Canada earlier this month and I have been dying to use it. I also ordered a larger chaffing dish pan that is 8 inches deep so it will hold 7 gallons of milk at a time which will make about 7 pounds of cheese at a time.
This cheese is sitting next to a #10 can (6.5 pounds) of tomatoes which I have been using for pressing weight. Note the dents in the can. It is also sitting in front of my 24 inch cutting board which I use alot to reflect light from my flash.
You've already seen enough curd cutting and milk curing pictures so I just took a picture of the cheese after the first 15 minute pressing. Man that was tricky to handle! I had to use the follower (lid) to set it in it was a bit heavy to try to balance in one hand and slip out of the mold at the same time.
I love the new mold!
BTW Margarette Morris from Glengarry Cheese in Canada special ordered this mold for me from Holland and it was only $85. This may seem like alot but the same mold from most US stores costs $175!
This one is a Manchego. Manchego is the most famous cheese of Spain. An authentic Manchego is made only with the raw milk of sheep from La Mancha. In this recipe, I use cow's milk and add lipase powder to give it a piquant characteristic of sheep milk. This recipe is also unusual in that it uses both high temperature (Thermophilic) and low temperature (Mesophilic) cultures at the same time. I used Chozit TM81 and Ezal Mesophilic type B for this batch.
One of the guys I work with is always talking about how much he misses Manchego. He was stationed in Spain and I belive his lovely wife is from Spain so I thought I make a BIG wheel and share it with him and his wife.
I was going to buy a wedge and try it first but a tiny 8 ounce wedge is selling for $11.98 in the grocery store here and I figured I could make 2 pounds for that price!
I'm not sure but I think this mold is bigger than 2 to 2.5 kg I think it may be the 3 to 3.5 kg mold or I got a really bad yield on my cheese tonight. Look great though.
Wow Debi that looks great!!! Congratulations.
I recently ordered some things from Glengarry and was tossing up about that large Kadova mould, but decided against it. Perhaps I should have!
Can you possibly post a picture of your chafing dish? That is another change I am considering (away from a stainless steel pot), but am undecided.
Thanks
B
Bella & Debi, hope you don't mind but I thought Debi's Chafing Dish as Cheese Vat was a great idea and that that info was buried here in this thread, so I split it off into new topic here (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,1802.0.html).
No problem John!
I cut my Manchego tonight. WOW! Nice flavor! Has a good little bite for only 4 months old. A bugger to cut though I need a longer knive! Kind of reminds me of an aged provalone with hints of cheddar. Nice cheese.
Nice! That really looks good.
-Boofer-
I don't think I have seen a cheese yet that Debi has made that doesn't look nice.
Thank you! If you like strong cheeses this is a good one!
Your Manchego is really strong??
Yes a nice strong flavor like it was aged much longer. Very good. Especially after tasting the edam.