Yesterday I made my 4 gallon Manchego. I promised myself I would try to implement a number of suggestions I had gathered from this forum. One of those changes was to press under whey with cheesecloth, but then to remove the cloth when I flipped the cheese (if the curds had knitted).
This morning when I went to remove the wheel from the mould, there were significantly longer nubbins of cheese protruding through the mould holes. It was difficult to remove the wheel from the mould and when I did, the wheel looked like Pinhead from the Hellraiser horror movies http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinhead_(Hellraiser) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinhead_(Hellraiser)).
The amount of weight I used for the final pressing of my 8 inch mould and 4 gallon wheel was 35 pounds. I had three recipes to draw from (Ricki Carroll's, "200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes", and the one on this forum.)
I would imagine the nubbins will come off over time as the wheel is brined, washed, rubbed, etc. It's a negative aesthetic for me. I'm rethinking removing the cheesecloth, or at least when to go naked. The argument is between a few cheesecloth creases which are less significant than the presence of a lot of little raised pips. The presence of the cheesecloth minimizes the protrusion of curd through the mould holes.
-Boofer-
Just flip it one more time. The chances of hitting the same holes are very slim. :o
Boofer...
I have to say that I agree 100% with your assessment.
I used to lose the cheesecloth during the final press but I always really hated the bumps. I've since gone back to press with cheesecloth during the entire process and I am much happier with my results.
One thing that I have changed is to stop using fine weave muslin cloth for pressing. When I first used this cloth I thought it was the greatest things since sliced bread, but I also noticed that it left pronounced cloth markings on the wheel.
A few weeks ago I tried a cloth that I purchased from Leeners.com which is their standard "fine weave" cheese cloth. Since using this I have noticed that the markings from the cloth are very negligible and it still gives a very nice press.
You might want to give this a try and see what you think of it.
I am a LOT happier now that my wheels have a minimum of the bumps.
Dave
Like I said, going cheesecloth-optional was merely a trial because others here had good things to say about it. It falls under the "different strokes for different folks" category. What works for one may not work for another. Eh, it was worth a try. A lot of other tips have proven positive here, including pressing under whey.
I ended up shaving off the offending bumps when it came out of the brine/whey. Much better.
I gave the bumps to my Yorkie. She loved them. Her pic is on here somewhere.
-Boofer-
Could be the size of the holes too?
Boofer.....
It seems that you and I think alike....
I would always take a sterilized razor blade and shave the bumps off of my wheels as well. Even though it took a little time to do so I was so much more pleased with the final result.
As many have said, taste is the most important thing but man.....I'm also a really big fan of texture and appearance.
I guess I might be a bit selfish but I've also eaten the shaved off bumps myself other than feeding them to the family dog. That could be because I don't have a family dog and our family cat really doesn't seem to be in the least interested in my cheeses. :)
Dave
Dave - Hard to believe a cat wouldn't enjoy dairy. Perhaps he/she has a particular affinity for a specific type of cheese. A Brie maybe?
-Boofer-
I used a standard cheese planer to shave off my "naked" final press nubbins today.
Worked great.
You guys are weird! :D Those bumps give great character.
But, that's just my humble opinion.
Debi - Yes, size of the holes would be an issue. I am using the 7" cheese mould I got from Leeners last year. The holes are about 1/8".
In my letter to Santa this year I asked for some other cheese moulds. Has anyone seen or used the 500g Gouda style mould (W49) from Glengarry? It says it "is a simplified version of the Kadova system but is not a Kadova mould. It has the same traditional Gouda shape and comes with cheese cloth instead of netting. It is a mould that will suit hobbiest cheesemakers." At US$14.75, it is more in my cheesemaking budget than the true Kadova moulds.
I'm thinking three or four of those would permit me to use my same 3-4 gallon recipes and produce smaller finished cheeses. Then, instead of making a wheel, aging it, quartering it, and resealing it, I could just sample one of the smaller cheeses and the others could stay pristine and untouched.
-Boofer-
I haven't used them but someone else was just asking about them too. If it's what I think it is Dairy Connections had them also (they get their mould from Glengarry) they reminded me of the tome mold. Like the one Dave just made his cheddar in but rounded. Very well made and inexpensive.
Boof - I just received 2 of the W49s from Glengarry. 500g is really small but it's a really nice little hoop for the money. Comes with a small piece of cheesecloth. Gouda shaped with a concave follower. Cute as the dickens. :o However, in my opinion, it needs LOTS more holes. There are only four 1/8" holes on the bottom of the mould. None on the sides and none on the follower.
I also got one of the 2kg Kadova moulds. They have been carrying a 1kg (too small) and a 3kg (really pricey). The 2kg is new and not even on their website yet.
They also have some great microperf moulds with tiny (1/16" ?) holes. I ordered 2 different sizes for draining my blues, etc. Again, very nice for the price. But, back to the point of the thread, the tiny holes would be great for pressing naked.
Sailor - What was the price of the 2kg mould? If it's not listed on the website, how did you find out about it?
-Boofer-
I think I paid $230 for mine if I remember right. That would be $115 each.
Right on target Deb. It was $115 Canadian so about $108 U.S. dollars. I found the 2k Kadova on a European site, so I asked Glengarry if they were carrying them. They are, but sometimes hard to get. Nice folks. Very helpful. Margaret Morris has started her own cheese factory, so that's where most of her focus is at right now. I suggested they join the forum. We'll see.
I did the same thing! I called asking about her 5kg molds and told her I really needed something bigger than 1kg and smaller than 5 she suggested the 2kg. Somehow I ended buying 4 of them and sold two too John. I love it. Perfect size although I split my batch in two so it fits my mini cave better. I only did one full cheese and I had to remove two of my shelves it was to tall. I gave her the website too. Very sweet lady! She signed my book for me.
OK, before I made this request for informatin, I did check glossary under 'naked'...
To quote Sailor: Again, very nice for the price. But, back to the point of the thread, the tiny holes would be great for pressing naked.****
Please pray tell to a newbie what 'naked' means... TY :)
Alynxia
Alynxia....
Sometimes we, as cheesemakers have a sudden urge to get back to nature.
The feel of clothing while pressing a cheese becomes.....well, oppressive.
I've found myself, many times feeling the need to lose some of that extra weight which I feel blocks my creativity in the process. As is obvious, this is also a feeling that many cheese makers share.
I am willing to share pictures of the process upon request. I mean who wouldn't want to see a balding, middle aged man making cheese in this fashion? :o
Okay, enough of that....
Pressing naked means without cheese cloth in the mold.
Quite a few of the members here have gone to losing the cheese cloth on the final press so that there are no cloth marks, left on the wheel.
I usually do use cloth the entire time simply because all of my molds are drilled (many holes on the side and bottom). These holes leave "bumps" on the finished cheese that bothers me MUCH more than a few cloth marks.
Hopefully this helps to explain the title of this post.
Dave
Dave -
You are so bad!
(http://deejaysworld.net/deejayssmokepit/yabb/Smilies/LaughDog.gif)
Alynxia - Dave explained my thread title. I tried going without the cheesecloth because I had read that it might provide a better rind finish. I'm with Dave, I abhor the pokey little nubbins on my cheese wheel. The cheesecloth minimizes the effect which I am more comfortable with.
-Boofer-