A few weeks back I got out to the city and went to a good cheese shop and I picked out samples of different kinds of cheeses that I only read but don't have a flavor reference. Some were by maker, Landaff, Cowgirl creamery's Mt. Tam, and other were more by type: triple cream, Morbier, camboloza, or region: Tome de Basque Vache, and one or two arrived without ID (grrr). I enjoyed everyone of them, but it was the MANCHEGO that I fell in love with! So! Manchego here I come!
Connie,
Real Manchego is made from sheep's milk. Do you have access to sheep's milk? If not, there are a couple of tricks that I use. First, use a little sharp Lipase. Not too much, you don't want it tasting like Parmesan. Second, add a little bit of Lactobacillus helveticus (a thermo starter) to give a more complex flavor. Last, age at least 6 months if you want a great flavor. It's OK younger, but the extra time is really worth it. You can also try adding some goat's milk, but I haven't done that.
I have several friends from Spain and they tell me that I have the best Manchego they have had since leaving Spain. When they ask where I get the sheep's milk I just grin and say "It's a secret". >:D
Sailor, Thank you for letting me in on your secret. :-* When I read sheep's milk I thought, "Oh No". I have a large Tome mold - I think that will have to do for now.
Connie- good choice of cheese, one of my favorites also. I make it in a similar fasion to Sailor but use mild lipase instead of the sharp for the same reason that Sailor does. You want it to be close to the flavor of authentic sheeps milk cheese and yet not taste like a grana.
So, would the appropriate culture be the Thermo C from the Dairy Connection?
Connie you could very well use the Thermo C as it has S Thermophilus and Lactobacillus Helviticus. You will also need a meso culture because of the lower temps in the ripening phase. That's the fun part of cheesemaking- making it you own by playing with the various cultures to arrive at your own unique flavor profile. Don't forget the lipase also to create that little background sharpness that is so familiar in sheep milk cheeses.
Zenith 1, Thank you!
I think I've found my cheese family to begin to 'major' in! I appreciate the suggestions as I'm pretty new to cheese making and so far have been working on getting basic recipes to work. There is lots to be learned by experimentation.
Connie,
The L. helveticus is an adjunct culture. As Z says, you still have to add your regular Meso starter. Which one? That's up to you. That's what makes it "your" cheese.
Manchego is actually a pretty easy cheese to make. However, if you simply follow most recipes, it is kind of bland. Experiment and make it your own.
I've had good luck with Meso Type B, Thermo Type B and Lh 100 from Dairy Connections for this cheese. I also prefer to age it 6 to 9 months minimum.
Right on Deb- that seems to be the sweet spot for the aging.
Oh cool! I might actually have those in my freezer too!
Connie, Use your regular dose of Meso and just a little bit of the Thermo with L. helveticus. Don't overdo it or it will start to taste like Parmesan.
OK! I have to be away this weekend but I'll try it on my return.
what about pressing schedule? I have been using the following and as always I'm sure there is room for improvement.
1.2 PSI for 15 min
flip
1.2 PSI for 15 min
flip
1.2 PSI for 15 min
flip
2.4 PSI for 6 hours
How does this compare with everyone practices?
That's a little light. I do mine around 4-5 psi.
Sailor- I was wondering if you could expand on that a little. How many pressings and for how long? I have had a feeling that I was too light in the pressing phase even though I had a good curd knit. I always am concerned about too much/too early in the pressing schedule.
I have seen no mention that commercial operations flip their cheeses or gradually increase pressure during pressing. I have also never read any mention that Old World cheesemakers in Alpine huts do this either. IMHO flipping and gradually increasing pressure makes very little difference, so I don't do either. I personally feel that trapping whey in the curd from pressing too hard, too fast is a myth. In my microcreamery, I generally press overnight, flip the next morning, and press for one more hour WITHOUT CHEESECLOTH (Plyban) to remove wrinkles.
Now, that being said, if I were pressing at home with a small hobby press, I would flip one time. And I would increase the pressure one time after the flip. Why? Because most small presses simply don't do a good job and do not give the consistent pressure that you need for a given cheese.
I know this goes against the advice of many of the "recipe" books, so this is just my opinion.
Thanks Sailor. I have been working with Peter Dixon's recipes quite often and since he does not have a recipe for Manchego I thought I would open the topic for discussion. For several of his recipes he does go through a progression in his pressing for example
for Appenzeller
"Take off the whey and quickly move wheel-sized pieces of curd cake to hoops lined with cheesecloth. Press with 5 lb. weight per 1 lb. curd for 30 minutes
Remove wheels from press, remove cloths, turn, put cloths on again, and return to press
Repeat after one hour
Repeat after one hour
Leave on press overnight"
for Baby Swiss:
"Drain off the remaining whey. Cut the pack into squares that are the size of the forms. Move the curd pieces into the forms and press with twice their weight.
After one hour turn the cheeses and return to the press. Turn again after one hour and return to the press. Repeat. Press two more hours for a total of five hours. Keep the room warm during pressing"
for Gouda:
" Press curds under the whey for 15 minutes.
2 1/2 h Drain off the water/whey and remove weights and press plate.
Cut blocks from the pack to fit directly into cheese hoops.
Place on followers and begin pressing with 1 1/2 lb. weight per 1 lb. cheese. Use up to 3 lb. weight per 1 lb. cheese.
4 h Remove cheeses from press, turn over, and put back in hoops.
Return to press. "
for Havarti:
" Drain off the water/whey and continue stirring and breaking up curds while putting directly into cheese hoops.
Place on followers and begin pressing with 1 1/2 lb. weight per
1 lb. cheese.
2 h 45 m Remove cheeses from press, turn over, and put back in hoops.
Return to press. Repeat 2 more times every 15 min.
Repeat 3 more times every hour."
Anyway- I think that is what led to my question, along with other reading I have done. Just something else to ponder.
Yes, I know he does. You might also note that he is also using WEIGHT and not PSI, which I find very unprofessional. I just don't feel that flipping makes any difference.
Look at it this way. If you are pressing an 8" tall wheel, the pressure is coming from the top, forcing the whey downward, and outward. OK when you flip, any whey that has traveled nearly the length of the cylinder is going to have to reverse the trip and cover the same distance again. FarmerJD can probably give us a physics lesson on this.
That also means that you are going to be up all night flipping cheese and adjusting weights. For me that means that after I go home, I will have to go back to the shop and flip cheeses.
Hi all, to let you know I have made the Manchego cheese and now all I have to do is wait ;). I used the recipe listed here and for cultures I used:
(LLC) Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris (LLD) Lactococccus lactis subsp. biovar diacetylactis, (LL) Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, (LH) Lactobacillus helveticus, (LBL) Lactobacillus lactis, and the sheep lipase.
My only issue is that I only have a 4 gal. stainless steel pot so I now have a pancake manchego. I likely won't age it the full time. I'd love a Kadova manchego mold, and I did order a 60 Qt. SS pot.