Ah, the dawn breaks (yesterday)...and I jumped in to a new cheese style: Maasdam. I had just received the recipe the day before and it promised to be an exciting cheese. I was going to use my new stackable Cheddar/Swiss molds for the first time. Also, where I had used sodium nitrate as per Jarlsberg guidelines to control late-blowing in Jarlsbergs I've made in the past, I acquired and implemented Holdbac with this make to achieve the same purpose biologically.
Using Alp D and Holdbac from Danisco, I am following their recipe for "cheese with big eyes like Maasdam or Leerdam".
Starting pH: 6.75
1½ gallons Twin Brooks whole creamline milk
2½ gallons Twin Brooks 2% creamline milk
8 cubes Alp D (mother culture)
¼ tsp Holdbac
¼ tsp Propionic shermanii
½ tsp CACL in ¼ cup distilled water
1/16 tsp Renco dry calf rennet in ¼ cup chilled distilled water
5:15AM - began heating milk with target of 91 °F; added cubes and cultures to cold milk; stirred in after cubes melted.
5:55AM – pH 6.65; achieved .1 drop; added CACL and rennet (recipe called for 30-40min preripening and this was 40min). Temp at 88 °F.
6:10AM – floc'd in 15 min; using a multiplier of 2.5x, my time to wait is 38 (37.5) min; the recipe had a set/floc time of 15-18min and a wait time (coagulation time) of 30-40min. This is right in the sweet zone.
6:48AM – cut the curd to 1 inch; rested 10min.
6:58AM – began heating the double-boiler...temp resisting a move to higher point...86 °F; cutting to smaller size curds (¼ - ½ inch) with whisk, stirring for 20min.
7:25AM – pH 6.60; ready to begin wash; removed 1½ gallons whey, saving for whey-brine and pressing under whey. Added back 1 gallon 144 °F water.
7:30AM – gently stirring and breaking up clumped curds for 15min at 102 °F; recipe calls for 98.6 – 102 °F.
7:45AM – boiled mold and Plyban; tried Debi's suggestion of cutting Plyban disc for top and bottom and lining for sidewall rather than just a big sheet that contributes fold lines...it worked but seems like I still got some fold lines (it's a work in progress).
7:50AM – dumped rest of now diluted whey from kettle, exposing curd cake.
7:52AM – filled mold with curd, pushing down to ensure all crevices at bottom get filled.
8:00AM – placed Plyban circle and small needlepoint disc on top of curd, and then small Tomme follower (Reblochon); filled mold goes into a small kettle with warm whey; the small kettle goes into the double boiler to maintain warmth; the double boiler goes to the Dutch press; initially, the pressing is with just the lever arm which delivers 11lbs to the cheese; this goes for 30 min.
8:15AM – I realized that this was a new mold and it wasn't on my spreadsheet; I edited the spreadsheet to include this mold and my small Tomme mold (Reblochon); I'll have to add other molds later.
8:35AM – removed everything from the press; removed the cheese but didn't remove the Plyban (seemed like a wise decision to leave it in place for now); flipped the cheese in the mold and replaced everything; back to the press...11lbs for 30min, under whey.
9:15AM – removed all from press; removed Plyban...pressing naked now (woo-woo!); flipped cheese in mold; back to press...5lbs with 2 pulleys (80lbs, 2.6psi) for 30min.
9:45AM - removed all from press; flipped cheese in mold; back to press...5lbs with 2 pulleys (80lbs, 2.6psi) for 30min; getting nubbins from curd pushing through the drain holes.
10:15AM – pH 6.00; removed all from press; nubbins seem to be growing; put Plyban back on; flipped cheese in mold; back to press...10lbs with 2 pulleys (150lbs, 4.9psi) for 60min.
11:15AM – pH 6.00; removed all from press; nubbins seem to be back under control; flipped cheese in mold; back to press...10lbs with 4 pulleys (250lbs, 7.9psi) for 60min; recipe calls for increasing pressure 4.3 – 8.7psi.
1:15PM – pH 5.50; recipe calls for 5.30 – 5.60 before brining.
1:30PM - weighed cheese and placed in whey-brine (pH 5.28) for 6 hours; in the past I have put my cheeses that are brining into the regular refrigerator; the recipe calls for the brine to be 61 – 64 °F; I have set that temp on my black cave, but the garage has been staying cooler than that so it might be a challenge to reach that temperature; it is warmer than my regular fridge though.
7:30PM – flipped cheese; back in brine for another 6 hours.
3/29/12
1:30AM – out of brine to air-dry at room temp; placed in minicave (ripening box) with lid widely ajar.
Remarkably, everything seemed to track fairly close to the recipe. The target temperature 91 °F was difficult to reach and so I maintained a temp around 86 °F. Cooking temp was right in the ballpark. The stackable molds and use of Plyban seemed to go okay.
One of my chief concerns was what minicave (ripening box) could I use? Most of mine are focused around the flatter Tomme mold and wouldn't accommodate this taller cheese. I did find one that I've used before and it barely fit in there.
When I measured the pH coming out of the whey-brine, it gave me 4.68. I feel the meter is toying with me again. I'll go back later today and check the pH again. If it went into the brine at 5.50, I would expect something closer to that.
I have attached my edited version of the Danisco recipe which changes metric to U.S. and bars to psi. The original version is also attached. Since I used creamline milk, I entered the recipe at the "cooling" point.
The cheese will now air dry and then go into the cave for cold conditioning.
-Boofer-
wow, that's a nice detailed account and a great lookin cheese. i look forward to seeing updates (pictures).
Very nice looking cheese Boofer! I wonder how much bigger it's going to get when the eyes start to form? You may need a larger box by then. Time to go shopping for more supplies! :)
- Jeff
Oh, Jeff, you are right! :( Hadn't really considered it swelling up, up, up. I was just pleased to be able to find a place to put it.
11:45AM - flipped the cheese; a little moisture on bottom...very little, but it helps for the pH reading; pH 5.25...much better...at the low end of what the recipe called out, but good.
-Boofer-
You should have plenty of time to sort it out though, since for 3 weeks it will be out of the cave so you won't need a box for it then. As it swells you can then decide how much bigger the box needs to be. Then again, once it's finished swelling I think you can probably bag it, so you may be fine.
- Jeff
Looks great Boofer. Been eyballing that make and never found a sample for comparison. I will be watching carefully! I have had good luck with Dansco recipes.
I can see I need to take a look at Dansco recipes. I overlooked this resource.
Looks good Boofer... Hope it develops huge eyes, and a lovely flavor! I didn't think much of swiss styles before I made one. So much better than store bought!
Boofer, where you find your Danisco recipe ?
I' try their site but not luck. Recipe look very good, and if there is more available that's great.
Your Maasdam has very good looking start :)
Hande
Quote from: Hande on March 30, 2012, 01:03:22 PM
Boofer, where you find your Danisco recipe ?
I' try their site but not luck. Recipe look very good, and if there is more available that's great.
Your Maasdam has very good looking start :)
Hande
I PM'd you. I ordered from Danlac (http://www.danlac.com/) and they made the recipe available.
-Boofer-
Boofer ,I think your the record holder of the largest culture collection :)
Let us know how this one turns out.
Quote from: Tomer1 on March 30, 2012, 06:57:41 PM
Boofer ,I think your the record holder of the largest culture collection :)
Shhhh, don't let my accountant
(my wife) hear you! :) No, I don't claim that record...just trying to make some cheese.
-Boofer-
Following the recipe, today I vacuum-bagged the cheese...loosely, in an oversized bag to allow for subsequent swelling later on. The cheese had dried a bit in the cave, but it was actually pretty dry going into the cave.
It will sit in its bag in the cave for 10 days and then come out for warm conditioning, hopefully to build some eyes. The warm conditioning will be done at room temperature, which has been fairly cool (65F-71F), for 4 weeks. Then back into the cave for long-term affinage of 3 months. A target cut date could be during the holidays. :)
-Boofer-
That's a fine looking cheese Boofer!
Indeed, beautiful as they all are!
Your mention of "warm conditioning" has thrown me. I've never heard of this and have found no references.
Would you expound on this warming/cooling cycle(s). Does this all fall under affinage?
I'm only just beginning to get conversant (a far step from understanding) with the steps after pressing and brining.
Thanks.
Quote from: JimP on March 31, 2012, 10:18:31 PM
Indeed, beautiful as they all are!
Your mention of "warm conditioning" has thrown me. I've never heard of this and have found no references.
Would you expound on this warming/cooling cycle(s). Does this all fall under affinage?
I'm only just beginning to get conversant (a far step from understanding) with the steps after pressing and brining.
Thanks.
Thank you, Jim.
The "warm conditioning" is referenced in the document I attached "Maasdam or Leerdam Alp D, Holdbac VD". When making Swiss cheeses or cheeses in the Goutaler (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,6120.msg43964.html#msg43964) family, the cheese is allowed some time outside of refrigeration (room temp) to allow the Propionic acid bacteria to do their work of creating
eyes. A preliminary time right out of the brine and into the cool cave helps to firm up the rind before the warm treatment.
I wanted to provide a target picture of what I would like to see, realizing that the photo comes from a much larger wheel. Also included a little detail from Wikipedia.
-Boofer-
OK! Got it. Thank you.
My mouth is watering after seeing all the pictures of this cheese as I dug back & forth to sort out what you said!
I'm sure it will taste even better. ;)
I can't wait to see how it turns out! :)
Took the cheese out of the cave today. Moving from the cool phase to the warm phase. (The eyes have it.)
Opened the bag, rubbed the blues with a little organic vinegar (with the mother). Resealed the bag.
Set it out at room temperature for the next month.
-Boofer-
Is the bag still open? It looks like there is still a lot of air in there?
Quote from: anutcanfly on April 16, 2012, 04:26:27 PM
Is the bag still open? It looks like there is still a lot of air in there?
The bag is closed, but I have sucked too much air out in the past and scrunched my eyes. :'(
I'm trying the limited vacuum to reduce the incidence of baddies and permit my eyes to grow as large as I hope they will. :D
-Boofer-
I assumed the bag would swell as gas (co2) was formed? Scrunched eyes would be disappointing!
Yeppers that's the idea Anut. I over sucked the bag inthe begining too and got itsybitsy eyes and Ed gave us some pointers in his "My Baby is Swelling thread". I did have one burst the bag (cheap bags) a few years back.
Coming up on 4 weeks this Sunday since beginning the warm period. No clear signs of swelling or eye development, but I spotted a tiny crack in the rind today. Maybe I'll get lucky and other eyes will still grow.
I had one early foray with some molds trying to get a foothold, but quick treatment with vinegar & salt knocked that out. Haven't had a problem since.
-Boofer-
I'm calling an end to the
Warm Period. It has been four weeks.
There is evidence of Propionic action:
- The bag is filling with gas.
- Small (at this time) splits are appearing in the rind.
The rind looks like it's trying to hold onto the gas. The splits that have occurred are small, indicating that the rind is flexible, but not tight enough. The rind could have probably been a little more firm and tough with less elasticity so that the gas could not breach the rind and release the pressure. The paste needs to be pliable and elastic, but the rind needs to be less so.
For my second Maasdam (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,9667.0.html) I used more dry salt on the rind...more drying time in the cave. I think the change to a lighter brine, followed by dry salting the rind is the right approach for alpines, especially those intended to grow eyes (PS added). You want the salt to flavor the paste but not inhibit Propionic growth. I did not do that with this make and the PS seems to be doing just fine. I have to wonder if that change could have prevented the splits.
This morning I vacuum-sealed the cheese for long-term storage/affinage. The bag will no doubt continue to fill with gas and I may have to vent the gas and reseal it later.
-Boofer-
I have never made something with proprioni, but had once two late blowing Gouda's, that was before I used saltpeter to prevent that.
I had no gas leaks and I think that was because I coated the cheeses three times with my normal cheese coating. I know, I mention plastic coating a lot, but that's only because my good experiences with it ;)
I think you're making me a believer, Herman. I will be ordering some plastic coating soon.
-Boofer-
Quite the post, Boofer! Looks good! Hey, about those nubbins, if you are ageing the cheese on a solid surface and flipping regularly, they go away in my experience and don't seem to affect the strength of the rind, so no need to fret much about them during the make. A cheese for a great post!
Thanks, Brian.
I hardly even noticed the nubbins and didn't consider them at all. I have had very significant protrusions on cheeses in the past. And yes, I have found that most of the nubbins do minimize and eventually get reconstituted with the cheese with flipping and turning.
I looked at the pic of the new cheese just coming out of the press compared with the one recently...what a dramatic change in form.
-Boofer-
That's a huge change in the aspect ratio! Very cool. I'm thinking you'll end up with decent eyes in this one, maybe lots of small ones. My reasoning is that if there were huge eyes, it would have gone through a big football stage, and/or the blow out holes would have been larger. Of course, having never made a swiss before, I'm probably the one full of hot air here. :)
- Jeff
This was slated for cutting around the middle of the month, but I figured today was decent enough.
I was concerned that the eyes wouldn't have formed because I didn't get a lot of swelling. Then I started seeing the center of the wheel dipping in. The swelling did occur and the collapsing center was because the paste had been moved aside to accommodate the eyes. That's okay with me. It seemed to go quite nicely after all.
I am very happy with the appearance, texture, and taste. This make was done with Holdbac, but I left it out of Maasdam #2 (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,9667.0.html) and that make was also allowed to develop a natural rind. This make got a nudie rind so everything is edible. :)
Nice little cheese. 8)
-Boofer-
Very nice result Boofer! That is great eye developement. Any bigger and they would have been oversized for the cheese. This looks just right. A cheese to you.
- Jeff
Thanks, Jeff.
I had a wonderful sandwich with this at lunch today. Very nice. :D
I wonder how much different the second make (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,9667.0.html) will be with its natural rind. This make was rind-free.
-Boofer-
OH, now I am really hungry for Swiss and ham on rye :o
Looks so good you need uh cheese :D
Thanks, H-K-J. Glad I could help. ;)
Ooooh, rye! That's next!
-Boofer-
Oh yes, Boofer you have nice texture your Maasdam :)
And your lunch makes me hungry...
Hande
Quote from: beechercreature on March 29, 2012, 03:14:48 PM
wow, that's a nice detailed account and a great lookin cheese. i look forward to seeing updates (pictures).
Ditto, missed this one, Boof. Beautiful cheese, and cheese to you!
Quite in awe of that eye formation. Gawjuss!
That is a nice cheese !
I'm going to Idaho for some good milk in a day or two , I am going to make one of these on Friday.
Love those eyes !