CheeseForum.org » Forum

Previously I soaked the havarti in cool plain water for an hour after taking it out of the press. I decided to try skipping the step this time. It will be interesting to see if I still end up with a smooth and creamy product. I have no idea how it might be different.

HAVARTI # 4    8-24-13
Ingredients:
2 Gallons Pasturized, non-homoginized milk (pH 6.6)
1/8 tsp Flora Danica
1/8 tsp MM100
¼ tsp Calcium chloride in ¼ cup water
1.75 ml calf rennet mixed in 1/4 cup water
1 generous Tblsp sea salt

Flocculation Multiplier 3.5
Targets for pH:  Rennet 6.5, Drain 6.45, Brine  5.4
Temperature Targets: Ripening 86-88 degrees. Cooking 98 to 100 degrees

Procedure:
12:05:  Milk to 89 degrees. Sprinkled on cultures, waited 5 mins and stirred in for 30 mins ripening.
12:45: Tested pH 6.5.  Temperature still about 88 degrees.  Stirred in calcium, waited 5 mins, then stirred in rennet. Flocculation 12 mins, with multiplier of 3.5, aiming for clean break at about 42 mins.
1:35:  Clean break. Cut curd ½ inch. Let cut curd rest 5 mins.  Gently stirred curd for 15 minutes and brought temp back to 88 °F. Then let curds rest 5 mins. Measured pH already at 6.4, so anxious to wash the curd!!
2:10:  Drained off about 1/3 of whey. Added about 3 cups of 130°F water which raised the temp to 95°F and stirred for 5 min. Added more water which raised to a temperature of 99 °F.  Added salt and stirred for 15 minutes at 97-98 °F. Target had been 30 mins, but pH was 6.3 or 6.4. Let curds rest 5 mins.
2:40: Drained off liquid and stirred to break up the curds. Scooped the cheese into the hoop, pressing down firmly to fit it all
2:50:  Pressed with 5 # for 15 mins, keeping warm in pot with reserved whey. (pH 6.3)
3:05:  Pressed in press at 18# for 30 mins. (pH 6.3)
3:20:  Flipped and pressed at 18# for 30 mins. (pH 6.2)
4:00:  Flipped and pressed at 24# for 30 mins.
4:35:  Flipped and pressed at 24# for 60 mins, pH 5.9
5:30:  Flipped and pressed at 24# for 45 mins, pH 5.7
6:18:  Tested pH of whey at 5.4, and took cheese out of press. Weight 2 # 2 oz.  Into saturated brine.
11:10  Out of brine to dry on counter overnight.

Bump 

How did the havarti end up? I believe this is Peter Dixon's recipe? That's what I plan to try out on my next cheese. BTW, nice cheese out of the press. I too make 8L batches. What mould do you use?

One thing I don't get out of Dixon's recipe though is his pressing. He says to press 1.5 LBS per pound? How did your pressing end up? Did whey expel enough? good knit?

Yes, I read this one and was intrigued...not only do I love havarti but it seems like an easy one to pull off, and she did it so well. Beautiful!

I have all the ingredients to do it...after drying does it get sprayed with B. Linens or what?

I guess I forgot to follow up on this cheese... I just ate the last bit of it today - and it was good! Sliced easily, melted well, great flavor and a nice texture. Perhaps not as creamy as the previous makes, but that is not a bad thing. The cheese met with positive feedback at a Caldwell class last month! I do think the pressing schedule was fine and that the whey was appropriately expelled. By the end of pressing it was not giving off much of anything. I use the form I got in the beginning of this hobby from New England Cheesemaking, called the small hard cheese mold (4.5 x 5 inches) which comes with a follower.

The treatment after brining was as follows:
1: In a plastic box in the cave with the lid propped open, turning daily and cleaning off any growth with salty water for about one week.
2: In the cave with a light cover over it (a little less humidity), watching closely for any overdrying (cracking) and turning daily until the rind seems dry and solid.
3: Vacuum seal.
I did not spray with anything because that is not a strategy I have yet tried.