Month: September 2017
Cheesemaking: How To Make Robiola Cheese
Robiola is a perfect cheese for a home cheesemaker. It is produced in the Langhe Hills just south of Torino, Italy.
Recipe
What You Need
1 gallon of milk
1 packet of our Buttermilk culture
Liquid Rennet (either animal or vegetable)
Salt
A good thermometer
A knife to cut the curds, and a spoon or ladle to stir the curds with.
2-3 of our BasketMold (M332) to drain the curds
Butter Muslin for lining the molds and draining
Calcium Chloride can be added for pasteurized cold stored milk and will help to form a firmer curd using about 1/8-1/4 Tsp per gallon of milk.
What To Do
1. First, you need to heat the milk to 72F. You can place this in a pot in a sink of warm water or heat it on the stove. Be sure to heat it slowly and stir it as it heats if you heat it on the stove.
Once you have heated the milk, add the culture by sprinkling it on the surface to avoid it caking and clumping. Let it sit for 2 minutes so that the powder can re-hydrate before stirring it in.
Now let the milk sit for 4 hours while the initial acid develops before adding the rennet. The longer you let it ripen, it will cause the rennet to work on the milk much quicker due to the higher acid.
2. Once the milk has developed acid, you will add about 4 drops of single strength liquid rennet and stir for 1 minute.
To allow the rennet to do its work and coagulate the curd, allow the milk to sit for 25-40 minutes. After this, you will find that the milk has thickened and may hold a good cut as shown at left but do not worry if it still seems very soft. Don’t cut the curd though. Let the milk sit for another 8-24 hours.
When you see this whey rising, you can be sure that the curd has developed enough acid to be briefly cut and ladled to the forms.
3. The curd is ready to be cut and release the first of the whey. Begin with making a larger 1.5″ vertical cross cut with the knife and then let it sit for 3-5 minutes so that the whey can be released and become slightly firmer. You can make another cut using a spoon and cross cutting to break the curds into bean sized prices or a bit larger. Remember the larger the cut, the moister the final cheese.
When you’ve made the final cut, the curds can be stirred for about 5-10 minutes to allow the curd pieces to firm up. You can let the curds settle while you prepare the molds and draining cloth.
Use a spoon to remove the whey down to the level of the curds.
4. The moist curd can now be transferred to a mold lined with butter muslin. Set the molds on a rack above a sink to catch the whey as it drains. You can use the whey for other things during baking.
Once you have transferred all the curds to the molds, place a cloth over the top and turn the cheese in the form to encourage a nice even surface.
After around 5-10 minutes, the cheese will be firm enough to be handled. Lift the cheese from the cloth and turn onto the cloth in a basket and re-wrap. Allow this to drain for another 45-60 minutes.
The cheese will be well firmed after this period. You can remove the cloth from the cheese. The final draining can now commence, taking around 12-18 hours.
After the final draining, the cheese should be floated in a saturated brine for 60 minutes. If the draining isn’t long enough, the acid of the cheese will be too high.
5. When the cheeses are removed from the brine they should be dried off in a cool room for about 4-6 hours. They can then go to the aging space at about 80-85% humidity and 52-58F for at least 4 days. They should be turned daily and wiped with a light brine if mold appears. At the end of this period, they will be ready for the table as a very fresh cheese.
If you continue to wipe with brine every 2-5 days (as needed) to keep the mold growth down, the cheese may ripen for up to 30-40 days. It will change considerably in texture and flavor as the proteins continue to break down.
Cheesemaking: Making Goat’s Cheese With Ash
The cheese that is made in this recipe is a lactic type goat’s milk cheese with a covering of salt and finely powdered charcoal. It will change from black to a nice blue-gray to white and bloomy surface.
Recipe
What You Need
1 Gallon of Goat’s Milk (Not UltraPasteurized)
1 Packet C20G Chevre Culture
1/16 Tsp C8 Penicillium Candidum
2-3 tsp Salt (non-iodized)
1/4-1/2 tsp Charcoal/Ash
Calcium Chloride (for pasteurized milk)
What To Do
1. Firstly, begin by heating the milk to a temperature of 68-72F. If you heat the milk on the stove, make sure you do it slowly and stir it consistently while it heats.
Add the Chevre and P. candidum culture once the milk is at the desired temperature. Sprinkle the powder to prevent it from becoming clumpy and allow it to sit for 2 minutes before stirring it in so it can re-hydrate.
2. There is enough rennet to ensure a proper set. So now let the milk sit for 18-24 hours while the culture gets to work and the rennet coagulates the curd. The thermal mass should keep the milk warm since this is being done at room temperature anyway. It fine if the temperature does drop a few degrees during the time, but find a warmer space if your room is generally cold.
Remember that the longer you let the curd set, the more acid will be produced.
3. Once the curds have been formed, there will be a thin layer of whey over the curd mass and there may be cracks and separation on the sides. You can test with a knife to see if it is ready. It will show a clean break.
You can now move the curds into the molds with a small spoon to allow the whey to drain. You can drain for 8-20 hours at 68-72F. The time amount has a huge range because it is all dependent on what you want for moisture in your final cheese. This means less time for a sweeter and moister cheese or more time for a drier and tangier cheese.
Note that the bacteria is still working and as long as the whey is present it is able to convert the lactose to lactic acid.
4. To add the ash, you simply need to dust a thin layer of charcoal with no salt after filling the molds about 2/3rds full and then add the rest of the curds.
Once the mold stops dripping whey, it should be firm enough to unmold.
5. The cheese is now ready to be salted. You can mix the charcoal and the salt together. The ratio which is best can be anywhere from 1:5 to 1:8 charcoal to salt ratio, depending on how heavy an ash surface you want on the cheese.
The base salt amount should be about 1 Tsp per cheese and you can apply this by sprinkling about 1/2 per surface. You can even it all out with your hand and spread slightly down the sides. Wait until the salt dissolves and soaks into the cheese body before you salt the other side.
After the salt has been absorbed and no whey drips from the cheese, the cheese can be taken to a space for drying. We are looking for the surface moisture to dry down so that no bright moisture spots can be felt or seen and the surface takes on a matte appearance. This can be done in a room at around 60F with 65-70% moisture. You should place a reed mat or plastic mat under the cheese to allow air movement.
6. Once you have dried the cheese out, it can go to the aging space at 52-56F and 90-95% moisture. This is where it will undergo the final ripening, but must be turned daily to even the moisture and keep the mold from growing into the mats.
After 3 days, you will already see signs of white mold on the surface changing from black to a dusty gray.
After 5 days you will see a full coat develop as the surface becomes light gray as shown in the photo. You would usually see this after 2 weeks when not using charcoal.
After 8-12 days the cheese can be cut as fresh or can be held for several weeks as the surface enzymes continue to work on the proteins, leading to a more complex flavor.
Cheesemaking: How To Make Ibores
Recipe
What You Need
3 Gallons Goats Milk (Not UltraPasteurized)
1/16 Tsp MA4002 Culture
1/4 Tsp Calcium Chloride
1/2 Tsp Single Strength Liquid Rennet
2 lbs Cheese Salt (for Brine)
Spanish Smoked Paprika & Olive Oil
What To Do
1. Heat the 3 gallons of milk to 86F. Do this by placing the milk in a pot and put it in a sink of water with the temperature of 120-140 degrees. Once the milk is about to reach the target temperature, begin to add cold water to the water bath until the temperature falls to around 2-3F above the milk target temperature. If you prefer to heat your milk on a stove, make sure you heat the milk slowly and stir it well.
When the milk is at 86F, it is time to add the 1/16 tsp. of MA4002 culture. This culture is a combination of Mesophilic, which will convert lactose to lactic acid, and Thermophilic, which will produce minimal acid development but begins to work during aging to develop supple texture in the finished cheese.
As always, to avoid the culture clumping and caking, sprinkle it onto the surface of the milk and wait 2 minutes for the culture to rehydrate before you stir it in.
Now allow the milk to sit for an hour while the culture works and begins to ripen. A small amount of acid will be produced during this time. Be sure to keep it warm.
2. After an hour of ripening, add 1/4 Tsp of the single strength liquid rennet. The rennet will begin to coagulate the curd, let it sit for another hour. You will see the milk thicken after around 20 minutes, but it still needs the full hour for a proper curd to form.
One way to check for a good card, insert a knife into the curd at a 45-degree angle and lift slowly until the curd breaks. The edges should break cleanly and the whey that will rise should be clear, not cloudy.
Remember to utilize coagulation times by sanitizing the cheese molds and draining boards.
3. Once the curd is firm, you can cut it into 1/4 inch pieces. Once the curds have been cut, let them sit for 10 minutes. Don’t let them mat together, but make sure they have a layer of whey to rise to the top. If they try to mat, just give them a gentle stir and after around 5 minutes, let them settle again.
4. It is time to dry out the curds. You can do this by heating them up to 86F very slowly. It will take approximately 30 minutes, but can be extended if the curds are too soft. Stir them gently during heating to prevent them matting.
Examine the final curds to make sure they were cooked through and enough moisture was removed. They should be firm enough that they will have a moderate resistance when you press them between your fingers.
At this point, the curds can be allowed to settle under the whey.
5. The dry curds are ready to be transferred to the mold. Allow the curds to settle to the bottom of the pot and then drain the whey down to around 1-2 inches above the curd mass.
Stir the curds well to separate them before you transfer them to molds. The whey will float the curds into position and minimize any mechanical holes. Good pressure from your hands will help consolidate the curds.
Fold the draining cloth on top of the curd mass and then place the follower on top. It is now time to press the cheese.
6. To press the cheese, begin very light and then slowly increase the press weight to a moderate level:
60 minutes at 25 lbs
90 minutes at 50 lbs
4 hours at 75 lbs
After the initial drainage of whey, the rate of whey running off will be a matter of drops and not a stream of whey being released. This is a good rate of whey removal during pressing and will slow down even more as the residual free moisture is released. You should see tears of whey weeping from the form very slowly. When it stops completely, increase the weight slightly.
Remove the cheese from the press and unwrap, turn and rewrap and put it back into the press at the above intervals to assure an even consolidation.
You will see that the cheese has a smoother surface after each turn.
7. The pressed cheese should be smooth and have no openings. It would cause problems for the cheese to have cracks as it will lead to problems with molds during aging.
Prepare a saturated brine for salting the cheese. Here is a quick formula: 1 Gallon of water to which is added 2 Lbs of Salt, 1tbs. Calcium Chloride (30% solution), and 1 Tsp. white vinegar.
Set the cheese in the brine for 3 hours. The cheese will float above the brine surface so sprinkle another teaspoon or 2 of salt on the top of the surface of the cheese. Flip the cheese and re-salt the surface halfway through the brine period.
8. At the end of the brining, wipe down the surface and allow it to dry out for a day or two before you wax the cheese.
Prepare a mixture with just enough oil to make a thick paste/slurry to coat the cheese. Paprika is important for the flavor and aroma. Rub the cheese with paprika until it is well coated. In a day or so, the oil will be absorbed into the cheese which will ensure a dry coat on the outside.
Repeat the treatment when necessary.
9. Now it is time to age the cheese. You can place it into the aging room at 52-56F and 80-85% moisture. Age the cheese for around 4-6 weeks, after this time, the cheese will be ready for serving.
Cheesemaking: How To Make Crescenza
When making this particular cheese, there is a trick to it. The trick is to balance the acid development with the correct moisture level in the cheese to ensure it will ripen properly. It is your choice whether you want to make it drier for a firm texture and longer aging or very moist to make it have a soft texture.
Recipe
