Tag: cheesemaking
Cheesemaking: How To Make Alpine Tomme
This recipe will be made with 2 gallons of milk. However, if you want to make a 4-gallon batch it can be a lot better because it seems larger formats ripen a lot easier. The smaller batch size can be easier for home cheese makers.
Recipe
What You Need
2 Gallons of Milk (Not UltraPasteurized)
1/2 Packet C201 Thermophilic Culture
1.75 ml (1/4 + 1/8 tsp) Single Strength Liquid Rennet
Salt
Calcium Chloride (for pasteurized milk)
What To Do
1. The first step is to heat and acidify the milk. So let’s begin by heating the milk to 92F. To do this, place the milk in a container and then place it in a large pot of very warm water. If you heat it on the stove, be sure to heat it slowly and stir it as it heats if you heat it on the stove.
The culture being used here is a Thermophilic Culture (C201) made up of two types of bacteria. These have an optimum temperature of 108-112°F but you will start them working at the lower temperature end of their range. This will give them a slower start which is in line with the long acid development phase for this cheese and will be helpful in preserving the calcium in the curd resulting in a more elastic curd.
Once you are done heating the milk, you can add the culture. The powder can become very cakey and sink in clumps so to prevent this, sprinkle the culture over the surface of the milk and then let it sit for a couple of minutes. This allows the powder to re-hydrate before you stir it in. After stirring, let the milk sit for a further 90 minutes so that the culture can get to work.
2. After 90 minutes of ripening, add about 1.75ml of the single strength liquid rennet. Stir the rennet in for about a minute in a slow up and down motion. 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. Begin by breaking up the curd with two vertical cuts at a right angle about 3/4-1 inch apart. It will look like a checkerboard. Now allow the curd to sit for 3-5 minutes while the cut edges heal slightly. Some whey may rise to the surface as well as in the cuts as this happens.
The next cut can be considered to be the most difficult. You need to cut the columns of curd into even sized pieces.
The final cut will be between 1/4-3/8 in. You can do this with a spoon of a flat ladle.
4. Now is the time to cook the curds. Once you have cut the curds to the desired size, you can begin using a spoon to slowly keep the curds separate. Stir the curds slowly for 5-10 minutes, just enough to dry the surfaces slightly and firm the curds for the cooking to follow. Now reheat to 92F if the temperature has decreased.
The process of heating the curds can be done quite like when making Gouda. We need to process to slow the acid development. This will effectively reduce the lactose supply and limit the food supply for the culture, which will make it a sweeter cheese:
– Allow the curds to settle to the bottom of the vat/pot
– Remove about 25% of the whey
– While stirring add back the same amount of hot water (120-130°F) slowly over about 20 minutes
– The final temperature should be about 108-110°F.
Once you have reached this point, the curds can be stirred for another 15-20 minutes to reach their final dryness.
5. When the final curd is ready, allow the curd mass to settle and remove the whey down to the level of the curd mass.
You can do this by spreading the draining cloth on the bottom and placing the curd mass into the cloth, the corners being ready to remove the entire curd mass to the mold. The reason for this consolidation in the whey is to help get a very tight curd mass so that there will be few mechanical openings in the final cheese. It is a character which all the Alpine-style cheeses have.
After this, transfer the curds to the molds by opening the cloths and pressing firmly into the mold. Pull up on the cloth to remove wrinkles and prepare to press the cheese.
6a. The cheese is now ready to be pressed.
These measurements are for 2-gallon sized batches but you can double these weights if you are doing a 4-gallon batch.
As always pressing needs to begin lightly and you must slowly increase the press weight to a moderate level:
– 30 minutes at 20lbs.
– 30 minutes at 40lbs
– 3 hours at 50lbs
– 3 hours with no weight but keep warm still
There is usually very little acid produced at the beginning of pressing so there will be a lot of lactose left in the cheese mass. This means that they must be fermented before the cheese is salted to avoid late fermentation problems in the aging. In turn, the temperature must be kept warm 80-85F to allow the culture to complete its work and ferment the remaining lactose.
6b. The rate of whey running off should be a matter of drops and not a stream. This is a good rate of whey removal during pressing and will slow even more as the residual free moisture is released. At the beginning of pressing there is very little acid produced so there is a lot of lactose left in the cheese mass. This must be fermented before the cheese is salted to avoid late fermentation problems in the aging. Therefore the temperature must be kept warm 80-85F to allow the culture to complete its work and ferment the remaining lactose.
7. Saturated brine is needed for the salting of the cheese, here is a simple brine formula:
– 1 gallon of water
– 2.25 lbs of salt
– 1 Tbs calcium chloride
– 1 tsp white vinegar
– Bring the brine and cheese to 50-55F before using.
When the cheese cools enough it can be floated in the brine for 1.5-1.75 hours brine time per lb of cheese. If you want moister cheese, use less time. Due to the brines high density, the cheese will float in the brine. Be sure to turn the cheese at least once during the soaking.
8. Now it is time to age the cheese. You can place it into the aging room at 52-56F and 85-90% moisture. Age the cheese for around 2-3 weeks, after this time, the rind will have formed and olive oil can be added to the surface to discourage mold as well as making it easier to remove if it does appear. The cheese can now be aged for a further 3-6 month and it will be then ready for serving.
Cheesemaking: How To Make Bel Pease Cheese
Even though this cheese is usually made with pasteurized milk, you can make it with high-quality raw milk if you so wish. However, this recipe does use pasteurized milk.
If you are going to make your own version using raw milk, be sure to decrease the culture amounts by around 40% and the rennet by 20-30%, depending on the specific milk you use.
Recipe
What You Need
2 Gallons of Milk (Not UltraPasteurized)*
1/64 tsp C7 Geotrichum Candidum
1/16 tsp MA011 Culture
1/32 tsp MM100 Culture
1/16 tsp TA061 Culture
1/4 tsp (1.25ml) Single Strength Liquid Rennet
Salt and Calcium Chloride for a Brine
Calcium Chloride (for pasteurized milk)
What To Do
1. The first step is to heat and acidify the milk. So let’s begin by heating the milk to 102F To do this, place the milk in a container and then place it in a large pot of very warm water. If you 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 are done heating the milk, you can add the culture:
– 1/64 tsp of Geotrichum (its just a pinch)
– 1/16 tsp of MA011
– 1/32 tsp of MM100
– 1/16 tsp of TA061
It is a very low dose and a customized blend of culture.
The powder can become very cakey and sink in clumps so to prevent this, sprinkle the culture over the surface of the milk and then let it sit for a couple of minutes. This allows the powder to re-hydrate before you stir it in. After stirring, let the milk sit for a further hour so that the culture can get to work.
2. After an hour of ripening, add 1/4 tsp. single strength liquid rennet. Stir the rennet in for about a minute in a slow up and down motion. The rennet will begin to coagulate the curd, let it sit for 20 minutes. You will see the milk thicken after around 8 minutes, but it still needs the full 20 minutes 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 begin to cut it into 3/8 inch pieces as evenly as possible, using a knife to make vertical cuts.
Stir the curds gently enough to keep them separated for about 5 minutes. This will allow for the curd surface to harden enough for a long stir. Make sure you allow the curds to settle for about another 5 minutes to allow the whey to rise.
The curds will appear to be soft and show very little structure, while the whey may be opaque.
4. You can now begin to dry out the curds. This can be done by increasing the heat slowly to 108F. You need to increase the temperature at the rate of 3-5F per 5 minutes at the beginning, making the total cooking time 25-30 minutes, but may be extended if the curds are still soft.
The curds will become firmer and the whey will appear more translucent.
You should examine the curds to make sure enough moisture has been removed. Broken curds should be firm throughout and the curds should be firm throughout and the curds should have a moderate resistance when pressed between the fingers.
The curd is ready when a handful of curds pressed together easily separate with a little pressure from the thumb. At this point, the curds can be allowed to settle under the whey.
5. The whey should first be removed to the curd surface in the vat. You can transfer the curds to a colander lined with butter muslin. Allow them to be drained for a few minutes, gently stirring the curds will make sure the whey drains off.
6. Begin the initial pressing with a moderate hand pressure.
The curd mass can be transferred to a mold which has been sanitized. The initial firm hand pressure should begin to set the initial cheese surface. The curd will still be quite warm at this point and should come together quite easily.
The curd mass should be lightly set and removed from the press after a few minutes. It is now ready to be opened, turned and re-wrapped as before.
Please note that it is important to keep the cheese warm during the pressing cycle.
7. Now is time to add 5-8lbs of pressure to consolidate the curds. Be sure that the cloth is pulled up well and smoothed around the cheese to form as smooth a surface as possible. You only need to use very light pressure here.
It is important you keep a smooth surface as possible, this will ensure the aging and surface development will have a good result.
The unwrapping, turning, and repress cycle should be repeated about 5 times within the first 30-40 minutes after molding the cheese.
The weight can be removed once a firm surface has developed, meaning the cheese can be returned to the mold.
The cheese will be ready for brining within 6-7 hours of cutting the curds.
8. You will need saturated brine for the salting process, a simple brine formula being:
– 1 gallon of water
– 2.25 lbs of salt
– 1tbs. calcium chloride
– 1 tsp. white vinegar
– Bring the brine to 50-55°F before using.
When the cheese cools enough it can be floated in the brine for 1-1.25 hours brine time per lb of cheese. If you want moister cheese, use less time. Due to the brines high density, the cheese will float in the brine. Be sure to turn the cheese at least once during the soaking.
9. Now it is time to age the cheese. You can place it into the aging room at 52-56F and 90-95% moisture. In around 5-8 days, the surface will develop a greasy surface, which is caused by yeast. When this occurs, you can use a light brine wash (3-6% strength, 1-2 tbs. salt to 1 cup cool water ) every 3-5 days for 3 weeks.
With this, a thin rind cover will develop as a dusty white surface. Once it is covered in it, wash off with 5% brine and then dry and wrap in waxed paper. Then store at 40F for another 2-3 weeks until it is ripe.
How To Make Mozzarella In 30 Minutes
Recipe
A few things to note before making this recipe:
– Make sure the milk you use is not ultra pasteurized
– You can use homogenized or non-homogenized milk
– Farm fresh milk is a great option if you can find it locally
– Low-fat milk will work but the cheese will be drier and less flavorful
What You Need
1 Gallon of Milk (Not UltraPasteurized)
1 1/2 Tsp Citric Acid
1/4 Rennet Tablet or 1/4 tsp Single Strength Liquid Rennet
Cheese Salt
What To Do
1. Start by preparing your work area, make sure that you are not preparing other food while making this cheese.
Be sure to have a clean work area, moving everything away and sanitizing your counter, stove and sink with soap and water. Use an antibacterial cleaner to wipe down all surfaces.
2. Now is time to prepare the rennet. Crush a 1/4 tablet of rennet and dissolve in a 1/4 cup of cool un-chlorinated water or add 1/4 Tsp of single strength liquid rennet to the water. Then, set your mixture aside to use for later.
3. Mix 1 1/2 Tsp of citric acid, to a cup of cool water and add it to your pot.
Then pour cold milk into your pot quickly to mix well with the citric acid. This will make sure the milk is at a proper acidity to stretch it well later.
4. Now heat the milk slowly to 90F. You will notice that your milk is beginning to curdle slightly when it starts to come close to 90F, this is because of the acidity and temperature.
You may need to increase the temperature to 95F or even 100F if the milk is having problems with forming a proper curd.
5. Once your temperature is at 90F, remove your pot from the stove and slowly add your rennet to the milk. Stir it for 30 seconds in a top to bottom motion and then stop.
Now cover the pot and leave undisturbed for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, check the curd. It should look like custard with a clear separation between the curds and the whey. Let the curd sit for a few more minutes if it is too soft or the whey is a cloudy appearance.
6. Begin cutting the curds into a 1-inch checkerboard pattern.
Now place the pot back on the stove and heat the curd back to 105F while slowly stirring the curds with a ladle. Once at 105F, take the pot off the burner and continue to stir it slowly for 2-5 minutes.
7. Scoop the curds into a colander with a slotted spoon. If the curds appear too soft, let it sit for another minute or so.
Once you have transferred the curd, press the curd gently with your hand, pouring off as much whey as you can. If you wish, you can keep the whey for later use in baking or cooking.
8. Transfer the curds to a heat safe bowl and microwave the curd for 1 minute.
There will be noticeable whey separation from the curd, so drain off all the whey as you did before. Work the cheese with a spoon or your hands until it is cool enough to touch.
Microwave it two more times for 35 seconds each, and repeat the kneading as in the last step to aid in more whey drain off and ensure even heating of the curds. Drain off all of the whey as you go.
9. Now to begin stretching and kneading the curd. Start by quickly kneading the bread dough. Remove the curd from the bowl and continue kneading it until it is smooth and shiny. If needed, return it to the microwave if it begins to cool off before it is ready to stretch. Near finishing time, add salt. The cheese should be soft enough to stretch and stretch however you desire. This is what makes it Mozzarella after all.
10. In this step, knead your cheese back into a big ball until it is smooth and shiny. Now your Mozzarella will be ready as soon as it’s cool enough to eat. If you want to cool it quickly, place it into a bowl of ice water and refrigerate it.
Cheesemaking: How To Make Crottin de Chavignol Cheese
Recipe
What You Need
1 Gallon of Goats Milk (Not UltraPasteurized)
1 Packet C20G Chevre Culture
1/16 Tsp C7 Geotrichum Candidum
Cheese Salt
Calcium Chloride (for pasteurized milk)
What To Do
1. First, begin by bringing the milk to room temperature (74F).
When the milk is at room temperature, you can add the culture and geotrichum. The powder can become very cakey and sink in clumps so to prevent this, sprinkle the culture over the surface of the milk and then let it sit for a couple of minutes. This allows the powder to re-hydrate before you stir it in.
2. If you are using the C20G Chevre culture, you won’t need to add rennet because powdered rennet is already added to the packet to form a good curd.
However, if you are using MA011 culture, you will need around 4-8 drops of single strength liquid rennet. The amount depends on your milk and how it coagulates. If the curd still appears weak after 24 hours, add a bit more rennet next time. Adding too much will make it difficult for your curd to drain.
You can now let the milk sit for 18-24 hours while the culture works and produces the lactic acid that coagulates the curd.
The curd will have separated from the sides of the vat and there will be an inch layer of whey on top to show that the curd is ready.
3. You can now transfer the curd to the colander. Line a colander with sanitized butter muslin in preparation for pre-draining the curd. You can use a ladle to transfer the curds to drain in a cheesecloth for 6-18 hours at 68-72F. Be sure to ladle in small scoops directly into the forms.
4. When the curds are briefly drained and gathered, you can hang them in cloth to promote draining. You can open the cloth and the curd mass mixed lightly to promote even drainage about half way through the drainage.
5. Now the pre-drained curd is now ready to be transferred to the crottin molds. They will be heaped on the top at first but will settle to about 1/2 to 1/3 the mold height when fully drained. This may take another 12 hours to complete.
6. After around 2 hours after you have filled the molds, sprinkle a quarter teaspoon of kosher salt on the top of each curd in its form.
You can remove and turn the cheese back into the mold, the next morning. Then add another quarter teaspoon of kosher salt on the top of each curd in its form.
7. The cheeses will now be ready to be removed from the molds in the late afternoon. You should place them on drying mats to allow air to circulate on all sides. The drying room temperature should be at about 60-65F and 65-75% moisture with a small fan to circulate the air.
The drying time may be around 1-2 days during which you could notice a different surface as the salt migrates into the cheese and some ambient yeast begin to form on the surface. The cheese will be ready for the aging cave when you notice it take on a matte appearance and all the free moisture is gone from the surface.
8. At this time, the cheese will be ready for whatever aging you intend to do, but try to make sure you give them the 2-3 weeks to develop some character.
The aging space should be 48-52F and 90% relative humidity with gentle air flow over the cheeses. Be sure to turn the cheeses every day until they are covered with white mold. You will notice the mold beginning to develop within ten days from drying the cheeses.
Many folks have trouble keeping a high enough moisture, so they keep the cheeses in covered plastic containers in a refrigerator or cold room so that there will be enough humidity. The top can be set ajar to let in air if there is condensation but if too much, should be wiped out daily. You will find that the cheeses can age for several weeks. It is a good idea to turn the cheeses and rub the mold down periodically to prevent the rind from getting too thick.
At about 10-12 days, the surface should be taking on a nice white appearance that will eventually lead to that nice rippled surface so characteristic of this cheese.
At this point, the cheese can be held in a cooler space at 38-44F.
Cheesemaking: How To Make Caciocavallo Cheese
Recipe
What You Need
2 Gallons of Milk (Not Ultra-Pasteurized)
1 Packet C101 Mesophilic Culture
1/2 Tsp (2.5 ml) Single Strength Liquid Rennet
Salt Brine
Calcium Chloride (for Pasteurized Milk)
What To Do
1. The first step is to heat and acidify the milk. So let’s begin by heating the milk to 92F. To do this, place the milk in a container and then place it in a large pot of very warm water. If you 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 are done heating the milk, you can add the culture. The powder can become very cakey and sink in clumps so to prevent this, sprinkle the culture over the surface of the milk and then let it sit for a couple of minutes. This allows the powder to re-hydrate before you stir it in. After stirring, let the milk sit for a further 30 minutes so that the culture can get to work.
2. After 30 minutes of ripening, add the about 2.5ml of single strength rennet. Stir the rennet in for about a minute in a slow up and down motion. 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. The curd is now ready to be cut to release the whey. You can begin to cut it into 1/2-5/8 inch pieces as evenly as possible, using a knife to make vertical cuts.
Stir the curds gently enough to keep them separated for about 5 minutes. This will allow for the curd surface to harden enough for a long stir. Make sure you allow the curds to settle for about another 5 minutes to allow the whey to rise.
Begin to stir the curds consistently for the next 15 minutes and bring the temperature back up to 92F if it has dropped.
The curds will appear to be soft and show very little structure, while the whey may be opaque.
4. You can now begin to dry out the curds. This can be done by increasing the heat slowly to 102F. You need to increase the temperature at the rate of 3-5F per 5 minutes at the beginning, making the total cooking time 20 minutes, but may be extended if the curds are still soft.
You should examine the curds to make sure enough moisture has been removed. Broken curds should be firm throughout and the curds should be firm throughout and the curds should have a moderate resistance when pressed between the fingers.
The curd is ready when a handful of curds pressed together easily separate with a little pressure from the thumb. At this point, the curds can be allowed to settle under the whey.
5. The whey should first be removed to the curd surface in the vat. You can transfer the curds to a colander lined with butter muslin. Allow them to be drained for a few minutes, gently stirring the curds will make sure the whey drains off.
Once you have released all the free whey, fold the drainage cloth over and turn the cheese mass to allow it to consolidate. Then place another identical tub with no holes on top and add 1/2-3/4 gallons of water. This is to keep the curd warm and to help with consolidating the curd mass.
6. At this point, the final acidity has developed and some calcium will be leached from the curd and flow off into the whey. The structure of the curd will also begin to change.
In about 5-6 hours check on the curd to see how the acid development is going. The final acid being pH=5.2-5.3 TA%=.45-.55 and more whey is expelled. The longer you let the curd develop, the more it is turned and the drier it will become.
Once the curd has ripened, you should see a change in its structure. It will be well consolidated and flatter. When you break it, you should see an elongated individual curd profile.
7. This is the fun part. Slice the ripened curd into a heat safe bowl or pan in 1/4 inch strips. This will allow for faster heating.
Add a small amount of hot water into the side of the bowl, just enough to cover the curds. Be sure to keep the curds separate.
When the curd begins to visibly stretch a bit, it is time to change the water temperature. Empty the water from the curd and add fresh hot water. This will make the curd easier to stretch and begin to mold into one mass. Begin to stretch the curd by lifting it with a wooden spoon. Do it several times, folding the curd back and forth on itself. Add more hot water if it becomes difficult to stretch.
When you notice the lumps disappearing and the curd appears to be smoother, you can now begin stretching the curds with your hands. Dipping your hands in cold water will make this process less painful (the curd will be at 135-140F). A few nice long stretches will be good enough.
8. Now it is time to form and shape the cheese. Be sure to dip your hands in very cold water first. – Fold the cheese into a flat square, then push down on all of the edges to form a bag shape.
– Fold the cheese into a flat square, then push down on all of the edges to form a bag shape.
– Stuff these edges into the center of the cheese as you squeeze the neck of the bag closed. Keep reheating the cheese as needed.
– Continue to push and stuff into the center opening as you narrow the neck into a nice topknot.
– You will find that the hot curd will have a tendency to sag, so keep it moving and reshape as you go. Your initial shape should be more like a ball with a narrow topknot. If you have not been dipping your hands in cold water, you are probably in pain by now.
– Once you have a nice smooth surface and the shape you want, it is time to cool the mass in cold water but first, let the cheese to hang briefly and gravity will change the ball shape into a beautiful pear shape. Immediately chill the cheese in cold water, but do not allow it to rest on the bottom because it will be reshaped there. The cheese will be somewhat buoyant in the water but will still rest on the bottom otherwise.
9. You will need saturated brine for the salting process, a simple brine formula being:
– 1 gallon of water
– 2.25 lbs of salt
– 1tbs. calcium chloride
– 1 Tsp. white vinegar
– Bring the brine to 50-55°F before using.
When the cheese cools enough it can be floated in the brine for 2-3 hours brine time per lb of cheese. If you want moister cheese, use less time. Due to the brines high density, the cheese will float in the brine. Be sure to turn the cheese at least once during the soaking.
10. Once you remove the cheese from the brine, it is time to be “strung up”. You can use a piece of twine or another type of string that will not cut into the cheese surface, tie a loop around the smaller knot end of your caciocavallo and hang it in a cool dry place to age a bit. More time will be needed for drier cheese but give them at least 6 weeks or more.
Cheesemaking: How To Make Derby Cheese With Sage
This cheese is a Derbyshire cheese that was created during the early 20th century. It is a moister, softer and earlier ripening version of Cheddar. Sage is added to this recipe to give it a delicious twist.
Recipe
What To Do
2 Gallons of Milk (Not UltraPasteurized)
2/3-3/4 Packet C101 Mesophilic Culture or 3/16 tsp MA11 Culture*
1/2 Tsp (2.5 ml) Single Strength Liquid Rennet
0.8 oz Salt
6-12 Sage Leaves for Aroma/Flavor
6-12 Spinach Leaves for Color
Calcium Chloride (for pasteurized milk)
What To Do
1. The first step is to heat and acidify the milk. So let’s begin by heating the milk to 84F. To do this, place the milk in a container and then place it in a large pot of very warm water. If you 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 are done heating the milk, you can add the culture. The powder can become very cakey and sink in clumps so to prevent this, sprinkle the culture over the surface of the milk and then let it sit for a couple of minutes. This allows the powder to re-hydrate before you stir it in. After stirring, let the milk sit for a further hour so that the culture can get to work.
2. While you are waiting for the milk to warm and ripen, you should begin preparing the sage.
– Clean the leaves well in cold water and let them soak for 10-20 minutes. This can help remove some of the herbal bitterness.
– Make sure you drain the leaves well and then add around 2-4oz. of cold water and blend the herbs into a fine puree.
– Now set the puree aside for later use. The puree should be dark green once the foam subsides.
3. After an hour of ripening, add in the single strength liquid rennet. Stir the rennet in for about a minute in a slow up and down motion. 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.
Once the curd is firm, you can begin to cut it into 1/2-5/8 inch pieces as evenly as possible, using a knife to make vertical cuts.
Stir the curds gently enough to keep them separated for about 5 minutes. This will allow for the curd surface to harden enough for a long stir. Make sure you allow the curds to settle for about another 5 minutes to allow the whey to rise.
Begin to stir the curds consistently for the next 15 minutes and bring the temperature back up to 84F if it has dropped.
The curds will appear to be soft and show very little structure, while the whey may be opaque.
4. You can now begin to dry out the curds. This can be done by increasing the heat slowly to 92F. You need to increase the temperature at the rate of 3-5F per 5 minutes at the beginning, making the total cooking time 15 minutes, but may be extended if the curds are still soft.
The curds will become firmer and the whey will appear more translucent.
You should examine the curds to make sure enough moisture has been removed. Broken curds should be firm throughout and the curds should be firm throughout and the curds should have a moderate resistance when pressed between the fingers.
The curd is ready when a handful of curds pressed together easily separate with a little pressure from the thumb. At this point, the curds can be allowed to settle under the whey.
5. The whey should first be removed to the curd surface in the vat. You can transfer the curds to a colander lined with butter muslin. Allow them to be drained for a few minutes, gently stirring the curds will make sure the whey drains off.
6. Once you have released all the free whey, fold the drainage cloth over and turn the cheese mass to allow it to consolidate. Then place another identical tub with no holes on top and add 1/2-3/4 gallons of water. This is to keep the curd warm and to help with consolidating the curd mass.
At this point, the final acidity has developed and some calcium will be leached from the curd and flow off into the whey. The structure of the curd will also begin to change.
Unwrap the cheese mass and turn it over and rewrap every 15-30 minutes for the next 1-2 hours while final acid is produced. The final acid being pH=5.3-5.4 TA%=.45-.55 and more whey is expelled. The longer you let the curd develop, the more it is turned and the drier it will become.
Once the curd has ripened, you should see a change in its structure. It will be well consolidated and flatter. When you break it, you should see an elongated individual curd profile.
7. Now the curd should be torn or cut into small walnut sized pieces. This will allow for the salt to penetrate to the center of each curd and stops the development of excess acid which is already near its targeted development. Failing to do this will result in an over acid cheese.
8. This next step is about adding the salt and sage to the curd. About 2% of the curd weight in salt should be added. The final curd weight of 2.5lbs will need around .8oz of salt. Add the salt in 2-3 cycles, with time between for the salt to dissolve.
Once the salt is absorbed, you can add the sage/spinach infusion to the broken curds. This should now have dropped to room temp and will be cooler than the curds. This will cause more of the sage liquid infusion to be absorbed into the curds. It is essential to add the salt before the sage infusion because the whey released from salt additions will cause some of the sage flavor to be released as well.
Stir the sage infusion well into the curds and allow them to rest for a few minutes while you prepare the mold.
9. Make sure the mold and cloth have been sanitized. The curd can be pressed into the mold and compacted with a firm hand to begin the consolidation.
Fold the cloth over the surface and the follower placed on top so that the press weight is on the cheese surface and not in the mold itself.
10. This is the stage where you begin pressing the cheese. To press the cheese, begin very light and then slowly increase the press weight to a moderate level:
– 30 minutes at 15 lbs
– 60 minutes at 20 lbs
– 2 hours at 35 lbs
– Overnight at 40-50lbs
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.
11. 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. Or you can leave for a further 3-6 month for a complex aged texture and flavor.
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
