Hi friends….
Below is a post I submitted on the other cheese making board and I wanted to post it here as well.
By having this posted on both boards it will serve as a reminder to me of what I want to accomplish this year.
Anyway, here is the post:
Okay, I don’t really know the purpose of this post, other than possibly being a way to document, (and remind myself), what I want to get out of this season of making cheese….
In the past I have pretty much tried making every cheese that I heard about or read about to see if I could make them and to see if they would turn out at least edible.
In most cases I did produce an edible cheese and in some cases I feel that I have produced very nice cheese, but there is not one single example that I would consider to be of exceptional quality.
I’ve made several posts in the past about how I felt certain that some of my efforts had produced commercial quality cheese but after having considered those posts and after having reevaluated those cheeses I have to say that I wasn’t even close.
One example of this is my past attempts at Gouda…..
According to my family and friends, this is a cheese that was better than any commercial example they have ever eaten.
They loved the sharp flavor and they loved the creamy mouthfeel, but honestly I always felt that the cheese was a bit crumbly and more than a bit acid tasting but I simply accepted all of the compliments and figured that they were better judges of my efforts than I was.
When I went into this season I was determined to produce a better cheese. It’s not that I was unsatisfied by my previous attempts but they simply were not of the quality that I wanted or expected.
I started this season reading everything that I could find time for about the cheese making process.
I also searched out Ph information for every cheese that I had planned on making and built my own recipes around this information.
So far I have built my own recipes for Cheddar, Gouda, Swiss and Parmesan and plan on building at least a couple of more before this season comes to an end.
All of my cheeses are too young to give an honest opinion of what they will eventually become but of the taste tests that I have done I am highly encouraged.
The Cheddar examples are fantastic, even at one month old, with a highly slice-able texture and a very nice flavor.
The Gouda that I just made is, (judging from texture), the best example of any cheese that I have ever produced.
When I cut it open last night I was amazed that I could actually shave a strip of cheese from the face of the cut wheel that was so thin you could almost read through it. This is certainly the first time that I’ve accomplished this in my 4 years of making cheese.
The cheese was still too moist (I could squeeze whey out of the cut wheel) so the recipe does still need a little work. I’m pretty sure this is because I only pressed the wheel for something like an hour and a half total time because the acidity was increasing too rapidly.
Anyway, I’m beginning to ramble.
My point here is that I’ve decided to concentrate on only a few cheeses this year.
Although I love making Stilton and Camembert and Provolone, etc. this year is the year of Cheddar, Gouda, Parmesan and Swiss (Sailor’s Baby Swiss recipe, mainly).
For one, these are my favorite cheeses to eat so why not make what I enjoy the most?
Also, by concentrating on these varieties of cheese and continuing to refine my recipes I am now feeling confident that I can eventually turn out a cheese that is of commercial quality.
For the first time in my life I am actually very proud of the cheese that I’m turning out and hope that by the end of the season I will understand how to duplicate any of the true successes that I make.
I am keeping better records than I ever have in the past and I am making sure that I am conscience of every move I make during a cook.
In short, I want to do this but more importantly I want to do this right.
There will be no more listening to the opinion of family and friends. Although I am my own harshest critic I think that is exactly what I need.
Because I am so hard on myself I figure that when I do finally turn out a cheese that I’m completely happy with, then others (that are not biased) will feel the same way.
As I said, I don’t know that this post has any meaning to anyone but myself but I’m going to make a point of reading this from time to time all during this season.
That way I will not lose sight of my goals and will continue to focus on what I would like to accomplish.
Some good points here, Dave. We SHOULD be getting better over time at anything we do. As humans we tend to get lax from time to time, and that just does not work with cheese making. One of the hindrances to improvement in cheese making is the length of time required to test our products. So your note on extensive note taking is significant. Its also the reason that cheese making is an inter-generational craft. I also agree with your opinion that it is oneself who is the only appropriate judge. After all, shouldn’t we be seeking that which WE feel is right? Now there’s the difference between artisinal cheese making and commercial cheese making.
Sounds like u have learned allot!! congrats. Remember to have fun, I gave up on making “commercial” cheese types. The main reason is mine tastes way better, I dont have access to Artisan cheese to compare but i would not want to create the commercial type. We each make our own signature cheese, it may be swiss, but each will have its own character. The last swiss i made after all the efforts tasted the best ever and the wheel was gone very quickly, didnt have any holes, the the taste was very Holly. I have a Havarti and Gouda thats 2.5 years old im looking forward to cracking around Christmas. Its great to make a bunch of wheels and forget about them in the back of the fridge
Rich, thanks for the support and encouragement. It’s good to know that someone agrees with my way of thinking.
Neil, I agree that artisan cheeses taste much better than their commercial counterparts but at the same time I want my cheese to have the texture and mouthfeel (and melting properties) of the commercial examples.
Everyone keeps telling me that taste is the only thing that matters but I tend to disagree. Although taste is very important, if the cheese does not have the correct texture then I simply cannot enjoy it as much.
That’s pretty much my entire reason for writing this reminder to myself. As Rich said, it’s really easy to get lax in something that we do over and over and that will lead to going backwards instead of moving forward. As long as I have a clear goal in mind and know exactly what I want to accomplish then I will constantly be striving to reach that goal. Hopefully it will work out as well in the real world as it does in theory.
Have a great weekend everyone.
I understand what u mean and agree. I find the whole enjoyment of this hobby that we keep trying diff things, I thingk it will only get lax if we loose interest. I have never made a cheese that I could predict what the flavour/texture will be
You know, I see exactly what you guys are saying but I’m really looking for something different than that.
I have this little pipe dream of one day having a sign in the yard that says “cheese for sale”. In my retirement years I would really love to set up a small artisan cheese shop, on a local scale. Another thing that I love doing is making homemade ice cream and I’ve been working on perfecting a few recipes for the past several years. I think it would be very satisfying to have these two items for sale and have people be willing to pay for something that I’ve produced. Like I said, maybe a pipe dream but it is a nice one.
What I’m basically trying to do is to take the “surprise factor” out of my cheesemaking. If I make a Cheddar I want to know that it will turn out exactly as my last Cheddar did. Of course I want to see the same result for each cheese that I make.
Now for this to be a good plan, I first have to get the recipes to the point that I’m satisfied with the results and I also have to be able to duplicate this recipe consistently. That’s pretty much what I’m working toward.
I’ve also always enjoyed the intrigue in seeing what I will get, but there have been too many times that I’ve been a little disappointed with the result. And like Rich pointed out, after waiting for a few months with the anticipation building…..well that’s not a very good feeling.
I honestly don’t expect everyone to have the same take on this that I do, and I’m not trying to convince anyone that this is the proper approach to this hobby. It’s just what I, personally am shooting for.
I’ve spoken with several artisan cheese makers about this very topic. And, I’ve taken some classes from one. They tend to spend many months, even a year or two “perfecting” a recipe. They make medium sized batches and keep meticulous records. Milk, season, PH, cultures, temperature, humidity, time ... at every step of the process. Most produce their own milk from cows, sheep or goats. Some buy from a consistent and reputable source.
Then, when they go into production they do it on a larger scale, we are talking 100 to 250 gallons of milk at a time. And, they follow their recipe without any variation, again keeping meticulous records. (Which are also often required by state inspectors.) Sure, each batch still has its small variations, but as a producer the goal is to make something great and unique, but consistent. And, so they work to remove any inconsistencies and get to a repeatable recipe that only varies in dimensions they can control (knowing the impact of the seasons on the grass and fat content of the milk, for example.)
Rick,
You have no idea how much I appreciate your post and the information you provided. This gives me an even better idea of exactly what I need to be doing to realize my goals.
Right now I don’t foresee myself ever going over a 25 gallon batch of cheese, but who really knows what the future will bring.
Concerning my dream, I really don’t want to do it as a job or even necessarily use it as something to make money off of. If I could just break even and/or perhaps let others pay for the milk and supplies I use on my own cheese, I would be happy.
In my opinion the joy would come from the make and the satisfaction of someone else appreciating what I have produced. Besides, once I retire it would be really nice to have an enjoyable hobby that would fill at least a few days a week.
As I said before, I really appreciate your input. It sounds as if I’m on the right track, now I just have to keep these goals clearly in mind.
LOL, EldonBlue….
I’m afraid that it does for me.
I’m a summer junkie so it’s really difficult for me to spend a day in the kitchen when I can be out doing other things. Living in Illinois, summer doesn’t last nearly long enough and winter lasts forever. I pretty much only make cheese during the winter for that very reason.
Also, by taking the summers off, I REALLY look forward to getting my cheese equipment out for another season of cheese making. Once the season hits, I “make” like a mad man until about March or April. So far it’s worked out really well for me, but I have to admit that cheese making crossed my mind more than once this past summer.
Who knows….maybe one day I’ll be turning out cheese year round like the rest of you good people.
Oh, and by the way…...welcome to the forum. Glad to see you on board.
Likesspace,
I also have had (still do) dreams of having my own cheese making business, I also have gone as far as wanting cows and deciding what to have in the fields (herbs/grass) to add a particular flavour to the cheese. However i also am aware of what Rick mentioned, U have to have almost a perfect climate control to make consistent batches (temps/humidity etc) and this is impossible when doing it in the home. SO I enjoy what i can with the tools I have, I play around with mixing dif cultures together and interesting ingredients (Coco etc.) and get ideas of what i would like to produce if my dream actually happens . My BlueBrie is one of those items I would have on the list as my fav to make.
EldonBlue yup their is a season because in summer it sometimes gets too hot to keep cheese around for ripening unless one has a dedicated fridge/temp control. My fridge can fluctuate 10deg if temp hits 30-40c. Its easier to maintain temps in winter times
Yes, cheese making has seasons. Not only do I have a personal cycle aligned with the seasons that determines what times of the year I make cheese (based on personal preference, free time, etc.), but more important, the cows, sheep and goats go through seasons. Don’t forget, milk comes from lactating mothers. To get milk, you have to breed and have babies—and there is a season for that. Grasses (food) grow according to seasons, more prolific in the Spring and early Summer (in most places) and often flavored with clover and wildflowers, etc. The seasons can determine the butter fat in the milk, the volumes of milk produced and the flavors of the milk. Then, temperature and humidity cycles associated with the seasons can have an impact.
