Herman,
I was looking over your recipe for baby Gouda and a couple questions came to mind. First of all, it seems it would not be necessary to add CaCl if you are using raw milk. Is there some benefit from doing so that I am unaware of?
Also, I’m not familiar with your measurement of starter culture. You say to add “6 spoons” of culture. How much would that be in teaspoons, or grams? I usually only use 1\4 tsp for a 4 gallong batch.
i’m typing this with 1 hand, other hand is stirring milk for pepper jack… cacl normally only in winter or when cattle don’t eat fresh grass. otherwise, i seem to have a somewhat firmer curd with cacl.
1 tsp = 5 ml, 1 spoon = 15 ml, so one sp = 3 tsp. beware, i’m talking bout culture from thr fridge, no powder…
ok, reached the right temp and added the culture, so I have both hands again… I’m using a standarized set of spoons, they go from 1 spoon to 1/8 teaspoon and I try to convert all my recipes to using spoons and teaspoons. The “production program” I’m writing will be able to convert from and to metrics and US standards it self.
The CaCl-adding can be discussed. Some people prefer to only use it for pasturized milk, but I noticed especially with goats milk that you get a firmer curd. Now I’m typing this I realize that they are stabled winter and summer and don’t eat fresh grass (And they have a LOT of room inside, otherwise I wouldn’t buy milk there).
So, one “spoon” is equal to one of my tablespoons, which is a standard measure over on this side of the pond.
Coincidentally, I’m making a Jack as we converse, no peppers this time - just a plain Monterey Jack. I’ve not been satisfied with previous attempts so I’m in an experimenting mood this morning. I’ve lowered the temp from 90 deg. F to 88 deg. And I was quite curious what difference it would make if I pressed it under whey for about 15 min prior to pressing. I’ll have to add the salt to the whey; but that should be no problem.
As to the firmer curd using CaCl - I’ve found the the best thing for a firm curd is just using raw milk. I got mine this morning, fresh from the cow, and came directly home and poured it into the pot. My curd is usually exceedingly firm even without any additives. But, whatever works for you is terrific. Good luck with your make today.
Yes Rich, you’re right, and I should have called it tablespoon. I understood that the abbreviation for teaspoon is “tsp”, is “sp” the normal abbr. in recipes for tablespoon?
I just released the Pepper Jacks from the press, they are looking quite nice. I eat a handfull of leftover curds yesterday and it had a nice “hot” taste from the chilli’s. I followed the tips about the salting, but I don’t think anyone mentioned the water where the flakes were boiled in, do you add that too? I did…
The abbreviation for tablespoon is Tbsp, or sometimes an upper case T, when the teaspoon is a lower case t.
My Jack is also out of the press. the idea of adding salt to the whey did not work. The curd was exceedingly bland. So I brined it for almost 6 hours. I am drying it now, and there is a nice spongey feel to the wheel; so I’m hoping for better results this time. Formerly, my Jack’s have always been dry and crumbly. I know Neil will say “too much acid” makes for dry cheese. That’s true, but I don’t think it’s the only factor. Unless, that is, my pH marks are off. I cook to 6.1 p 6.2, drain whey to curd level and continue cooking to 5.9 - 6.0. Then it goes to press. Does that sound reasonable?
Ok Rich, I’ll keep the abbreviation in mind when I post an other recipe.
About your Jack, I guess that you mean you made your brine from whey?
I didn’t brine my Jack at all, I added 2 Tbsp (there it is!) salt to the boiled chili’s and mixed that to the drained curd.
The water that I used to boil the chili’s was added to the milk before warming it…
I attached an image of the drying Jacks.
But from reading the start of this subject, I thought you were going to make Gouda?
Very nice looking cheeses !!
Why Boil ?? all the flavour is released, salt will sterilise it. I fi were to use flakes i would make a small about of salted water just enough to encompass the flacks so they engorge the liquid.
Rick, I thing the culture can also affect the “dryness” of the cheese, if its contaminated or maybe the type thats used.
No Herman, I wasn’t planning on making a Gouda this time, I have two in the cave now. I was just looking over the recipe.
The reason I brined the Jack is that I decided to press it under whey. I therefore did not have the opportunity to mix the salt into the milled curd. I know it’s not a Jack, since I altered the process so much; but it did come out well; and I’m looking forward to trying it. I would really like to have a moist, mild white cheese to add to the repertoire.
@Neil: Reason for boiling the chili is that is were dried flakes, boiled them only for a couple of minutes. Next time I will try to get fresh ones and salt them or when I use dried again I will let them soak in salt water. Sounds better indeed, however, the remaining curds that I tasted were quite spicy…
@Rich: I read several times about pressing under whey but I never have done that. I have no idea what the advantage would be.
About moist white mild cheese: I once tried White Stilton with blueberries that I had to eat fairly young because the berries started to mold. But the cheese itself was delicious. Now I know it’s much better to salt the berries before they go in, I think I will add this one again to my schedule, or the variant with ginger.
Anyway, I’ve got 2.5 kg of nice looking Gouda shaped Jacks, in a couple of days I’ll coat them with a transparant coating (looks better on this kind of cheese than a yellow Gouda-coating) and then it’s up to the Cabra al Vino next weekend…
The idea behind pressing under whey is to reduce or eliminate mechanical openings in the finished cheese. In this process the curd is matted in whey so that there is no air within the mass. Then large pieces are torn off and placed in the mold and pressed. It improves the texture of the cheese. It was my understanding that this is the common practice in making Gouda, so I’m surprised that your have not utilized the technique. I do recommend it.
I looked it up in “Around artisan cheese” which I mentioned in the subject “Baby Gouda”.
What is mentioned there is called the “One-piece method”: Under the whey the curd is gathered to form a block with the size of the mould, and then it is put into the mould as one block and put under the press, so the actual pressing is not done under the whey. The “one-piece method” will give a texture that is completely closed. Because more whey is enclosed in the curd, during pressing more moist will be lost compared to the “crumbling method”, but will result in a more moisty cheese. The “crumbling method” is normally used on smaller amounts of curd.
