Hello, I’m new to cheesemaking, but have been reading this site for the past few months , trying to learn as much as I can. I have tried cheesemaking 5 times to date, 3 mozza with store milk that did not say ultrapasteurized, ( but must have been heated too high.) All flops. Tasted good in lasagna though. Last week I was able to do a 1 time thing in getting some raw milk ( Canada) and so I made a Leyden that is looking and smelling right, and a Gouda which is not looking right ( wouldn’t knit together, so in a moment of desperation I took a bowlful of whey which I was gonna make Ricotta out of and chucked it over my falling apart cheese, and lo and behold, it kinda melted together, so I pressed it). We’ll see what happens there, it’s drying on my counter at the moment.
My questions are…. I mistakenly ordered cream wax from Glengarry Cheesemaking instead of regular wax. I’m doing two coats on my Leyden cheese today with it. Do any of you use this product, and if you do , do you wax with regular cheesewax afterwards, say in a week or two?
Question in regards to Hermans baby Gouda, if I’m using direct set mesofilic culture for the 12.6 gallons of milk, Choozit MM100 specifically, would I use 1/4 teaspoon? or 1/2 teaspoon? Also if I’m making it with storebought milk, could I skip the KNO3? I actually think it is legal in Canada cuz I checked on Chowhound ( another forum) and someone said that they just bought it at the local drugstore for making their own bacon. Lastly could I split the curds up and use 2 -500 gram Kadova style molds from Glengarry Cheesemaking and just double the weight when pressing the two mini cheeses at once? Would I still press for 2 hours? Sorry for all the questions, but don’t have a real yen to make a huge variety of cheeses. Mainly interested in Leyden, Gouda ( the Dutch blood in me coming out) with some mozza, cheddar and feta down the road. Thanks for your input everyone. Would love to meet some of you, you sound like very interesting people!
Welcome. Always glad to hear from a new cheese maker. Regarding the quantity of culture: I use 1/4 tsp for a 4 gal batch, so I would assume you would triple that amount. As to the pressure needed: I’m thinking you are going to stack your molds, is that right? If so, the same pressure would seem to be all you need, as it will be pressing evenly in a downward direction. It is an increase in diameter that would need additional pressing weight.
Thank you for your response, but I realize I did an oops. It should be 2.6 gallon, not 12.6 gallon. Also I wasn’t really thinking of stacking them, I made the cheese press that is 2 big cutting boards with dowels on the 4 corners and you place the weights on top….so I was thinking side by side. I could stack them though, do you think that that’s a better way to go?
Well welcome to the forum, here is Herman about “Herman’s baby Gouda” and about coating:
Normally I was using mother culture, so I used frozen cubes, but Neil’s answer is right.
The KNO3 or saltpeter of sodium sulfate can be skipped when you use store-bought milk. Well, to be honest, not even everyone that is using raw milk is using saltpeter. It is used to prevent late blowing cheeses, caused by buteric acid bacteria. This kind of contamination is an “outside” contamination that mostly will happen during milking. It is allowed in The Netherlands for artisan cheese, some cheese farms use it just as a precaution, some don’t use it because thy never experienced late blowing cheeses.
About the coating: I use it for all my pressed cheeses and in Europe it is the normal way to treat the Gouda’s, Leiden’s and Edam cheeses, in the big dairies as well as at small cheese farms. At your side of the pond people are talking about “the traditionally wax coated Gouda’s”, which I only know from souvenir shops where they sell it to American tourists By the way, I’m living in a small town between Gouda and Leiden….
I use both yellow coating as transparent, cheeses like Cabra al Viino get 3 layers of transparent, others 2 layers yellow, then I put a label on the wet coating and I finish with a third transparent layer…
Tammy I can assure you that the uncut ones where also very good!
A Cabra al Vino is brined in the red wine for 2x24 hours. It has a beautifull dark red rind and it would be a shame to cover that with a yellowish coating, that’s why the transparent coating there.
When Icoat with whatever color, I stick a label on the wet second layer of coating, see the pictures.
And again, it would be a shame to cover such a nice cow or goat shaped label with yellow, so I finish it with a transparent layer, including the label.
Why 3 coatings?
1. When the coating is thicker it is easier to peel off.
2. One thick layer will take a long time to dry.
3. When I use herbs, e.g. cumin, sharp points can stick out of the rind and with three layers I’m pretty sure I covered them.
Thank your for your response. Herman, I come from a Dutch heritage ( mom and Dad) and am married to a Dutchman from Goudswaard. Been to Holland a few times, I guess that’s why I’m so interested in the Dutch cheese. Plus , they are so expensive here in Canada. A 4kg wheel is around $88 Can.
So you are saying that I can skip the KNO3. Got that.
Does the cream wax you use come in transparent? What I understood from Glengarry cheese website was that they use the cream wax first (two coats ) and then a week or two later use the “regular wax”. When I used the cream wax yesterday, I was impressed how well it covered the cheese. I’m sort of wondering if it’s a bit redundant to wax on top of the cream wax and get the impression that you wouldn’t bother. Am I right?
I made a mistake as I posted earlier , by saying 12.6 gallons of milk , rather than 2.6 gallons. Would I use 1/4 tsp of MM100 for 2.6 gallons of milk?
Lastly, if I use your baby Gouda recipe, can I split it up between 2- 500 gram baby Kadova style cheese molds that I bought from Glengarry Cheese? If I stack the two molds to press the cheeses on top of one another, would I still press for approx 9 pounds for 2 hours, or would it be less because the cheeses are smaller?
thank you all for all your time in answering my questions. I hope the day comes when I will be able to return the favor for someone else.
The cream wax is messy, I bought some from Glenngarry when I first started and it still sitting on the shelf, I stuck to Regular wax. As Herman says, when u layer it, its more secure and produces and nice finished coat. 2-3 layers also makes the coat more resilient/flexible, harder to crack from age and handling.
$22/kg is really not bad nowadays considering I see Blue cheese for $50/kg at Sobeys.
Neil, I have no idea why you think it is messy. I use a varnish brush and I can paint/coat my cheeses anywhere in the house without any danger. The point is to do it side per side. On room temperature it will be dry in a couple of hours, I turn them and paint the other side…
To the question about culture: if you are mixing into 2.6 gal. of milk, a heaping 1/8 tsp should be sufficient. Keep in mind that culture is a living organism - it reproduces itself. If you use an excess amount it will not ruin anything, it will just ripen more quickly.
Yes Alberta
Its been a long time since I looked at the Cream, Its mainly used to prevent mould growing since it has preservatives added, this was one of my main concern, chemicals leaching into the cheese.
So excited Neil, I’m in Alberta too. Was hoping that that was where you were ‘cuz I was wondering if you are using store milk and if you are what brand are you using. Foremost Dairy ( superstore milk) didn’t work 3 times in a row with Mozzarella. Or do you think it was just the fact that it was mozza. If I tried it for Gouda maybe it would work? I’m thinking of trying Dairyland milk next…..that is until next April when I buy my own Jersey!
Also I agree with Herman, I didn’t find the cream wax messy at all. I just put some parchment paper on my counter and painted one side, let it dry and flipped and painted again! Just my opinion.
I use Beatrice 2% and then add 18% to bring up the fat. I find them the best, I use the 2% for the Keifer/Yoghurt I make as well. I buy it from Superstore or IGA.
Again, with the Cream Wax its the chemical additives I didnt want.
Thank you, incredible price on the blue, all the more reason to make it yourself. What do you think it costs to make it yourself, versus buy, ? My husband thinks that I can’t save any money on this doing it myself, but he doesn’t quite get it that I’m doing it mostly to expand my skills, alot to have fun and a little to save some money.
I can’t imagine being into cheese making in order to save money! Even here in Arkansas, where I can buy raw milk for $3 a gal, I am not saving anything. I make it for a couple reasons: it’s enjoyable, I can control what goes into my cheese, and it tastes great. I also find that I eat a lot more cheese than I would otherwise.
By the way, I’m living in a small town between Gouda and Leiden….
