Cheese Updates

Hi Everyone :)

I took out my cheeses the other day to inspect them all. Wow...I have never had so much cheese on the go before! They are all doing quite well, except...

...the Parmesan. After I cleaned it up the other day and got rid of all of the mould, it came back. So I cleaned it again and spread olive oil all over it. The large surfaces remained mould-free, but blue mould still started to form in the little cracks on the side of the wheel.

Grudgingly, I vacuum packed it. It was really supposed to stay in the ripening box until November, but I had to seal it early to try and save it. Hopefully it'll still have a good taste when I open it in February. AND hopefully the mould will stay away now! I'll have to keep checking it often. 

My 6-month Cheddar started to develop some blue mould in the creases of the vacuum pack. I just removed it, cleaned it up, let it dry a bit then re-sealed it. It's important to check your cheeses often!

My Monterey Jack and my 9-month Cheddar both have this residue on the inside of the vacuum packs. I read that it could be one of two things: white mould forming or calcium lactate that is secreting from the cheese. Neither one is dangerous or will affect the cheese. I just have to wipe it off. If I see signs of blue mould forming though, I'll do the same as I did with my 6-month Cheddar. If it's really just lactic acid releasing from the cheese as it ages, I can leave it as is.

This is glorious! It's my Raclette cheese. I've been washing this cheese every other day for about 2 weeks now and it's already starting to develop its orange rind. This means the bacteria I used in the cheese (Brevibacterium Linens) is working! This bacterial culture will give the cheese the desired aroma and flavour - as well as a nice orange rind!

Parmesan Update - Humidity Issues

Hi Everyone,

This morning when I went to check on my Parm, this is what I saw. Now remember, mould isn't bad for cheese as long as it's not black mould. Blue, green and white is just fine as long as you wash it off as it develops; or cut it off when you're ready to eat it. As long as the mould hasn't completely taken over the cheese, it's okay.

But...this Parmesan wheel is growing mould WAY too fast. I check it twice a week and I shouldn't be seeing so much! Unfortunately it started to creep into the little cracks in the cheese which I'm not happy about. Also, I've noticed brown spots forming on the wheel as well. I thought it was a by-product of the mould growth, but my gut was telling me otherwise.

I cleaned up the wheel by wiping it with brine and using a little brush to brush off the brown spots and get the mould out of the little cracks. I washed it with brine and let it sit for a while to dry as I tried to look up why this was happening.

Good old Cheese Forum! I found a thread where someone was saying the same thing about his Beaufort cheese - which is similar to a Parmesan - both develop rinds, both are hard cheeses and both need to be ripened at 85-95% humidity at 10C (50F) as they age.

Two different people said they thought the humidity was too high. But the man who posted the issue said that his ripening box was holding a steady humidity of 93%.

My ripening box is holding a steady humidity of 91%. One of the more experienced cheese makers on the forum explained that most cheeses ripen in a controlled humid environment that is larger than a home cheese maker's ripening box is. He continued to say that the larger cheese caves have more air flow as the humidity and temperature varies now and then. 

He said most recipes for cheeses that need to age in ripening boxes, don't assume that the cheeses will age in a little tupperware (like most home cheese makers use), so the humidity, though at the right range, is still too high for that small little space.

Eureka. That was likely my problem. So I put the Parm wheel in a larger ripening box for more air flow and put a smaller piece of wet paper towel inside. I'm going to keep an eye on it for a week or so to see if that solves the problem.

If it doesn't I have two more tips:

1. Rub olive oil all over the wheel. This is supposed to inhibit mould growth.

2. Vacuum pack the wheel. I don't really want to do this because it won't age as well.

I'll update soon!

Emergency Cheese Cave! Cheese Updates

Hello Friends!

How are you all doing today? I think that summer is officially over this year, sigh. Usually we get an especially hot and humid September. For the last x number of years, I've been swimming in the lake all the way to the beginning of October! But this year, it's already close to zero at night. Oh well.

I wanted to give you an update on a few things. Firstly, I've made two new Fontina cheeses using two different types of culture for comparison. They are air drying and will be ready for ripening boxes in a few days. I'll post about that in the next few weeks! I have a goat milk cheese going too, which I'll also post about soon.

Also...I got too big for my britches lol...I ran out of room in my cheese cave! It's a small fridge and I have four wheels in there already, plus the Parmesan in a ripening box and the brine...For the next three cheeses, they need to be in ripening boxes for 2-3 months too and I have no more shelves!

So the "emergency cheese cave" has been born. I took an old Styrofoam cooler we had in the basement.

I added two blue cooler thingies (dollar store) and did a 12-hour test to see if it would hold my temperature between 10-12C. It passed the test! It varied from 9.6C to 11.3C - perfect!

My emergency cheese cave will now sit on the counter in the kitchen - safely away from the pets. I'll have to replace the blue cooler thingies every twelve hours to keep the temperature right, so I'll have to hit the dollar store in the next few days to get a few more.

Necessity and lack of funds are the mother of all invention!

Jarlsberg Update: My Jarlsberg is aging at room temperature in the kitchen. If you look close, you can see that the cheese wheel is becoming a little spongy, it's also really expanding in the vacuum seal. This is normal as the "eyes" or holes are developing on the inside of the cheese! I have to watch to make sure it doesn't burst out of the seal. If it does, I have to simply reseal it. This will be ready in about 3 weeks!

And here is a video update of my Parmesan. It's doing what it's supposed to do!

Update after I filmed this video: After doing some more research today, I learned that it's a good idea to have your ripening box slightly open for air circulation. This is how I accomplish that:

A binder clip on the edge of the box with the top on. This leaves a slight crack in the opening for air flow.

Also, I read that you need to wipe the lid on the inside daily to make sure no moisture drips on your cheese, which causes it to mould faster! Forever learning!!! :)

Parmesan (Recipe and Instructions)

Hello Everyone!

Today I'm going to show you how to make Parmesan cheese!

What we call "Parm" or "Parmesan" is based on the authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese made in the Parma province of Italy. Appellation Regulations prohibit any cheese maker from calling this style of cheese a Parmigiano-Reggiano unless it's made in Parma, Italy; and unless certain ingredients and methods are used.

Now I don't think the Parma police will find me if I call it a Parmigiano-Reggiano, but I will follow the rules and call it a Parmesan! :) A great example of Appellation Regulations is sparkling wine. Though it may taste like a champagne, if it's not made in Champagne, France - it's illegal to call it a champagne. :) If Scotch whiskey isn't made in Scotland, it can't be called a Scotch, but it can be called a "Blended Whisky" etc...

You get the idea! Let's make cheese!! (Click here for printable instructions)

Parmesan Cheese
(Recipe courtesy of Gavin Webber)
Yield: about 1/2 kg wheel

Ingredients:

7 liters 2% milk

Half of: 3/8 tsp Thermophilic B Culture

1/16th tsp Lipase

Half of: 3/4 tsp Calcium Chloride

Half of: 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp Double Rennet

Cheese Brine

Note:  The ingredients have funny measurements because I had to halve the recipe. I didn't have a pot big enough to hold 14 liters of milk!

I've divided the process into 4 steps:

1. Mixing the ingredients

2. Caring for the curds

3. Molding, Pressing and Brining

4. Drying and Aging

Stage 1: Mixing The Ingredients

1. Heat milk to 33C or 91F. I heat mine in a double boiler on the stove, then transfer it to my "sink double boiler". I find it so much easier to regulate the temperature when the pot of milk is sitting in warm water.

2. Add the culture and let sit 5 minutes. After the five minutes, stir well, cover and let sit for 45 minutes.

During the entire process of mixing the ingredients, you need to hold your temperature at 33C or 91F. Milk will do a great job of holding the temperature on its own, but if you have the pot in the sink, you can add hot or cold water to regulate your temperature. It's a lot easier than keeping it on the stove. 

3. About 20 minutes before your milk has finished ripening, prepare your Lipase by stirring it into 1 tbsp cool filtered water. You don't have to use Lipase, but it's highly recommended for certain cheeses because it gives the cheese a sharper flavour. It also helps to break down fat molecules.

I'm putting this out there: My Lipase is two years old and I bought it from a less reputable cheese making organization...so when it comes time to taste the Parm, I will have to remember this!!

4. Add your Lipase after the milk's 45 minute ripening period. Stir well and let sit 15 minutes. Meanwhile prepare your Calcium Chloride by stirring it into 1/8 cup cool filtered water; prepare your rennet by stirring it into 1/8 cup cool filtered water.

5. Add the Calcium Chloride, stir for 1 minute. Add the rennet, stir for 1 minute. Cover and let rest 45-60 minutes.

Stage 2: Caring For The Curds

6. Check for a clean break (mine took 55 minutes). A clean break happens when you insert your finger (clean!) or a knife, lift it out and hardly any residue is on your finger or knife. Kind of like doing a toothpick test when you bake a cake.

7. Cut your curds with a whisk, moving up and down slowly and gently then using a scoop-like motion. They should be about the size of little dried peas.

8. There is no rest time for Parmesan curds. Start to heat the curds to 51C or 124F over ONE HOUR, constantly stirring. Don't rush this!! Be gentle with your curds and really keep an eye on the temperature. Cheese fails are devastating, so really follow instructions to a T!! :)

9. After one hour, test your curds. Take some in your hand, if they form a ball and you can press them apart with your thumb, they are ready to press. (Sorry no photo!) Turn off the heat, cover and let the curds sit for 5 minutes.

3. Molding, Pressing And Brining

10. Drain through a cheese cloth lined mold. Cover the top of the curds with the cheese cloth and then with your follower. Pull the cheese cloth up to make sure it's nice and tight under the follower. My standard mold is about 7 inches in diameter by 3.5 inches high. I don't have a smaller one yet, so my Parm will be very thin compared to cheeses that I make that use 10 liters of milk.

**A tip is to spray the cheese cloth with vinegar so the Parmesan curds won't stick to them.

11. Press at 24 pounds for 30 minutes. I love the water bottle method! It's so easy. Here's a link to my Cheese Press post that describes how I press my cheese.

 Note: Check to make sure your whey is clear. If it's too cloudy, use less weight.

12. Gently remove the cheese from the mold and cheese cloth. Turn, re-dress and press at 50 pounds for 12 hours. This is what the wheel looks like after one hour of pressing.

13. After 12 hours, remove your cheese from the mold and the cheese cloth. It already smells so good at this stage! See what I mean about it being thin?

14. Brine your wheel for 18 hours, flipping at the halfway mark. Keep the brined cheese at around 10C or 50F in your cheese cave. Here is my recipe for Cheese Brine.

4. Drying and Aging

15. Air dry for 3 days, flipping twice daily.

16. After 3 days of drying you're ready to start aging your Parm. You need to age it in a ripening box. This is easy to put together.

I use a plastic box. Because my box is tapered (smaller on the bottom), my cheese wheel doesn't quite fit. To remedy this, I put a bowl in the box, then a plastic mesh piece and a bamboo mat to help with ventilation. I then place the cheese wheel on top. This set up really works well for me. 

Because you need to age Parm at 80-90% humidity, the easiest way to do it is to put a wet piece of paper towel in your ripening box (see the first of four photos). Believe it or not, this actually keeps the humidity at 80-90% with the cover on the ripening box! Just make sure you re-hydrate the paper towel daily to keep the humidity level where you want it. Yes, Parm needs babysitting! :)

17. Age your Parm in your cheese cave at around 10C or 50F, flipping daily for the first week, then weekly for 3 months. After three months you can take your wheel out of the ripening box and vacuum pack it. Keep it in the cheese cave and flip it weekly. It'll be ready any time between 6-12 months. I've read that aging it longer than a year makes it extremely dry.