"Ditzy Goat CHEESE Recipes" Samssimonsays/Blazing Acres

samssimonsays

Almost Self-Reliant
Joined
May 30, 2017
Messages
246
Reaction score
312
Points
127
Location
Northern Minnesota
Cheshire Cheese

Before you begin:
You will need:
4
gallons of milk (not ultra-pasteurized)
1 packet of our C101 culture or 3/8 tsp of MA011
Annatto cheese coloring
1 tsp liquid animal rennet
A good thermometer
A knife to cut the curds, and a spoon or ladle to stir the curds
A colander and butter muslin to drain the curds
Salt

A Form to hold the curds for pressing
A Cheese Press or weights to consolidate the curds
Note: everything needs to be clean and sanitized.


Acidifying and heating the milk:
Begin by heating the 4 gallons of milk to 86-88F (30-31C). Higher temp for higher fat milk.
You can do this best by placing the pot of milk in a larger pot or sink of very warm water. If you do this in a pot on the stove, make sure you heat the milk slowly and stir it well as it heats.

Once the milk is at proper temperature the culture can be added.
1 pack of Ricki's C101 mesophilic culture or 3/8 tsp MA011 (same as Cheddar) for fresh farm milk but increase this to 1/2 tsp if using pasteurized milk from the store.
Ripen 40-60 minutes. This is ripened less than Cheddar.

To prevent the powder from caking and sinking in clumps, sprinkle the powder over the surface of the milk and then allow about 2 minutes for the powder to re-hydrate before stirring it in.

Once the culture has been mixed in well, the color can be added. This is an extract from the Annatto tree. For a full color Cheshire, about 8-12 ml of the color should be added to the milk. It is best to mix this in a small volume of milk and then add that to the full batch.

This will not appear to be very dark, but since the color is held in the curd, the color will darken through the process as whey is released and the color concentrates. This initial milk/curd will be a nice golden color. (I will be posting a more detailed page on coloring cheese in the near future).

Make sure the color is stirred in for 10-15 min before adding rennet .


Coagulation with rennet:
Then add about 5 ml (1 tsp) of single strength liquid rennet diluted in 1/4 cup water.

The milk now needs to sit quiet for 60 minutes while the culture works and the rennet coagulates the curd . The thermal mass of this milk should keep it warm during this period. It is OK if the temp drops a few degrees during this time.

At 20 minutes you should note a thickening of the milk, but wait a full hour before cutting.


Cutting curds and releasing the whey:
The curd can now be cut to 1/2-3/4 inch pieces and stirred briefly before allowing it to settle for 5 minutes.


Cooking the curds :

Over the next 60 minutes stir intermittently while heating slowly over 60 minutes to 88-90F.

Over the next 30 minutes, the curd is allowed to settle to the bottom of the vat (pitch) limiting the moisture loss while a slow acidification of the lactose takes place.

This last 90 minutes was a slow stir and settle to keep moisture loss to a minimum and thus keeping a moister curd than with the Cheddar process but it does allow the bacteria acid production to continue in the best environment.


Removing the whey:
Next, a colander or perforated pan is lined with a draining cloth and the curds are transferred to this for the whey separation. The curd mass is wrapped in the draining cloth and weighted with 8-12 lbs to help consolidate the curds for 10-15 minutes

The curd draining and wrapped for consolidation

Just a bit of weight will help here to consolidate the curds.

Following this, it is broken into large cubes of 3-4"and turned every 10 min (5-6 times). It is kept warm while it continues to drain.

Continue with this for 2-3 hours while the acid continues to develop and the whey drains freely from the broken blocks of curd. Open the cloth and turn the curds several times to increase the whey drainage.

Salting the curds:

The curd can now be broken into 1/2-3/4 inch pieces and salted. My final curd weight was 4.25 lbs and I used about 1.75 oz of salt to slow the bacteria and flush the final whey.

Once the salt is absorbed the cheese is transferred to a cloth lined mold (I am using the 6 inch stainless mold for this cheese here) BUT NO WEIGHT is added now. This also is a major departure from the Cheddar process. The forms should be turned occasionally as they drain and are kept overnight in a warm place at a temperature between 75 and 80F.

I achieve the warm phase by placing the form filled with curds back into the pot and water bath and keeping the temperature of the outer pot around 80F.


Final pressing:
The next morning the cheese is removed from the forms, re-wrapped in cloth, and placed in a press.

It will be pressed slowly for about 2 days and turned daily while in the press. The weightbegins light at about 12-20 lbs and is increased gradually until finally it reaches about 150 pounds in a 6 inch diameter form. With each change in press weight, unwrap the cheese, turn and re-wrap.

Finishing and aging:

The cheese is removed from the press, dried and wrapped with a bandage or waxed. It is cured on shelves in a curing room at temperature of 55 to 60F. Notice in the photo here how dark the color has become compared to the earlier stages of the process.

This early-ripening cheese may be cured for as short a time as 3 weeks (I find 5-6 weeks better) , the medium-ripening type is cured for about 2 months, and the late ripening type is cured for at least 10 weeks and often for 8 to 10 months. The longer curing period improves the cheese.


 

samssimonsays

Almost Self-Reliant
Joined
May 30, 2017
Messages
246
Reaction score
312
Points
127
Location
Northern Minnesota
Munster

This is a typical washed rind cheese that uses a regular brine wash to control unwanted mold
and develop a characteristic rich flavor and ripening profile
The added moisture helps the development of bacteria that gives this cheese its particular taste and color


the milk is warmed to 86-90F and a mesophilic starter is added
rennet is added after a short ripening period and allowed to establish a firm set
the curd is then cut into 1/2-3/4" pieces and stirred slowly with little to no heating
the molds and cloths
are sanitized




when the curd is of proper firmness the
whey is removed down to the curd level
hot water is poured over
the molds and cloths
and after filling are stacked on one another for weight




the re stacking and flipping
continues and soon...
... as they are repeatedly turned, a smooth surface develops
they will remain in these forms overnight or longer
until a fine firm but soft cheese
is formed




the final cheese is now ready for dry salting
which may last several days
The young cheese is now moved to the cave where they are
washed with a light brine
every 2-3 days



until eventually after 3-5 weeks a yellow to orange surface develops
....this is the ripening culture which gives this cheese it's special aroma and flavor


C101 or 1/8 tsp of MA 4001
plus 1/16 tsp B.linens and a pinch ofGeotrichum
Ripen the milk @ 86 for 1 hour
increase to 95-97 before adding rennet
add 4 ml of rennet and wait 1 hour
cut to 5/8" over 10 min. then stir for 20-30 minutes, depending on dryness desired
have molds prepared with cloths
remove 20% whey
mold under whey
use 5 molds with initial weight of stacked molds flip @ .5 - 1.5 - 3 hrs

Hold room temp at 75-80F reduce to 65F in 3 hrs
hold for 18-24 hrs until pH reaches 5.2-5,3

dry salt (1.75% of cheese weight) over 1-3 days at 80% RH 65F
At Day 4 begin rubbing w/ light brine
and hold at 57F 95-98%RH
wash and turn 3x a week during the next 2 weeks

At 2 weeks dry, wrap, and store at 43-46F
until ripe ....
This will take 4-6 weeks for small ones or .. 2-3 months for larger ones
What you may need :

Mesophilic culture
Calcium Chloride (if you are using store bought milk)
rennet
B.linens
(red mold for surface)
Plastic Mold and Followerhttps://www.cheesemaking.com/default-cPath-36_53.php
Cheesecloth
Salt
 

samssimonsays

Almost Self-Reliant
Joined
May 30, 2017
Messages
246
Reaction score
312
Points
127
Location
Northern Minnesota
MANCHEGO CHEESE

EQUIPMENT
INGREDIENTS:
INSTRUCTIONS:
  1. Heat the milk to 86°F. Add both the mesophilic and the thermophilic cultures and stir well using up-and-down motions. Cover and allow to ferment for 1 hour.Add the lipase and stir well. Then stir to homogenize the milk, and slowly fold in the diluted rennet, using an up-and-down motion.Allow the cheese to set for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the whey begins to separate from the curd. You should see a layer of mostly clear whey floating on top of the curd, and the curd should be pulling away from the sides of your pot. If you use lipase, this may take a little longer.Using a long knife, cut the curds into 1/2-inch cubes and allow to set for 5 minutes. Do not stir.Stir the curd with the whisk for 30 minutes, slicing it into small pieces. The curds should all be roughly the same size.Over the next 30 minutes, slowly heat the curds to100°F, stirring frequently. As you stir, the curds will shrink. Once the curds are at 100°F, turn off the heat and allow to set for 5 minutes.Pour the curds into a press lined with cheesecloth, andpress at 15 pounds of pressure for 15 minutes.Using a fresh piece of cheesecloth, flip the cheese and press again, at 15 pounds of pressure for 15 minutes.Repeat this process twice more, rinsing the cheesecloth in clean, cool water each time and hanging to dry.Finally, press at 30 pounds of pressure for 8 hours, or overnight.Mix 2 Lbs. of sea salt with 1 gallon of cold water to make a brine. Place the cheese in the brine and let itsoak for 6 hours, flipping every 2 hours.Take the cheese out of the brine and age at 55° to 60°Ffor as long as you like. Coat the cheese daily with olive or coconut oil, and if mold appears wipe it off with a clean cloth dipped in salt water or vinegar.
 

Britesea

Sustainability Master
Joined
Jul 22, 2011
Messages
5,676
Reaction score
5,732
Points
373
Location
Klamath County, OR
Hats off if you have made Gruyere successfully! I understand it is one of the more difficult ones.
 

samssimonsays

Almost Self-Reliant
Joined
May 30, 2017
Messages
246
Reaction score
312
Points
127
Location
Northern Minnesota
Hats off if you have made Gruyere successfully! I understand it is one of the more difficult ones.
I hope to try it this year. These are mostly recipes I've just found and hope to try. :)

I hope anyone who does give these a try shares their experiences and what worked for them!
 

freemotion

Food Guru
Joined
Jan 1, 2009
Messages
10,817
Reaction score
90
Points
317
Location
Southwick, MA
I've made hundreds of pounds of cheese over the years, many different types. I have three or four recipes that I find that I really liked and fall back on now though. I started out using New England Cheese Supply and Ricki Carol's book but I have to admit that my real success came when I got away from both of those and went to a more natural way of making cheese. Her book and her company is a miniature of the commercial model. The cheeses I make now are much simpler and my success rate is pretty close to 100% now.

Although it is not ideal, I do use a fridge for aging. I used my cellar, which has a perfect temperature, but mice do love cheese! For best results in using a fridge, you must disable the moisture control system. I found a used fridge with no freezer on top that was used by a florist who worked out of her home. So the moisture control was already disabled otherwise the flowers would dry out. It is perfect, and there's probably a couple hundred pounds in there now that has been aging for a year or two or three.

I had to make that much in order to have enough to age! It is so good.
 

NH Homesteader

Sustainability Master
Joined
Sep 6, 2016
Messages
7,800
Reaction score
6,665
Points
347
What kind of cheeses have you found work the best for you? What are natural methods for cheesemaking? Curious!
 

freemotion

Food Guru
Joined
Jan 1, 2009
Messages
10,817
Reaction score
90
Points
317
Location
Southwick, MA
I love The Art of Natural Cheesemaking, new book. I also use that 200 cheese recipes book, can't think of the name right now. I buy my cultures and rennet through getculture.com. I always use raw milk. No calcium chloride needed, no citric acid, nothing that would typically be produced in a lab. I always use veal rennet, which ages better.

My favorites are feta and Gouda. I also make chevre, doesn't everyone with goats? Haha! The feta I age as long as I can in the brine, usually about a month, to get a nice strong flavor. Then I freeze it in chunks and use it as a grating cheese. It is salty and delicious. Gouda is my aged cheese of choice and since it comes out different every time I figured, why do all these different recipes? I have many different cheeses in my aging fridge and use one recipe that I don't need to even think about while making it. There are many factors that affect taste, room temperature, stage of lactation, diet of the animal, cultures used, Etc.

I make mozzarella if I can get raw cow's milk from the farm. I have a farmer friend that will offer me cheap or free milk if it's at the sell-by date or if he has an excess for whatever reason. Then I make butter and mozzarella cheese and store it in the freezer. I will also occasionally by a gallon or two and make cheddar with my goat's milk. I always make 4.5 gallon batches of cheese and the texture of cheddar is so much better if one or two gallons is raw cow's milk. Preferably Jersey milk with a high cream content. Goat's milk cheese does not melt well in cooking and does not brown easily. The addition of the cow's milk makes all the difference.

I buy my wax from Field and Forest, which is a mushroom supply company. The wax is clear so you have to have a sharp eye when waxing the cheese. But it is so much cheaper than anything you can buy from a cheese making source. I usually buy a 10 lb block and cut chunks of it. I bought a stainless steel bowl just to keep my cheese wax in. I melted over a pot of simmering water. When I'm done waxing a cheese I set the bowl aside to cool and cover it with plastic wrap and store it this way.
 

Latest posts

Top