HSM
Well-Known Member
I hadn't made cheese in awhile so I figured I'd give it a go. My prior attemps were with "stuff around the house" so it was buttermilk starters and Junket renet. Those turned out ok, so I bought a Ricki hard cheese kit to make it better.
1st batch was Wednesday. I used whole milk (1G) with 8oz heavy cream. I added Calcium Chloride but wasn't following instructions and added it with the starter, not with the rennet. Anyhow, never got a clean break. It was almost there, but after waiting 4 hrs I just strained it and was left with looked like cottage cheese. I messed up and put in a TBS of salt per the recipe *for 2 gallons* when I had made only one. It's the consistency of cream cheese now, but uber salty. Used some in a pasta dish and it was swell, just can't eat it straight.
2nd batch Thursday. Doubled the calcium chloride, added just before the rennet. No cream, just whole milk. Had a clean break on the first check in 1 hr. Salted the curds with just 1tsp and put in the press. Nice little wheel of cheese.
I'm going to try a blue next. I think I'll go with the Fankhauser method for the mold.
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/Blue_Cheese/Blue_Cheese.htm
1st batch was Wednesday. I used whole milk (1G) with 8oz heavy cream. I added Calcium Chloride but wasn't following instructions and added it with the starter, not with the rennet. Anyhow, never got a clean break. It was almost there, but after waiting 4 hrs I just strained it and was left with looked like cottage cheese. I messed up and put in a TBS of salt per the recipe *for 2 gallons* when I had made only one. It's the consistency of cream cheese now, but uber salty. Used some in a pasta dish and it was swell, just can't eat it straight.
2nd batch Thursday. Doubled the calcium chloride, added just before the rennet. No cream, just whole milk. Had a clean break on the first check in 1 hr. Salted the curds with just 1tsp and put in the press. Nice little wheel of cheese.
I'm going to try a blue next. I think I'll go with the Fankhauser method for the mold.
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/Blue_Cheese/Blue_Cheese.htm
