Colby

Making Colby tonight. I checked out the Rikki website and saw this recipe and liked the aging time and description. Got to use up the 1.75 gallons of milk I bought for cheese. I don't normally drink milk so 2 gallons lasts until it turns to a thick and meaty mess in the fridge. I'd still have 2 gallons if my oldest didn't visit this past weekend.

Anyway, got started after replacing the Power steering Return line on my wife's car, giving it a wash, and picking up groceries. It's now about 8:45 and according to the directions I'm in for a long night.

Don't have annatto yet, so it will be a white colby, but I have it ordered so nest time for sure I'll have orange cheese the way God intended.

Next time I'll pick a cheese that can be made in 2 hours or pick a day that I have 4-5 hours to spare.

Well, I half-assed the pressing times last night due to being sleepy, but I'm giving it a couple extra hours at 45 lbs this morning to make up for it!

I had a small panic that I forgot to salt the curds, but upon checking this morning I see nothing in the instructions on salting curds. Instead I made up a 1 gallon brine solution to soak the cheese in. I'll try and run home and get that soaking at lunch.

Should have taken pics. I don't have Annatto, so it's white.

I cut a 1.5 lb (ish) block into 4 sections and soaked in a saturated salt solution since after work yesterday. Removed this morning and placed on skewers spread across a plate to air dry.

It smelled JUST like Colby cheese from the store! The cuts revealed a small amount of gapping inside, just as I remember Colby having. Tiny pockets that didn't get pressed tight.

After a bit of dry time I'm going to vacuum seal as PassedPawn does and see how that works vs waxing. I'm hoping the salt brine will prevent mold, and since it's not aged very long, I don't expect it to go bad.

Homercidal said:

Well, I half-assed the pressing times last night due to being sleepy, but I'm giving it a couple extra hours at 45 lbs this morning to make up for it!

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I'm not 100% sure I've ever completely followed pressing times precisely. More like "ehhhhh. that ought to do it."

Recipe calls for 12 hours? I've got somewhere to be in 10? Call it a day. Or press for 14. Whatever feels right wins.

eatmorefrogs said:

I'm not 100% sure I've ever completely followed pressing times precisely. More like "ehhhhh. that ought to do it."

Recipe calls for 12 hours? I've got somewhere to be in 10? Call it a day. Or press for 14. Whatever feels right wins.

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Yeah, that's what I feel too, but I'm curious to see what the different times and pressures actually do for the finished product.

I got Annatto so I'm ready for another batch! I think I'll do Colby again.

The last batch was ok, but I cut into 4 wedges and some liquid got sucked out. maybe didn't dry it long enough after all?

From what I've read, that may be a symptom of pressing too hard too quickly. If you crank it too high right away you trap that in there.

That may well be the case. I'll have to let it age a bit and then give it a taste and find out.

I'll know better to give myself more time next time.

And next time is soon, because I already bought a gallon of milk!

Made another batch this weekend. Sat. morning brewed it up and had it pressing by mid-day. It sat at 45 lbs overnight and Sunday I started drying it out.

It's a damp, soft mess so far. I have it laid across some chopsticks sitting on a plate and the chopsticks leave some impressive indentations. When you pick it up it's still kind of "Soft" to the touch.

The color was light when I mixed it up, but after pressing and drying some it's darkened up nicely. If it ever really dries up so I can package it up, it should be decent.

My first batch I did a salt brine. The recipe did not call for salt added to the cheese directly. This time I added salt to the cheese as per a different recipe and skipped the salt brine (cause I already threw out the salt brine and didn't have the 2 lbs of salt to make more!!) Next time I'll have a container set up to store the brine and re-use it. At least I can compare the two methods. Seems like an overnight soak in brine won't really give it salt flavor all the way through.

Hmm... I just had a thought. What if the press plate doesn't sit low enough in the basket to allow the full 50 lbs of pressure? I only made 1 lb. of cheese this time and I think it's got to be close to where the plate bottoms out... I better check that.

Didn't have a chance to check the press plate for bottoming out, but that cheese is still draining on the chopsticks. It's getting firmer, but I don't think it should have been that soft and moist to start with. Not sure what to do if the plate is too wide. I'd like to be able to make 1 lb. cheeses. Maybe I have to cut a slightly smaller plate at work for those batches...

Homercidal said:

The last batch was ok, but I cut into 4 wedges and some liquid got sucked out. maybe didn't dry it long enough after all?

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eatmorefrogs said:

From what I've read, that may be a symptom of pressing too hard too quickly. If you crank it too high right away you trap that in there.

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Yep. Start low and increase pressure later. Otherwise the outside of the wheel hardens and holds the whey. What are you using for a press?

For a dryer cheese, heat the curds longer or cut the curds smaller. The first is probably better. I fell asleep while resting my curds during my last make and that cheddar is amazingly dry - I'll probably shred it.

Loose whey inside the cheese can lead to a cheese that gets funky fast. Just cross you fingers at this point.

Regarding vac sealing, I haven't had a cheese go "bad" yet. I've got many cheeses that are 6 months old now that are still great (and, they go from 35F to 65F periodically since I keep them all in my fermentation fridge

If you want to make a neat colby, make 1 gallon without the annatto, 1 gallon with it. Keep the curds separate until you're ready to get them into the molds, then combine. You will get a cool mottled look.

passedpawn said:

Yep. Start low and increase pressure later. Otherwise the outside of the wheel hardens and holds the whey. What are you using for a press?

For a dryer cheese, heat the curds longer or cut the curds smaller. The first is probably better. I fell asleep while resting my curds during my last make and that cheddar is amazingly dry - I'll probably shred it.

Loose whey inside the cheese can lead to a cheese that gets funky fast. Just cross you fingers at this point.

Regarding vac sealing, I haven't had a cheese go "bad" yet. I've got many cheeses that are 6 months old now that are still great (and, they go from 35F to 65F periodically since I keep them all in my fermentation fridge

If you want to make a neat colby, make 1 gallon without the annatto, 1 gallon with it. Keep the curds separate until you're ready to get them into the molds, then combine. You will get a cool mottled look.

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I went with the Rikki cheese method of starting at 10 lbs for so long, 20 for so long, etc. I am sure the 2 lbs cheese I made last time pressed nicely, and I hurried that one, so I'm guessing I need to check the press plate. One of the reasons I think it may be bottoming out is that it doesn't slip down all the whey to the bottom (pun intended). It jams against the sides partway down, about where the 1 lb. mark is. I assumed they designed it for 1 lb. cheeses, but it's really close.

My press is a simple 4-post plate bottom with a plate top that I stack weights on. I use weightlifting weights. I made the holes in the top plate a bit big so the plate doesn't drag on the threaded rod I use for the posts.

It really should be an exact weight. There are no springs or things to tighten. Just weight on the cheese.

I was planning on doing the mottled look, but I also want to try some pepperized cheese and some herb cheese when I get a nice process down.

Well, I tried my first Colby last night. I expect it to be a bit softer than my cheddar and a bit milder.

It was pretty hard and kind of crumbly, or at least more so than I expected.

It was pretty salty too. This was the Colby I soaked overnight in a salt brine. I kind of expected it to be salty near the outside, not so much on the inside, but it got salty all the way through. All in all it wasn't bad. I think my process needs a bit of tweaking to get the consistency for that cheese, but I ate a good portion of it, and my dogs were absolutely INSANE after I gave them a piece.

I also decided to vacuum pack my latest Colby. I think it dried out well enough to warrant it. This one only got 1 TBSP of salt, so hopefully it won't be as salty as the first one.

Homercidal said:

Well, I tried my first Colby last night. I expect it to be a bit softer than my cheddar and a bit milder.

It was pretty hard and kind of crumbly, or at least more so than I expected.

It was pretty salty too. This was the Colby I soaked overnight in a salt brine. I kind of expected it to be salty near the outside, not so much on the inside, but it got salty all the way through. All in all it wasn't bad. I think my process needs a bit of tweaking to get the consistency for that cheese, but I ate a good portion of it, and my dogs were absolutely INSANE after I gave them a piece.

I also decided to vacuum pack my latest Colby. I think it dried out well enough to warrant it. This one only got 1 TBSP of salt, so hopefully it won't be as salty as the first one.

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I threw out a wheel of cheese last night. It was way too salty. I think I BOTH added salt and brined it. I gave it a couple of months in the cheese locker, but it did not improve. It's my first tosser. (on a brighter note, I made nachos with a 6-month cheddar that has aged really nicely!)

You could have made soup with that cheese! Potato soup would cut the saltiness I bet.

FYI I'm really hungry right now, so almost anything sounds good.

Homercidal said:

You could have made soup with that cheese! Potato soup would cut the saltiness I bet.

FYI I'm really hungry right now, so almost anything sounds good.

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Hmmm, think I should dig it out of the garbage?

passedpawn said:

Hmmm, think I should dig it out of the garbage?

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If your dog hasn't gotten to it, yes.


I would.

Homercidal said:

If your dog hasn't gotten to it, yes.


I would.

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done.

Homercidal said:

Should have taken pics.

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That seems to be a common theme, with you.

hunter_la5 said:

That seems to be a common theme, with you.

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Cheezy??

Homercidal said:

Cheezy??

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Poor guy left HBT to start a non-profit for your camera. He must still be going door-to-door, begging for change.

hunter_la5 said:

Poor guy left HBT to start a non-profit for your camera. He must still be going door-to-door, begging for change.

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What a guy!

I probably *should* just leave my camera out where I can see it and remember to use it all the time. Worst case the wife complains about it being left out in the way.