Phat Jarlsberg (cheese)

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Six gallons of milk produced a fine 5# wheel. Here it is after pressing and a couple of days of drying. There's a couple of periods of maturing at different temperatures, one of which will produce the iconic bubbles in the cheese that we expect from swiss cheeses. It should bulge when that happens (I've made these before). Anyway, I'm putting this one away for a couple of months. I'll post again when it's cutting time.

For those interested, this is a washed curd cheese including mesophilic and thermophilic cultures, as well as bacteria (proprionic shermanii) to product the co2 bubbles.

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Pics of the make.


New pot. 6 gallons of milk in there. I made this in the laundry room utility sink. Sous vide cooker hanging in the sink off the pot.
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This is about 45 minutes after adding cultures. pH has dropped due to milk sugars being fermented into lactic acid. Crucial for curd development.
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Rennet was added. I now do a "flocculation test". More on this some other time, but I measure the time to when the milk suddenly coagulates, then use that time to determine when the curds are right for cutting. It's different depending on the cheese. The little lid there will spin freely until the milk coagulates, at which time it is fixed and wont spin.
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Chunky curds! This is likely after I've removed much of the whey and replaced with warm water ("washing the curds"). The reason for washing the curds is to remove a lot of the lactose (milk sugar) in them, with the result being a much milder cheese. As the cultures consume the lactose, cheese flavor is produced. A lot of lactose = a lot of cheesiness. Remove some of that lactose, make a mild cheese.
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Curds into the mold.
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Pressing curds under warm whey. Not a lot of pressure for this cheese.
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Nice looking wheel! It looks like it will be a great cheese in 3-4 months. Why use the thermophilic culture? I thought Jarlsberg used only mesophilic. Or is that the secret ingredient those Norwegians have been keeping from us?! Did you use Flora Danica for the mesophilic? I love that culture. I like the idea of larger wheels too. I mean, why brew 5 gallons when it's just as easy to brew 10!
 
Nice looking wheel! It looks like it will be a great cheese in 3-4 months. Why use the thermophilic culture? I thought Jarlsberg used only mesophilic. Or is that the secret ingredient those Norwegians have been keeping from us?! Did you use Flora Danica for the mesophilic? I love that culture. I like the idea of larger wheels too. I mean, why brew 5 gallons when it's just as easy to brew 10!

I love Danica too! Butter! In fact, I was going to use it, but at the last minute opted for another Meso I had, something called Aroma B. Mysterious!

I read that traditional Norwegian cheesemakers used both meso and thermo (well, I assume it might not have been intentional). So that's what I'm doing. I make this up as I go along, so I might be making a mistake.
 
Cheese making is on my list this winter ,where do you get your milk? Is it from a farm , fresh from the cow?I live with Amish all around me and can get fresh cow’s milk and goat’s milk.
 
Cheese making is on my list this winter ,where do you get your milk? Is it from a farm , fresh from the cow?I live with Amish all around me and can get fresh cow’s milk and goat’s milk.

I can get raw goat and cow too, but it's expensive. There's a little farmers market on Saturdays where it's sold for pet consumption. It makes better cheese for sure.

But I have pretty good success with store milk. That's what I used for this Jarlsberg. I've got loads of other cheeses in my cave, all from store milk.
 
So pasteurized milk does not affect the cheese making process. I had just been looking around on the internet, so gathering as much info as possible. What is a good small scale cheese To start with , so I can learn and understand the process? Thanks
 
So pasteurized milk does not affect the cheese making process. I had just been looking around on the internet, so gathering as much info as possible. What is a good small scale cheese To start with , so I can learn and understand the process? Thanks

Raw is best, "creamline" / non-homogenized is good, pasteurized milk is fine, Ultra-Pasteurized is BAD. Normally, only organic milk is UP - it's marked right on the container - don't use that. Once you have success with a brand of pasteurized milk, stick with that brand. I don't think all pasteurization processes are the same.

Before you start, get Home Cheesemaking here: Home Cheese Making. While there, you will probably need to pick up a bunch of other stuff. Equipment and cultures etc. For a first cheese, just pick something in the Fresh Cheeses section of that book. Feta is a great choice as it's ready right away and delicious (I think so, but we love greek here).

You might also look up Gavin Weber on youtube. He has excellent cheesemaking tutorials.
 
That looks yummers! What kind of beer do you plan to pair it with (if beer)? 😋

Hmmm, don't know. On tap right now: Mosaic IPA, American Wheat, and a Peanut Butter Cup Porter. But by the time the Jarlsberg is ready, I'll probably have German Pilsners ready (brewing tomorrow).

But for that Port Salut (see second shelf), I'm definitely going Belgian abby beer. Port-Salut originated in abbeys of France, made by monks for their internal use. Discovered by some merchant in early 1800's and trademarked/sold worldwide now. Anyway, I made this beer below for Christmas, but I might break open a bottle this weekend when I "cut the cheese".

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Thanks for the pictures. I love watching the process. I still haven’t moved, so my cheese making is on hold.
 
Thanks for the pictures. I love watching the process. I still haven’t moved, so my cheese making is on hold.

You're welcome! I know that threads with lots of pictures are soooo much better. And pictures of food... nom nom. I'm making Gnudi tonight with the ricotta I made from the whey from above. I'll post pics :)
 
B. Linens is strictly aerobic and may not produce pigments or enzymes in an anaerobic environment.

Yea, I know - I really didn't want to wrap it. Unfortunately, my humidifier setup isn't working for me and I don't have a plastic container appropriate for that size and my cave. I let it go for a couple of weeks and the b linens really got thick orange on it. But humidity was a problem, so I brined the cheese and wrapped it. As usual, my knowledge and equipment are struggling to keep up with my ambitions.
 
Warm period. I've got it at room temperature (low 70's), but in this container to maintain high humidity. It's kinda sticky, it keeps so humid inside. But I think it's OK.

It was bulging after the first couple of days, but oddly I think the bulging went away. Bulging indicates eyes are forming internally. Anyway, a few more weeks like this then back into the fridge.

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