NEW DAY - NEW CHEESE, WELL MAYBE

This is what i woke up to today:

That is 30 degrees warmer then yesterday!   what is this all about?  has mother nature gone mad?  That's like going to bed in MN and waking up in Florida - an 18 degree difference in latitude!!!

Well, i worked on the cheese yesterday.  Since i bought the bleu cheese mold to make bleu cheese, and to make bleu cheese  it requires an elf- which i do not readily have available in winter- i decided to try Stilton.  Stilton is an English cheese that was first mentioned in the early part of the 18th century.  It is made from milk enriched with cream and combines the subtle flavor of cheddar with the sharp taste of bleu.

Recipe:

• In a large pot, combine 2 gallons of fresh goats milk and 2 cups of light cream.
• Heat the mixture to 86 degrees.
• Add 1/8 tsp of Penicillium roqueforti (bleu mold)
• Add 1/8 tsp of mesophilic starter and mix well.  Cover and allow to ripen for 30 minutes.

Well this is where i messed up: i didn't let it ripen, i went directly to the next step.  So chances are not good for this cheese already.

• Add 1/4 tsp of rennet to 1/4 cup cold water and add to milk, and stir gently.

• Cover and let set for 90 minutes
• Transfer the curds to a cheesecloth lined colander resting in a bowl. 

• Let the curds set for 90 minutes.
• Tie the corners of the cheesecloth up and hang the bag to drain for 30 minutes.

(This is where it really starts looking bad - too much curds for so little cheesecloth!)

• Place the bag into a mold and place a follower on top with 8 lbs of weight.

(looks like those people that have the muffin top in their jeans)

 

• Press the cheese overnight in a 70 degree room.

Now because the only room in my house that is even remotely close to that temp is the office/classroom,

there is a risk involved: i.e. dogs!
So i placed it on the top of the book cabinet.

• Remove the curds from the bag.
• Break up into 1 inch size pieces.
• Add 2 tbs of salt. Mix well.

• Place curds back into mold and use a cheese mat for the top.

• Every 15 minutes for 2 hours flip the cheese with the mat/mold sandwich, letting in drain over a container to catch the whey.

• Keep at 70 degrees overnight.
• Flip the cheese several times a day for the first 4 days
• using an ice pick, poke 25 holes (as opposed to 40 that are required for bleu cheese)
• let the cheese set on a cheese mat at 50 to 55 degrees and a relative humidity of 90 percent
• turn the cheese several times a week. 
• Scrape off mold and slime once a week.
• Age the cheese for 4 months

Well, i really have a feeling i botched this one! Not the first time! Lol!

We will see - it doesn't look like it is forming well.   Check in tomorrow.