What? No curds?

Recipes and techniques for soft cheese.

What? No curds?

Postby The_blue » Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:19 pm

Evening all!

Started my 1st batch of brie tonight and look to have fallen at the 1st hurdle :(

I warmed 2 litres of whole milk to 31-32c and added some starter.

I left it for an hour like the method stated then i added 5 drops of rennet to a small amount of water and stirred it in (should of been 4 but it dripped)

Its been at about 28-30c for 90+ minutes and no change.

The method I'm using says check for clean break after 60 mins! Nothing :(

My milk was fresh from the shop and as a good life but I'm guessing it was too old.

How long should i wait for curds?
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Postby saucisson » Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:30 pm

I have sometimes left it overnight before and still not got what I would call a clean break. While you can still make cheese so long as it has coagulated it is a nightmare as you have to filter out the whey through muslin or cheesescloth and small particles of milk tend to clog up the filter.

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Postby The_blue » Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:36 pm

Doh!

Do you think I've added enough rennet?

Doesn't sound a lot :)

My 1st brie is going to suck lol.
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Postby The_blue » Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:49 pm

It's alive!

Looking like partly whipped cream. :)
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Postby saucisson » Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:50 pm

Try putting in another 5 drops of rennet and leave it 90 minutes.

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Postby The_blue » Mon Dec 14, 2009 6:01 pm

ok -conv-
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Postby The_blue » Mon Dec 14, 2009 6:07 pm

Added!

Actualy more curdled than i thought at the bottom.
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Postby The_blue » Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:05 pm

Image

Slowly moving.. another 90 mins up.

Can see where i tried to cut. still not much more that thickened cream. :(
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Postby The_blue » Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:48 pm

Image

I've cut it!

I was expecting something more solid for some reason...

Maybe it should be ;)
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Postby The_blue » Mon Dec 14, 2009 10:02 pm

3rd flip and its just over an inch and 1/4 deep.

fingers crossed1
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Postby The_blue » Tue Dec 15, 2009 7:17 am

Its out the moulds and firm enough to handle :)

Salted it and sprayed it with mould before work then dropped it in a tub and into the cave (utility room)
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Postby saucisson » Tue Dec 15, 2009 11:58 am

The_blue wrote:I've cut it!

I was expecting something more solid for some reason...

Maybe it should be ;)

Maybe our expectations are raised too high from seeing it done by the professionals, they always seem to have firm curds you could play a game of squash with...

That looks quite good for a home attempt, particularly as you had problems at the start.

Dave
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Great hams, from little acorns grow...
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Postby The_blue » Tue Dec 15, 2009 12:30 pm

I did an audit at the long crawford stilton factory a couple of months back and the curd they produced was far, far firmer than mine. Mine broke up removing them from the whey. Theirs looked like crumbled wensleydale.

Also i was shocked by the amount of salt added! A 1 litre jug every yard up the belt to the mincer. Good cheese though :D
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Postby The_blue » Thu Dec 24, 2009 2:28 pm

yay! it's going white!

took 9 days to start then boom!

Image





Made a lancashire and started a stilton since this...

Got a routine going now

Up at 5am for work
Warm the milk and add started.

Other half up at 7.30am adds rennet.

I get home at 2pm and cut curds.


Using more rennet as well. 10 drops for 2 litres on soft cheese and 16 on hard.

Had some great curds on the stilton!
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Postby saucisson » Mon Dec 28, 2009 12:12 pm

Excellent :)

Dave
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