Crazy things happening in my experimental kitchen

Last weekend, 17-19. January I made my second cheese, Colby.
Looks ok but I had the cheese on a plate when I pressed him over night
The whey couldn't go away so it seems like it's going to have some effect.

I've borrow a wine cooler for my cheeses.
Big order is on the way from Cheesemaker.



Yesterday I went to gourmet shop and bought five types of cheeses to taste.
Two from Iceland, two from the Netherlands and one from France.

Now the school is taking more and more time so less time is for cheese making.
 
Uplode more pictures after the weekend.

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My first Gouda cheese - Beginner's choice

I used all the time in the world to make my first cheese.
Wrote everything down, step by step. 
Never done it before so I was very insecure.

This is how I made my first (Gouda) cheese.
Had a large pot that I filled with water, put another steel pot on top with 7 liters / 1.8 gallons of milk that I heated slowly on my stove, and that was far too slow !

MAKING THE CHEESE

Saturday 11^th January

12:40
I started the process
The time from I took the milk out of the refrigerator and started to heat both the water in the large pot and the milk pot until I had my milk to 30°C / 86°F took 1 hour and 20 min.
The milk had almost expired ...
Should take 30-40 minutes, but it will be better/little bit faster next time.
Will do it in the sink next time.

14:00
The milk finally reached 30°C / 86°F
Added ½ teaspoon of Calcium Chloride because I’m using pasteurized milk.
Stirred slowly.
This will improve the final curd firmness.

14:20
I moved the pot with the milk into the sink that had 30°C / 86°F hot water and mixed one package of C101 culture (Mesophilic DS ), and  allow to sit quietly at temp. 30°C / 86°F for 30 min.
In the sink its much easier to control the heat.
The temperature of the milk was from 30.3°C / 86.5°C to 30.5°C / 86.9°F

15:00
Add ½ tablet of rennet diluted in 60 ml / ¼ cup of water to the milk.
Stirred for 30 sec. and then allow the milk to set quietly for 40 min while keeping the temperature at 30°C / 86°F
After 40 min., a firm curd had formed and I could start cut curds to release the whey.

CUTTING THE CURDS

15:40
Made first cut crosswise about 2,5 cm / 1 inc. thick strips and allow the curds to firm for abot 3 - 5 minutes before I continue my final cutting.

15:45
Second cut to 1 cm / 3/8  inc. squares for 5 min.
This will help avoid losing more fat when you cut the curds smaller.

15:50

I stirred slowly and gently the curds for 15 min.

16:05

Removed about 1/3 of the whey or 2 liters / 0.52 gal. and then added 2 liters / 0.52 gal. of 54°C / 130°F slowly over 15 min.
When the water had been added to the cheese the temperature should be between 36°C - 38°C / 98°F - 102°F.

I managed to heat the milk up to 34.1°C / 93.38°F
This is a very important step since it also removes some of the lactose or milk sugars which can be converted to acid by the lactic bacteria.

16:20 – Continuously stirred gently to keep from matting for 30 min. or until final moisture is reached according to the desired aging requirements (longer stirring = drier curds = longer aging).  

FORMING THE CHEESE

16:50 - First pressing. Prepared the mold (size M3) and draining cloth, placed it into a bowl large enough to retain whey.
I then poured free whey into the mold to warm it.
Filled the mold, allowing whey to rise 2.5 – 5 cm / 1 -2 inc. over top of the curds.

First press - With 1.3 kg / 3 pounds for 15 minutes.

Removed mold with curds from the whey

17:05 – Second press – 2 kg / 4.5 lbs. pressed for 30 min

17:45 – Third press – Turn the cheese, rewrap and pressed with 3,5 kg / 8 lbs. for 30 min.

18:15 – Fourth press – Turn the cheese, rewrap and press with 5,5 kg / 12.5 lbs. for 30 min.

18:45 – Fifth press – Turn the cheese, rewrap and press with 5,5 kg / 12.5 lbs. for 6-8 hours.
I made it for 6 hours and 40 min.

01:25 – Remove weight and cloth and allow the cheese to rest overnight* in mold at 10°C / 50°F
* Over night, what is that 8 hours, 10 hours…. :)
My cheese was there until Sunday 12 o'clock.

At this point the cheese  weighed 975 gr. / 2.14 pounds

Sunday 12^th January

Created brine to put the cheese in.
3.75 ltr / 0.99 Gallons of water
1 kg / 2.20 pounds salt - without iodine
1 mtsk. Calcium chloride (30% resolution)
1 tsp. white vinegar

Concentration in the brine
1000 gr. / 1000 gr. + 3750 literals
1000/4750 = 0.21
0.21 x 100 = 21% salt brine

13:00 - The cheese placed in brine for 6 hours.
3 hours for each 0.5 kg / 1.10 pounds.

19:00 - The cheese taken out from brine, placed on bamboo mat and let dry for 3-6 days.

4 DAYS LATER

Thursday 16^th January
My first  cheese is now in fridge.
I will turn the cheese once a day first week and after that every second day for next weeks/months.

Now it just depends on how long I can wait, 3-6 months…..
…or until I just have to cut
and taste !!


Check out this Gouda recipe from cheesemaking.com

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Wax or not to wax

Got Icelandic bee wax today that I need to filter and intend to use to cover one of the next cheeses that I will create.
Very excited.
Now I have to google what is the best way to use and clean bee wax, how should I mix it so it will not crack.
What should I do? How should I mix it? 

I'm trying to have all the ingredients Icelandic.

I will finish my blog about how I made ​​the first cheese, with instructions for beginners.

Let's start slowly.
Have not found the detailed information for beginners.
And I need to convert all information from U.S. measurements to European measurements.

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Little bit about my self

I study at the Agricultural University of Iceland so I make cheeses as a side project. 
Graduate in May 2014 and plan to continue and learn more about fruit trees cultivate next summer in Denmark, Norway or Germany.  
After one year or so it's more than possible that I go somewhere to learn about cheese making, England mabe, where should I go ?I have to prepare because I have 10-15 years plan. Buy a farm in Iceland, grow fruits, berries and vegetables, have lots of animals and making cheese, jam, juice and much more for sale. Home made. 
I find it amazing to be out in nature, traveling with a tent, take photographs and enjoy life with my family.
 
Iceland and cheese making  
I live on a little island, an island in the North Atlantic, which is 103,000 km ² and has a population of approximately 322 thousand peoples.
 
There is not big culture for fruit and berry cultures and certainly not cheese. 
Cheese making was practiced in farms about 100 years ago but now we begin growing fruit trees in gardens and people are willing to learn the lost knowledge of cheese making.
I need to order everything from other countries to make cheeses, just because I cant buy it here....

Check out this pages about Iceland and Icelandic skyr.  
About Iceland 
Inspired by Iceland 
Icelandic Skyr

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The big cheese day - My first cheese

I used the Christmas holiday to read about cheese making and now I think I'm ready to start.

Make mistakes, learn from them , improve, enjoy and have fun...

New projects and new challenges that entails that I can learn something new every day, that’s my goal.

I bought one of this book that I mentioned in the last blog , Ostagerð / Cheesmaking, great book.
If I get permission to publish the recipe about the Icelandic Skyr from that book, I will post it here.

But talk about the main thing !!
I made my first cheese , Gouda , yesterday .
Name of this cheese is Gouda 2014.01
Took much longer time than I expected.

I have been so nervous to begin, take the first steps but also very excited.
 
Everything seemed to succeed yesterday.
All the equipment was sterilized and the temperature of the milk was very accurate.

For this cheese I used 7 liters / 1.84 gallon and got 975 gr. / 2 lb.

Before the final press for 6 ½ hours.

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Library day

I went to library and got two books, the only books about cheeses and cheese making in Icelandic.
And I'm super excited reading this books about cheese in my language.

First one tells the story about cheese making and little bit about some of the cheese types.
Book from year 1991.
The other one discusses ways of processing cheese and have many recipes.
Book from year 2010.
This weekend I also have to get time to visiting antique book sales, check if I can find some old books about cheeses

Also going to visit antique bookstores this weekend and seek for any good, old cheese books.
Plan next weekend, make Gouda and Feta chesse

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Bought milk today

I went into three different supermarkets and made price survey on milk and Gouda cheese.
I took big step today in my cheese journey and bought 12 liters / 3.17 gal. of pasteurized milk, 3,9 % fat.

I'm not sure if my cheese is going to be cheaper than supermarket chees but I will get so much fun out of it and get new experience.

1 liter / 0.26 gal. of milk price from 1,03 - 1,10 $
but... in one supermarket on Tuesday they sell the milk for 0,77 $
1 kilogram / 2.2 pounds of Gouda cheese cost 12,82 $

So I bought 12 ltrs / 3.17 gal. for 8,56 $ and still 4,26 $ in surplus.
Now I just have to see what the other ingredients cost for every 1 kg / 2.2 pounds

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