by Kathy Laurie

 

Ingredients

2 gallons pasteurized whole cow’s milk

1/4 tsp. Farmhouse culture – MA4001

1/4 tsp. Aroma B

1/2 tsp. calcium chloride diluted in ¼ cup cool non-chlorinated water

1/2 tsp. rennet diluted in ¼ cup cool non-chlorinated water

cheese salt for brine

 

Equipment

Stainless steel pot

Optional but recommended: Sous Vide Immersion Heater/Circulator provides an ideal heat source.  Click for discussion.

Dial top thermometer

Stainless perforated ladle or spoon

Measuring spoons for ¼ and ½ tsp.

2 small glass bowls

Cheesecloth for cheese

8” Tomme mold with follower

Knife for cutting curds

Ladle

Cheese press and weights

Ripening box with drain tray, ripening mat and lid

Hygrometer (to measure humidity)

Temperature Controlled area about 50-55°F (for aging)

 

Basic Knowledge Review (optional)

Brining Instructions

Cleaning & Sanitizing 101

The Universal Guide to Cheesemaking

Tips - Cheesemaking Do's and Don'ts

 

Method

1. Heat the milk slowly to 90° over about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat.
2. Sprinkle the MA4001 and Aroma B over the milk. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes to rehydrate. Then stir thoroughly using an up and down motion at least 20 times.
3. Cover and allow milk to ripen for 45 minutes, maintaining 90°.
4. Add the calcium chloride solution and stir the same way.
5. Make sure the temperature is still 90°. If it has dropped, now is the time to heat briefly as necessary.
6. Add the rennet solution and stir gently in the same up an down motion. Cover and let sit45-60 minutes, or until the curds give a clean break.
7. Cut curds into 1/2 inch cubes and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.
8. Turn on low heat. Gently and slowly stir the curds constantly and warm them to 95°. This should take 25-30 minutes. Do not heat them too quickly. It should take the entire time to reach 95°. You will notice the curds firming up and expelling whey. Turn off the heat.
9. Cover and let sit for 45 minutes. Now the curds will have expelled even more whey.
10. Ladle off whey down to the top of the curds.
11. Line the sanitized cheese mold with cheesecloth and fill it with curds. Let it drain for a few minutes. Fold a corner of the cheesecloth over the curds and put on the follower.
12. Press at 10 pounds for 30 minutes.
13. Take the cheese out of the mold, take off the cheesecloth and turn over.Put the cheesecloth back on and press again at 15 pounds for about 12 hours. I like to time it so this happens overnight.
14. Make a brine using cheese salt and non-chlorinated cold water (click here for Brining Instructions). Chill. Use the proportion of 2 pounds of cheese salt to one gallon of water. You probably won’t need that much brine so cut it down depending on the size container you a reusing but keep the salt to water ratio the same.
15. Soak the cheese for 24 hours either in your cheese “cave” or in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf (usually the warmest). Turn once.
16. Remove the cheese from the brine and pat dry. Dry on a cheese mat at room temperature for 24 hours, turning occasionally until dry to the touch.
17. Now you have a choice! Either put in a ripening box and ripen at 55° and 85-90% humidity for at least 2 weeks, turning daily or you can either wax or vacuum seal it, also turning daily. If you choose to wax or vacuum seal, there will be no development of a natural rind but you also will not have any mold to deal with. If you don’t have a “cave”, either age in a wine frig or in the bottom drawer of your refrigerator which is usually the warmest place in the frig. If you do this, allow a longer aging period for the colder temperature will slow the ripening.
18. Enjoy your cheese! I like to cut it in half at this time and eat half. The other half I vacuum seal again and continue to age. This way you can taste it as a young cheese and also as a more mature cheese and decide which you prefer.