Here is a series of pictures I will add to as the make progresses.
THIS IS FOR A TWO GALLON MAKE AND A 3.5 lbs CHEESE.
INITIAL WARMING OF THE MILK FROM THE FRIDGE.
These are the things you add to the milk after decanting it into the make bucket.
Culture first either buttermilk or freeze dried DVI.
Then the calcium to improve the milk in water.
The culture for veining Candidum Roqueforti in water.
Coagulant vegeren in water.
This has set off already after 15 mins but requires 90 mins for ripeness.
Close up of curd to show how it coagulates but needs another hour before clean break and cutting.
This is a clean break I can't show with my finger as I can't operate the camera with one hand but this is where the thermometer was the hole fills with clean whey,
The curd cutting knife reaches the bottom of the pot.
The cut curds after being turned over.
The temperature of the curds must still be kept at 88F or 31C for the next hour,
Take out half the whey and leave for another 30 mins to finish cooking.
After curds have finished cooking ladle out the rest.
leave to drain until you can handle them into one collander.
Thesae curds after they had lost half of their whey were broken up and salted and then returned to the collander to be shaped and dispell the rest of the whey.
This is the third day and the curds are almost cleared of the whey we have to get rid of.
we are almost finished now as the next stage is striking the mould and allowing the crust to form..................
This is the cheese after three days and the crust is starting to colour.
Then the crust will change colour all over and the cheese can now be needled to allow the air inside the cheese to begin the veining.
DONT FORGET THIS IS A TWO GALLON MAKE AND A 3.5 lbs CHEESE
Now the cheese must be transferred into it maturing "cave" that is it's home for the next six weeks where it will be kept covered and turned every day. You can handle the crust when it has formed but keep this to a minimum and try to invert the cheese by holding the cheesemats in the palm of your hand.
THIS IS THE END OF THE TUTORIAL BUT I WILL SHOW THE MATURE CHEESE IN SIX TO TEN WEEKS.
UPDATING.......
This is the first cheese which is now two weeks old and the crust is formed well and has dried fit for handling.
I keep the finished cheeses on a cheesecloth and a cheese mat in the maturing cave so that I can adjust the humidity if it needs it. I don't want the cheese drying out and cracking neither do I want it to get wet and slimy on the outside.
I gather the four corners of the cheesecloth to lift it out of the container and this makes handling easier and then I can turn the cheese to keep it evenly balanced otherwise if I didn't turn it, it would become soggy at the bottom as any liquid still in the curds would settle at the bottom of the cheese.
I can replace the lids or leave them off as I see fit.
This cheese is the first one and is two weeks old
This cheese is the new one and is now four days old.
This is the lid that goes on if necessary.
Label the container with the cheese and it's history.
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