[bluesman]

A pretty interesting discussion on cheddar cultures. 

http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,3229.0.html

Looks like for semi-soft and fresh cheeses:
Cheddar, Colby, Montery Jack, Feta, Chevre, etc...

Contains:

(LL) Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis
(LLC) Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris 

[tubercle]

Upgraded the press!!!

Named her "Little Miss Pressy".



Added a pulley system to increase the mechanical advantage. With 20 lbs of weight I measured 188 lbs with the bathroom scales which gives and increae of 9.4. With a 6" mould I can get ~6.64 psi.

 

Pulley assembly....

 

 This is the mould I made out of one of those counter top canister things drill with 1/8" holes. The follower is a wood lid to another canister that I hope Ms. Tubercle no longer needs

 

 The latest cheddar. Used 1 gal of whole store bought milk and 1 gal of 1%. Got a yield of 1.7 lbs. The cost for this is the cost of the 2 gallons of milk - about $7.50 - plus about 50 cents worth of other ingredients; culture, calcium chloride, etc...

 The hard part is the 3 or 4 months waiting time

[euge]

Seems to me it works out to about the same price as store-bought. I calculate 29-30 cents per ounce. However, the pleasure of making and eating the cheese is incalculable.

I walked out of the store yesterday with a big wedge of Henning's Natural Horseradish Cheddar. Quite possibly one of the best I've had in a long time.

I'm glad you're having success with the new press. What's the longest you've aged cheddar? Some of the sharpest I've had was 18 months.

[tubercle]

Seems to me it works out to about the same price as store-bought. I calculate 29-30 cents per ounce. However, the pleasure of making and eating the cheese is incalculable.

  For cheddar it does but for some like Parmesan which sells around here for about $21/lb the savings add up. It's just like making beer, add in the time its about break even but to do it yourself and *know* what is in it - priceless.

What's the longest you've aged cheddar? Some of the sharpest I've had was 18 months.

  About 4 month is all my willpower has allowed any cheddar to age so far The longer it ages the sharper it gets due to some weird scientific things going own that is beyond the Tubercle's comprehension.

  I usually age it for 3 or 4 months, open the package (I vacuum seal mine) and try half and repackage the other half and ask Ms. Tubercle to hide it. Got several hid somewhere. That's the frustration...waiting. Kind of like making wine. Things like Parmesan take 2 or 3 years to age properly.

 Since I'm still in the learning stage I have been doing a lot of Gouda and Monterrey Jack which only need 2 months or so, just to nail down the mechanics and process. I can't believe the difference the new press has made. Kind of like going from extract to all grain in a sense.

 I think I'm on my way now....
 

 

[tschmidlin]

That's awesome tubercle.  You should make another few batches ASAP, it will make it more likely you can wait for 9 or 12 or 18 months to age your cheddar. 

[boulderbrewer]

The longest I have aged a cheddar was a year and 6 months and gave it away, just ask Dimik how it tasted. Vacuum sealing is the way to go. At a year it had the same taste annd texture of some 8 year old cheddar. Mine was goat cheese compare to the cows milk.

[bluesman]

Very nice work Tubercle!

I'll be interested in hearing the tasting results in a few months.
Keep up the great work...and be easy on "Little Miss Pressy" now. 

[redbeerman]

The Tubercle is an awesome cheese dude!  Nice work!  Being the cheese head I am, I may have to take on this hobby as well.  I believe it is a very good thing to know what goes into your food as much as possible.

[1vertical]

Tubercle,
Do you think a similar design that incorporates a small Hydraulic bottle jack for
the variable pressing force ...would be a good thing to design into a small cheese press?

Eh? 

[MrNate]

Tubercle,
Do you think a similar design that incorporates a small Hydraulic bottle jack for
the variable pressing force ...would be a good thing to design into a small cheese press?

Eh? 

Wouldn't that lose pressure overnight, though? Interesting idea if you have a shop press. Harbor Freight has some small ones pretty cheap.

[1vertical]

Tubercle,
Do you think a similar design that incorporates a small Hydraulic bottle jack for
the variable pressing force ...would be a good thing to design into a small cheese press?

Eh?  

Wouldn't that lose pressure overnight, though? Interesting idea if you have a shop press. Harbor Freight has some small ones pretty cheap.

Not if the valve wasn't leaking...should hold till that valve is released.  Those H.F. or BIG LOT el cheepo ones are what I was thinking of...

[capozzoli]

It told me that what happens is as the cheese becomes compressed the pressure is relieved off of the cheese. It has to be something that will drop and keep the pressure applied as the cheese compresses.

[morticaixavier]

It told me that what happens is as the cheese becomes compressed the pressure is relieved off of the cheese. It has to be something that will drop and keep the pressure applied as the cheese compresses.

you should rig something up with CO2 tank pressure that way you can set the regulator and it will maintain the pressure as the cheese compresses.

[euge]

Or a water bucket system with a valve that lets a little bit more water in as it drops. 

However, seems to me the pulley & weight  system  looks to be the simplest and most efficient.

Occam's razor...

[morticaixavier]

Or a water bucket system with a valve that lets a little bit more water in as it drops.  

However, seems to me the pulley & weight  system  looks to be the simplest and most efficient.

Occam's razor...

A damn close shave that

whats really more important? simple or cool?