first swiss

[stringweaver]

I started a swiss cheese on saturday, using whole milk. The dairy delivers to the house. The milk is homogenized, but I haven't had to use CaCl with it, possibly because it's so fresh?

the first steps went well, the curd cooked nicely and pressed well, although I'm already wishing for a better cheese press.

It's in my cheese fridge now for a week, then it needs several weeks at warm temps (68 to 74) and high humidity to develop the holes.

I can maintain 75 degrees at the back of my stove, about the only advantage of an old fashioned gas stove with standing pilot lights.

Humidity is a real problem... I live in a very dry climate. I think I will go to a music store and buy an instrument humidifier, which is a porous tube you soak in water, and put that in a container with the cheese on the back of the stove.

 

[Brew and Wine Supply]

Swiss sounds good, I've been looking at making some too. For humidity, you can get the foam blocks from a florist and soak them in water, wrap it in some cheese cloth or white wrap to keep the green crumblys from getting into the cheese.

Let us know how thing go with it.

 

[milbrosa]

Using that green florist foam is an intereating idea, Doug. It seems to work fine in my cigar humidor. Probably less mess than the usual suggestion I see, which is putting a bowl of water in the cheese fridge and put a towel in it draped out over the edge so it wicks water out of the bowl for increased surface area for evaporation.

 

[Brew and Wine Supply]

Using that green florist foam is an intereating idea, Doug. It seems to work fine in my cigar humidor. Probably less mess than the usual suggestion I see, which is putting a bowl of water in the cheese fridge and put a towel in it draped out over the edge so it wicks water out of the bowl for increased surface area for evaporation.

Thats where I got the idea.

 

[stringweaver]

that is a terrific idea. I will get some and give it a try.

thanks

 

[stringweaver]

I moved the swiss out of the cheese fridge and into a plastic box on the back of the stove monday, where it gets heat from the pilot lights. I put in a small chunk of florist foam (terrific suggestion, thanks) to keep up the humidity.

After just a couple days the cheese has softened and it seems like it has expanded already, but that just may be an effect of the rind softening. It's very damp, I want to get a larger box to

a friend of mine wants to know if swiss cheese burps make squeaky or poot sounds.... I haven't heard anything yet

A cheese I made last month, Guido's cheese, recipe in Ricki Carroll's book will be ready to cut this weekend, suggested serving with a drizzle of honey. It smells wonderful. I'm looking forward to Sunday's wine time.

 

[milbrosa]

How warm is the back of your stove? Most cheese should be aged at temperatures between 50 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. There are some exceptions, but they are a matter of a degree or two below or above that range, depending on the cheese.

If you attempt to age at regular refrigerator temperatures of sub 40° F (suspended affinage) it will take far too long to age (could take years instead of months) due to the slow down in activity of the bacterial cultures in the cheese. If you age too warm, the cheese will sweat or leak moisture and become a fertile environment for the growth of undesirable molds.

Swiss-style cheeses are normally aged a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks.

 

[stringweaver]

This recipe calls for one week at 55, then a three week warm/humid time for the culture to develop the holes, then it goes back in the cheese fridge for 3 months aging at 55. The warm period requires temps of 68 to 75 with 85% humidity. I can get that temperature by putting my tupperware box on an overturned skillet at the back of the stove, which stays at 75 F. It's also where I set my fromage blanc overnight after adding the culture. It's still too chilly, especially at night to get those temperatures in my house- I keep my thermostat at 62-64.

I have a little wine cooler that stays nicely at 55 for aging.

 

[milbrosa]

You must live in a COLD climate! Down here in Texas, you only get frigid temps like that inside the house for a couple of weeks, maybe, each winter.