manchego question-dividing a cheese before aging

[stringweaver]

I want to make a manchego this weekend. I don't have access to sheep or goat milk (yet), so I'll add some lipase to the cow's milk.

The recipe says you can make fresco, up to 5 days; curado, aged 3 to 12 weeks; viejo 3 to 12 months.

Do you think I could cut my cheese after it's pressed and cure it in two pieces? I was thinking it would be nice to have a small one (1/3) ready in a month and age the larger piece for longer. It will be a 2-gallon batch, which should yield 2 pounds. I only have one mold and press, so I can't divide the curds into separate pieces before pressing.

 

[milbrosa]

I would age the whole cheese to the point you want to try it, then cut and rewax and continue aging the rest.

 

[stringweaver]

I wasn't planning to wax this cheese, it's a brined cheese....are brined cheeses waxed? I was thinking after I cut off a portion I might salt the raw edge and then let it form a new rind. Or perhaps give it a rub of olive oil?

I cut into Guido's cheese this weekend. This was a recipe in the Ricki Carol book. It's been getting good reviews from my tasters. Aged only three weeks, it is quite hard, sort of crumbly, sort of flakey. My reviewers place it as somewhat like a parmesan and somewhat like a swiss in flavor, a little nutty, very buttery. I made it from 2% milk. I imagine it would be rich beyond belief if made with whole milk. It is equally good plain or with a drizzle of honey. It pairs nicely with my red zinfandel.

I will definitely make this cheese again.

 

[Brew and Wine Supply]

Just thinking, split it in two, and put a layer or two of wax paper between the two then press it???

 

[milbrosa]

stringweaver, yes, you can wax a brined cheese. However, that is not traditional for Manchego. It is normally a natural oil-rubbed rind.

Ricci Carroll's site, New England Cheesemaking Supply, has a recipe for Hispanico Cheese, which is essentially Manchego made from cow's milk rather than from sheep's milk. The recipe says you can wax the cheese, or you can oil it with a few drops of olive oil, starting after a couple of weeks of aging. See the section in the recipe on aging.

If I were doing this cheese, I would wax it. But that is because I have not yet seriously attempted to raise the humidity in my cheese cave to the proper level. If my cave had proper humidity, I'd definitely try the olive oil natural rind method. I've always loved the color of a Manchego rind.

 

[Julie]

I haven't made a cheese yet that needed a brine but it is in my future and I will say that milbrosa has more experience than I on making cheese but I would go with what Doug, Brew & Wine Supply suggested. Having the paper betweent the two will give you the opportunity to have two cheeses that have both been pressed, without having to have two presses.

Dam, Doug, I have a mold that is bigger than what I really need, I'm thinking of making a double on the Farmhouse and just wax them separately, good idea!