Re: Cheesemaking Question Part 2

[Guest guest]

Darlene-It depends on what kind of cheese you are making.If you are making a cheddar (where most of the acidity has developed when the curd is hooped and goes into the press), then you can press at a higher pressure.

However, most traditional sheep's milk cheeses are pressed at a relatively high pH (low acidity).  For example, a Pyrenees-style cheese such as Oassau-Iraty).  You will want to start at a lower pressure, and gradually increase the pressure as the acidity develops.  It is also a good idea (though not absolutely necessary) to turn the cheeses in the forms, as you increase the pressure (between 2 and 4 times throughout the course of pressing).

The danger in applying too much pressure too quickly is that you will form a tough outer rind that will resist drainage of whey.  The trapped whey will contribute to excess acidity in the body of the cheese.  IT is also important to keep the cheese warm while it is being pressed.  Depending on the culture you are using, between 75 and 80F is ideal, but being too warm can't hurt.  Warmth helps the acid development and the drainage of whey from the cheese.

Regarding salt... salt should always be measured as weight of salt per weight of cheese, not weight/volume of milk.  This is true in cow and goat milk as well, where yields can vary depending on the composition of the milk, especially in seasonal herds.

Regarding rennet... the reason that you use less rennet with sheep's milk has to do with how rapidly sheep's milk forms a very firm coagulate after it begins to flocculate.  Do you know how to measure the " floc time " ?  Sheep's milk actually takes longer to floc than either cow or goat milk, because it has so many more kappa-casein endings (and so it takes the rennet longer to cleave all of them), but once it does floc, it forms a much firmer coagulum much more quickly.  For this reason, it is advisable to slow down the coagulation so you can cut at the proper firmness for the variety of cheese you are trying to make.  Thus the recommendation of using less rennet.

But again... it all depends on the variety of cheese you are trying to make.-Bill

Ok, so these statements on sheep's milk is accurate.  So how does the pressing lightly apply to the cheese press?  Does she mean, press lightly when placing the curds in the mold OR use light pressure when pressing in the cheese press? 

 If it is the cheesepress....then pressing at 20, 30 & 40 pounds....would I cut that in half?Thanks!