Gruyere
Gavin Webber - https://youtu.be/Oi2y4Ymrd5A
Time required:
- 2 hours until 1th 1 hour or stirring
- 3 hours until the 1 hour press
- 4 hours until the 12 hours press
- then 10 hours of brining
- 2-3 days of air drying
Ingredients
- 10L full cream milk (3.4-4.1% milk fat)
- 1/4 teaspoon (tad) thermophilic culture (MOT92)
- 2.5ml (1/2 t) calcium chloride in 1/4 cup non-chlorinated water
- 2.5ml (1/2 t) liquid rennet (200 IMCU) in 1/4 cup non-chlorinated water
- saturated brine solution
If using rennet tablets, put them in water to dissolve
- they take 45 mins
- 3 x 60 IMCU tablets
Heat milk to 32C
- measure out:
- 2.5ml (1/2 t) liquid rennet (200 IMCU) in 1/4 cup non-chlorinated water
- 2.5ml (1/2 t) calcium chloride in 1/4 cup non-chlorinated water
- 10 mins active
Sprinkle thermophilic culture on top
- 1/4 teaspoon (tad) thermophilic culture (MOT92)
- can use yoghurt of kifir instead?
Leave for 5 mins
Stir for a couple mins
- make sure milk is still at 32C
Let sit for 10 mins
Add calcium chloride
- 2.5ml (1/2 t) calcium chloride in 1/4 cup non-chlorinated water
Add rennet and stir for 1 min
Rest covered for 40 mins
Check for clean break
- rest another 10 mins if not clean
Cut curds to 1cm pieces (or pea sized curd cubes)
Stir for 1 hour
- slowly heat the milk up to 46C.
Take off heat and let the curds settle for 5 mins
- line a 165mm cheese mold with loose weave cheese cloth and place it inside a colander in a bowl (if you want to reserve the whey)
Pour whey through the mold
Put follower on curds and pull on cheese cloth to get out wrinkles
Press at 11kg (22lb) for 1 hour
Flip the cheese
- re-dress the cheese with the cheese cloth when you do this
Press at 22kg for 12 hours
Place in saturated brine solution for 10 hours
- flip once
- if cheese floats, sprinkle 1t on top of the cheese
Remove from brine, pat dry and place on drying rack
- can also trim any defects with a knife
Air dry cheese for 2-3 days until touch dry
- cover with cheeese cloth to stop insects.
- point a fan at the box to speed up drying
- this is because I am drying inside a container with cheese cloth as a lid so there is not much air flow.
Place in ripening box
- 13C
- 90-95% rh
Flip and wash with brine twice per week
After 1 month, flip and wash weekly
- set a calendar event for the 1 month point
After 2 months, turn weekly and brush with soft dry cloth
- or brush with a soft nail brush
- set a calendar even for the 2 month point
Once the rind gets to a greyish color, vacuum pack it and keep it in the cheese fridge
- See Gavin’s tasting video for an image of what the greyish colour should look like.
TODO: insert image of gruyere rind