Making American Colby Cheese Part 1

My first time making Colby cheese went pretty good! :)

Start with milking the cow... :)

Find a recipe:

http://www.cheesemaking.com/Colby.html

I began the whole process around 8:40 a.m.

This is the good bacteria that you put in your cheese.

There is maybe a teaspoon in each package, and I only needed half of one.

November 8th p.m. and 9th a.m. milk.

All American Colby Cheese

Pour all your milk into...

A double boiler. It works nicely to add some white vinegar to the boiler pot, so that you don't get water rings on your cooking pot.

Slowly heat the milk to 86*

Listen to a good message...

http://ellerslie.com/sermons/eric-ludy/10-19-14/the-power-to-do-it

About a half hour into the process it had reached 86*

Now add the culture

Time is ticking

Wait two minutes to let the culture re-hydrate

Now stir it in really well

Let it set an hour

Half an hour gone...

The cream is sitting on top. :) It smells good in there!

Double Strength Rennet

Only a fourth teaspoon

Stir the rennet in for about a minute then let it sit for 45 minutes

A nice clean break!

Slice the curd mass into 1/2 inch cubes

Stir it around a bit so you can find all the chunks you missed while cutting it

11:18 a.m.

Now we gently stir while heating the curds to 102*

Hurray! We're there! After this I kept it at that temp and stirred it for 15 minutes (maybe it was 30??)

12:12 p.m.

Now I remove the whey down to the level of the curd line.

And add water that is 75* till the temperature drops to 80-85* while you are stirring.

Stirring

85*

Now remove that water/whey...

 After this you add the coldest water you can get till the curds cool down to 75*.

Stir stir!!

Once it has reached the 75* mark, you stir it for 15-30 minutes.

12:38 p.m.

I stirred mine for 15 minutes, I think. :)

Getting the cheese cloth sanitized by pouring boiling water on it. 

Ready to go!

Look at all that cheese!!

You let the curds drain for a while, then put them in the mold.

And press it at 10# for 15 minutes

Then take the cheese out and flip it...

Press it at 20# for 30 minutes

Waiting...

1:40 p.n.

I also made some ricotta with some of the whey, while waiting. :)

Take it out again and flip it.

Press it again at 40# for 90 minutes. :)

Ricotta 

Flip it...

And finally press it at 50# over night. :)

More to come...