Have made Parmesan a couple of times, while they were edible, there were changes I felt would improve the efforts. I decided to increase the cooking temperature to better the ‘squeaky’ feel of the curds. Rather than draining the curds for some time and allowing them to cool, I pressed them ‘hot’ straight from the whey, and produced the best looking wheel ever, at much lower pressing poundage.
2 gallons 2.5% pasteurized milk.
1/4 teaspoon lipase powder
1/4 teaspoon Calcium Chloride
1 Packet of DS Thermophilic Starter
1/2 teaspoon liquid rennet
Brine Salt.
Olive oil.
1. Heat milk to 90F
Add Lipase powder, Calcium, Starter, ripen for 30 minutes.
2. Ensure temp is at 90F add Rennet
Gently stir up and down for 2 mins
Cover and let set until ‘Clean Break’. Try the ‘Droopy Spoon’ if unsure.
3. Cut the curds to 1/4 inch cubes.
Healing time 5 minutes.
4. Heat the curds to 100F by raising the temp 2 degrees every 5 minutes.
5. Raise the temp by 3 degrees every 5 mins until 150F.
Stir often the curds should be about rice size, Squeak when chewed.
Healing time of 5 mins.
6. Strain curds and whey into a cloth covered colander and quickly into a mould for pressing, complete with cloth.
It is important to press hot, for better melding. Press for 10 minutes at 15lbs.
7. Remove from press, flip, remove cloth and replace with new and repress for 10 minutes at 15lbs.
8. Remove from press, flip, uncover and just using cloth on the top follower repress 5 hours at 30 lbs.
9. Remove from press, flip, re-cover and repress 5 hours at 30lbs.
10. Finally remove from press, air dry in warm room for 24 hours and brine for a further 24 hours.
11. Age at 55F, remove any mould with vinegar soaked cloth, for at least 3 months. longer if you can resist it.
Wipe it occasionally with Olive oil to prevent too much drying.
