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White Colby

This is in my queue to be made next or very soon.

INGREDIENTS
 10   L      Full Cream Cow's Milk 3.8% fat
  1   Sachet Mesophilic culture / cultures buttermilk
120   ml     Cooled boiled water (no chlorine) 
  3   ml     CaCl2  in 60 ml (half the water) omit for raw milk
  3   ml     Rennet in 60 ml (half the water) 
 35   g      Iodine free salt
  2   L      Cooled boiled water (no chlorine) at 16C

CULTURE

Add the diluted CaCl2 to the milk and stir in. Omit for raw milk.
Warm the milk to 30 to 32 C.
Add the dried mesophilic culture to the milk and wait 5 minutes. Then stir in.
Cultured buttermilk does not need the 5 minute rehydration wait.
Ripen the milk for 60 minutes at 30 to 32 C.

RENNET

Add the diluted rennet and stir into the milk for up to 60 seconds.
Wait for 40 minutes for the curds to set or longer if necessary. Do not stir.
Test for a clean break.

CUT THE CURDS

Cut the curds into approximate 1cm cubes.
Wait 5 minutes at 30 C
Stir and very slowly heat the curds to 38 to 40 C over 40 a minute period.
Stir for a further 30 minutes at 38 to 40 C.
Ladle off most of the whey leaving the curds behind.
Keep the whey for use in other recipes.

WASH

Add 2 L of cooled water at 16 C into the curds to drop the temperature and acidity.
Aim for 28C. Stir the cooled curds for 15 more minutes.
Strain the curds through a butter muslin cheese cloth.
Discard this diluted whey. (It could be used in bread making as a water substitute).

MILL

Break up the curds into small pieces like over cooked scrambled egg.
Add 35 g of iodine free salt and mix thoroughly.
Transfer the curds to a cloth lined mould.

PRESS

Wrap and press gently for 30 minutes.
Unwrap, invert, rewrap and press a bit harder for 30 minutes.
Unwrap, invert, rewrap and press even harder for 60 minutes.
Unwrap, invert, do not rewrap and press for 12 hours increasing the pressure.

MATURE

Dry the wheel for up to a week at room temperature.
Use sheets of kitchen towel to wick away excess moisture.
Flip the wheel and replace the towel sheets frequently.
When the towel sheet stays mainly dry, the wheel is ready for storage and maturation.
Wax or vacuum pack.
Date and mature at 12 C for 2.5 months or longer.

This makes a white cheese.
For a yellow cheese, at the start dilute 6 drops of annatto colouring and add this to the milk.