Drunken Cow Cheese

1. Pour milk in 10 litre stainless steel pot.
2. Add diluted calcium chloride, stir well.  Heat the cow’s milk to 32°C (90°F), and stir in diluted starter culture, cover, and ripen for 10 minutes.
3. Maintaining the target temp of 32°C, add diluted rennet and stir for one minute.  Cover and let set for one hour at target temperature.
   
4. Check for a clean break.  Once you have a clean break, cut curds into 1 cm (1/2″) cubes.  Stir gently for one minute, then let curds rest for five minutes at target temperature.
5. With a sterilized measuring cup, draw off one-third of the whey.  Gradually add the heated water, and stir to bring the temperature of the curds up to 33°C (92°F).  This will take around two and a half cups of heated water.  Stir continuously to keep the curds from matting at the bottom of the pot.
6. Once you reach the new target temp, let the curds rest for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Drain off the whey to the level of the curds using your sterilized cup.  Continue to add the 80°C (175°F) water, stirring constantly until the temperature of the curds reaches 38°C (100°F).
8. Maintain the target temperature for fifteen minutes, stirring to prevent matting.  Let the curds sit in the pot for thirty minutes at 38°C (100°F).

1. Strain off the whey using a cheesecloth.  Pour the curds back into the pot, and mill into 6 mm (1/4″) pieces.  Blend in the salt.
2. Pack the curds into a 900 gm (2 lbs) lined mould.  Cover the curds with one corner of the cheese cloth, apply the follower, and press at 10 kg (20 lbs) for twenty minutes.  Remove cheese from press, and gently unwrap.  Turn cheese over, rewrap, and press at 10 kg (20 lbs) for twenty hours.  Repeat by turning over again and press at 10 kg (20 lbs) for twelve hours.

1. Remove cheese from the press and mould, skewer about 10 holes about halfway through the cheese on each end, then bathe the cheese in a sterilized food grade plastic container in the red wine for 24 hours.  Ensure the cheese is completely covered and flip end-over-end at the 12 hour mark.
2. Remove the cheese, lay on cheese mat (or sushi mats) for about six hours, or until it is dry to touch.
3. Repeat the wine bath for another 24 hours, topping up with additional wine if necessary, flip again at the 12 hour mark.  Remove, and dry on mats until touch dry.

1. Store the cheese in your cheese fridge at 11°C (52F) and 80-85% humidity for three months.  If you cannot maintain humidity, wax the cheese before it cracks.
2. Turn cheese daily for the first two weeks, and wipe down with a brine solution if mould forms on the surface.