Saffron Manchego

So my parents are travelling to visit us from Utah the beginning of July and so I have been busy trying to make several different cheeses for them to taste.  Recently I have made Brie, English Cheddar, Jarlseberg and Manchego. Most of these cheeses that I have made before but am hoping to perfect a little bit.  Today I will blog about the Manchego, lets hope that I am diligent this week and blog about the rest of them.  With the Manchego I used:

• 2 gallons whole milk
• 1/4 tsp buttermilk culture (normally it calls for mesophyllic but thought I would try something new)
• 1/4 tsp thermophillic culture
• saffron threads (I diffused them in water over the stove top first)
• 1/4 tsp lipase powder in 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp calcium chloride in 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 rennet tablet in 1/4 cup water
• olive oil
• paprika

First I heated the milk to 86°F then turned off heat and added both cultures (waiting 5 minutes) and stirred with a whisk.  Letting it next set for 45 minutes.

Next I added the lipase, gently stirring it, and then the calcium chloride and the rennet.  Then I let it sit for 30 minutes, at which point I got a clean break.

After the clean break I cut the curds into 1/2 inch pieces, waiting 5 minutes and then stirred it with a spatula for 30 minutes allowing the whey to drain as well as the curds to firm up.

I then slowly heated the curds to 104°F (over about 45 minutes) then let it sit for about 5 minutes. 

I then let lined a colander with damp butter muslin and ladled the curds into the muslin, allowing the curds to drain for 15 minutes.

Next I put into my cheese press.  As you can see below I have changed my cheese press a little bit.  I had a hard time guessing on the weight when I was using a spring.  So know I am just using some weights.  It took a little bit of taking apart my press so that it could work.

After pressing it for over 8 hrs at 30 lbs I put it into a salt water bath for 8 hours.  

It is now aging in my cheese fridge until my parents come in July (aging will be about 2 months total).  As I have mentioned in my other posts on Manchego you can eat it in as little as 10 days or can go much longer, just depends on how you want it to taste.  When it is does aging I am going to try and rub it with smoked paprika and olive oil.