Manchego Cheese

Method

1. Heat the milk: Begin by heating the milk to 22.2°C in a large pot. This can be done on a stovetop or with a specialized cheese-making pot. Heating the milk will help to activate the starter culture and set the stage for curd formation.
2. Add the culture: Sprinkle the starter culture onto the surface of the milk and let it sit for 2 minutes to rehydrate. This culture contains bacteria that will ferment the lactose in the milk and produce lactic acid, which will help to create the characteristic flavor and texture of the cheese.
3. Stir the milk: Use a sterilized spoon or whisk to gently stir the milk and distribute the starter culture throughout while maintaining the temperature at 22.2°C.
4. If you are using pasteurised milk, then you need to add Calcium Chloride. Add the Calcium Chloride and stir.
5. Heat the milk further: Raise the temperature of the milk to 30°C while stirring gently. This will help to initiate the rennet coagulation process.
6. Add rennet: Once the milk reaches 30°C, add the rennet and stir gently for about 1 minute. The rennet will help to coagulate the milk and form a solid curd.
7. Rest and cut the curds: Let the milk sit undisturbed for about 30-45 minutes until a firm curd has formed. Then, use a sterilized knife to cut the curd into small pieces.
8. Heal the curds: Let the curd rest for about 10-15 minutes to allow the cut surfaces to heal.
9. Stir the curds: Stir the curds gently for about 5 minutes to reduce their size and promote further whey release.
10. Cook the curds for 50 minutes: Raise the temperature of the milk to 39°C while stirring gently. This will help to expel more whey and firm up the curds.
11. Settle the whey: Turn off the heat and let the curds settle in the whey for about 5 minutes.
12. Remove the whey: Use a sterilized spoon or ladle to remove the top layer of whey from the pot.
13. Press the curds: Transfer the curds to a cheese press lined with cheesecloth. Press the curds under whey for 15 minutes to remove any remaining whey and shape the cheese.
14. Press with 7kg for 15 minutes
15. Turn and redress the cheese and press with 7kg for 15 minutes.
16. Turn and redress the cheese and press with 7kg for 15 minutes.
17. Turn and redress the cheese and press with 14kg for 6 hours.
18. Remove from the press, weigh the cheese and place in a saturated brine solution. Use The Culture Cook brine calculator to determine how long you need to brine the cheese.
19. Air dry the cheese for a few days until it’s dry to the touch.
20. Gently rub olive oil on the cheese.
21. Age in your curing chamber or cheese cave for a minimum of 6 months. Preferably age the cheese for 1 year. Every few weeks brush off the mold and once every 3 months give it a gentle olive oil rub.