Homemade Wine Country Tomme Cheese

Yield: 1 pound
Cook Time: 3 hours
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Ready In: 3 hours & 15 minutes, 48 hours draining, and age for 6 weeks
Make Sure You Have: a non-reactive pot (stainless steel), thermometer, ricotta mold or form, plastic wrap, and aging box.

Ingredients:
1 gallon whole pasteurized milk
¼ tsp Thermo B Thermophilic starter culture
¼ tsp calcium chloride diluted in ¼ cup warm water
¼ tsp rennet diluted in 4 ml cool water
2 tsp salt
3 cup red wine

Directions:
1. Pour your milk into a non-reactive pot like stainless steel in low heat till the milk temperature rises to 96℉. You want to place it into a bammery or a larger pot to maintain the 96℉ more easily.

2. When the temperature rises to 96℉, sprinkle the Thrmo B Thermophilic starter culture. Stir the milk and culture for about 20 seconds and let it sit in 96℉ for about 45 minutes.

3. After 45 min add in ¼ tsp of calcium chloride diluted in ¼ cup of warm water. Pour in the solution into the milk and gently fold and stir.

4. Once combined add in ¼ tsp of rennet diluted into cool water the whole solution be calculated by ¼ tsp per gallon. Cover and set aside, undisturbed, for 1 hour.

5. After an hour, gently cut into the curd about an inch and gently lift up to see if the curd has come together well. If the curd is ready then cut up the curd with one inch cuts starting from one end to another. After you have cut up the curd let it sit for another 30 min maintaining 90-96℉.

6. After the 30 min increase the temperature to 105℉ by turning up the heat to medium low. Gently stir for about 10 min. The water back should be 5 degrees higher so the curd should 105℉ and the water should be 110℉.

7. After the temperature has come up to 105℉ remove the pot and stir some more. By stirring you are toughen up the curd. Stir for 10 min. After 10 min of stirring let it rest for 10 min.

8. Use the ricotta mold to remove the whey until you see the curds. Use the Tomme molds to place the curds inside. As you add the curd let it settle before you add more curd. After you have filled up the Tomme molds with curd use 2 fingers of both hands to create a hole in the middle and add some more curd. Now let the curd drain for 16 hours.

9. After 16 hours, salt the curd all over and wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the drain tray at room temperature and let it drain for another 8 hours.

10. After the 8 hours place the cheese in a deep bowl and pour red wine until the cheese is covered. Then with a plastic wrap cover the top and let it sit in a 55℉ environment for 48 hours.

11. After 48 hours take out the cheese and pat it dry. Place it in an aging box and it needs to air-dry which means it needs air to circulate around it. To achieve this, leave the lid of the aging box slightly open. Now place it in a 55℉ environment and age it for 6 weeks more.

12. If you happen to see mold growing all you need to do is take a paper towel or napkin and dip it in vinegar and wipe the mold off. If the mold gets out of control wrap it in cheese cloth.