Alpkäse

High-cooked mixed-starter alpine cheese, washed and aged at least a year. 10 L milk. Shared calculations and pH notes.

Milk: 10 L milk
Make: about 1day
Salt at: after pressing
Affinage: atleast 1year,10–12.8°C

Ingredients

Whole Jersey milkAlready pasteurised; source 6USgal raw Jersey: 10 L
Bulk thermophilic starter1%v/v; selected mother-culture option: 100 mL
Bulk mesophilic starter1%v/v; selected mother-culture option: 100 mL
LipaseSource 0.5gper 6USgal, dissolve in 22 mLwater;rehydrate 20 min: 0.220 g
Solid food-grade calcium chlorideSource 2gper 6USgalpasteurisedmilk;dissolve in 26.4 mLwater: 0.881 g
Liquid animal rennet, 200 IMCU/mLUse the labelled 10 L dose, adjusting on later makes for about 10–12 min flocculation and about 30 min set at a 2.5× multiplier. Do not convert the source’s uncharacterised powder by weight.: manufacturer’s dose
for 10 L
Salt for brine18%ofwaterweight,≈15.25%w/wsolution: 180 g/L water
Brine calcium chlorideSource 5gperUSgallonwater; concentration/form unspecified: 1.32 g/L water
White vinegar for brineSource 5 mLperUSgallonwater as initial guide: to pH5.3–5.4

Stage	Time	°C	pH	Do	Notes
Milk
Pasteurise				Skip for this cheese	Use already-pasteurised milk; this heating stage is skipped.
Culture	mix bulk cultures	22	6.8source target, milk	Split milk equally. Add bulk cultures to one half at room temperature; cover.	22°C illustrative room temperature.
Ripen	30–60 min	25	6.65source target, milk	Hold cultured half 30–60 min or until pH drops. Heat other half 37.8°C; slowly mix portions to 32.8°C.	Add hydrated lipase and calcium chloride at least 10 min after culture and 10 min before rennet. Source renneting target 6.6–6.7.
Rennet	about 30 min	32.8	≈6.6predicted, curd	Measure the manufacturer’s labelled 10 L dose of 200 IMCU/mL liquid animal rennet; dilute in about 22 mL cool non-chlorinated water immediately before use. Mix up and down for 1 min, then still the milk. Begin checking floc at 8 min; cut at 2.5× actual floc, aiming for about a 30 min set and clean break.	The source’s powder dose is not retained because its activity is unknown. Product-labelled liquid dosing is the explicit adaptation; use actual floc and curd strength to guide timing.
Curd
Cut and rest	about 20 min	32.8	≈6.6predicted, curd	Cut central then 25 mmparallel strips,long side before short. Stir/cut large pieces until whey yellow(~10 min); gently harp in 8pattern topea-size over 10 minmore.
Stir	40 min	32.8	≈6.6predicted, curd	Stir slowly in 8pattern with blunt tool; do not keep cutting.
Scald	40 min +5 min	42.2	≈6.6predicted, curd	Heat 32.8→51.7°C over 40 min, stirring continuously; never faster 0.56°C/min. Stop heat and stir 5 minoff heat, curd above 48.9°C.	Model uses approximate ramp mean; hold ends hot.
Pitch	30–60 min	48.9	6.35source target, whey	Press under~48.9°C whey, turn 3–4times.	Source 5–20 lb load was for 6USgalmake; adjust load by mouldarea and curd consolidation. Source whey-pitch target 6.3–6.4.
Shape
Drain and form	transfer to press	35	≈6.6predicted, curd	Drain and hoop promptly.	Six-minute model transfer assumption.
Press	12–24 h	22	5.35source target, curd; act on measurement	Press outside whey until curd pH5.3–5.4. Start~5×wheelweight, increase 8–10×; turn often. Wet cloth with reserved whey to prevent sticking.	22°C room assumed; source fixed 25/50 lb examples apply 6USgalmake.
Salt	source 6–9 h;assesswheel	13	≈5.3predicted, curd	Brine in 180gsalt/Lwater, adjustedpH5.3–5.4with vinegar and source calcium addition.	Source 6–9 h applies original 6USgalwheel. Determine duration for actual 10Lwheel size; brine temp not stated,13°C modelling assumption.
Mill				Skip for this cheese
Cave
Affinage	6–12 h dry;atleast 1year age	11.4	≈5.3make-end baseline; recheck during aging	Dry in ripening box at room temperature 6–12 h, turning once. Age 10–12.8°C and 80–85%RH; washdaily 10 days, weekly 2 months, then maintain rind.	Source gives no washrecipe; use established clean brine-housemethod.

Source and cheese-specific notes

International Cheese Regulars Recipes.txt — Alpkäse

US gallon assumed for the source 6G and 64 oz units; 6 US gal = 22.712 L.

Rennet adaptation: use a 200 IMCU/mL liquid animal rennet at its manufacturer’s labelled dose for 10 L and tune subsequent makes to the stated flocculation target. No conversion from the source’s uncharacterised double-strength powder is asserted.

Source 18% brine expresses salt relative to water mass, not total solution mass.

The source offers 1% mesophilic plus 1% thermophilic bulk cultures, or 0.1 g AlpD plus 0.05 g Su Casu per 6 US gal. This sheet selects the bulk option without claiming the powder masses are interchangeable.

≈ marks an illustrative prediction. Source targets and recorded readings are labelled separately; recorded readings are historical context, not targets for a new batch. Use a calibrated meter and the correct sample medium. Read the shared method and assumptions.