Asiago — Peter Dixon

Cooked thermophilic cow-milk cheese with long rind ripening. 10 L milk. Shared calculations and pH notes.

Milk: 10 L milk
Make: 4 h + overnight press + 24 h maturation
Salt at: curd pH about 5.1, 18% brine
Affinage: 2–24 months, 11–13 °C

Ingredients

Already-pasteurised cow milkEvening/morning blend, 3.3–3.6% fat; skim if needed: 10 L
TA050 starter0.5 DCU/100 lb raw-milk source rate, doubled for pasteurised milk: 0.227 DCU
LH100 starter0.25 DCU/100 lb raw-milk source rate, doubled for pasteurised milk: 0.113 DCU
Calcium chloride, 30%Scaled from 5–8 mL per 13.5 L: 3.70–5.93 mL
Rennet, assumed 200 IMCU/mLDilute in 37 mL water: 2.00 mL
BrineAlternative Monte 1% dry salting is not selected: 18% NaCl

Stage	Time	°C	pH	Do	Notes
Milk
Pasteurise				Skip for this cheese	Use already-pasteurised milk; this heating stage is skipped.
Culture	mix gently	32–34	≈6.6predicted, milk	Blend milk, warm to 32–34 °C, add calcium chloride and TA050 plus LH100.	Starter dose is doubled from the raw-milk source rate.
Ripen	30–45 min	32–34	≈6.6predicted, milk	Cover and ripen.
Rennet	25–30 min	32–34	6.5source target, curd	Add diluted rennet; check floc at 12–15 min and cut only when firm.	Source rennet-stage pH about 6.5; no reliable floc multiplier specified.
Curd
Cut and rest	5–10 min	32–34	≈6.5predicted, curd	Cut to rice-grain/corn-kernel size and stir gently.
Scald	20 min ramp + 15–20 min hold	32 → 40	≈6.3predicted, curd	Stir and heat to 40 °C, then hold 15–20 min.	Conflicting source ramp-rate instruction is noted above.
Second cook	20 min + until firm	40 → 46–48	≈6.2predicted, curd	Heat to 46–48 °C and continue until curds are springy and cohesive.	Final hold time is unspecified; the model includes only the 20 min ramp.
Pitch	5 min	46–48	6.2source target, curd	Settle curds before draining.	Source curd pH about 6.2 at drain/mould.
Stir				Skip for this cheese
Shape
Drain and form	until packed	46–48 → room	≈6.2predicted, curd	Gather curds into a cake, cut mould-sized pieces and fill the forms.	Model assumes 9 min packing.
Press	1 h then overnight	22–24	≈5.1predicted, curd	Press at 2× cheese weight for 1 h. Turn, rewrap in brine-soaked cloth and press again. Turn once more if possible and leave overnight.	Model assumes 12 h overnight.
Mature before salting	24 h	22–24	5.2source target, curd; act on measurement	Allow further acidification, checking curd pH 5.3–5.1 before salting.	Do not blindly continue the full hold if the curd is already below the target.
Salt	8.82–11.02 h/kg	10–13	5.1source target, curd; act on measurement	Brine in 18% solution. Turn daily and sprinkle exposed tops with salt.	Target curd pH about 5.1. The source Monte dry-salting alternative is not selected.
Mill				Skip for this cheese
Cave
Surface dry	2–3 days	10–13	≈5.0make-end baseline; recheck during aging	Turn wheels daily until the surface is dry.
Affinage	2–24 months	11–13	≈5.0make-end baseline; recheck during aging	Age at 85–90% RH. Scrub rind with brine or rub salt every 3–4 days for 2 months, then as needed.	Fresco 2–3 months; Mezzano 3–9 months; Vecchio over 9 months.

Source and cheese-specific notes

Peter Dixon Asiago.docx; Peter Dixon Asiago.txt

Source raw milk is adapted to already-pasteurised milk, with the source instruction to double starter dosage.

DCU calculation assumes milk density 1.029 kg/L. The TA050/LH100 route is selected; alternative Rosell Thermo C dosage is unspecified and the CSL GR14/15 weight-based option is not transferred.

Source set time 25–30 min and flocculation at 12–15 min do not imply a consistent 3× flocculation multiplier. Cut by actual firm set/clean break.

Source cook-1 ramp of 32→40 °C in 20 min conflicts with its stated 1 °F per 2–3 min rate. This sheet selects the explicit 20 min stage and flags the discrepancy.

Source brining 4–5 h/lb is converted to 8.82–11.02 h/kg; actual wheel dimensions govern application.

≈ 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.