Here is a cheese we made back in April. This was a small cheese made why the cows were still on hay out of about 10 gallons of milk.
For a cheese this small, the cooking time should have been reduced slightly. This cheese turned out a little too dry although the Alpkäse is a rather dry cheese.
5 1/2 months is very young for this cheese, it doesn't begin to develop its full flavor profile until it is at least a year old. But the flavor is good, despite a few harsh hay overtones. For a cheese this young, typically the cooking time is reduced to produce the softer, moister, 'Mutschli'
The rind is flawed, as it had a short time where it wasn't washed properly.
The flavor of this cheese is similar to Gruyere, which is closely related. It goes well with pasta or with German or Swiss style noodle dishes.
The interior of the cheese has a strong yellow color, largely due to the fact that the milk is that of cows feeding strictly on hay.
This cheese was also cultured with yogurt, and not our imported Swiss Alpine culture which was not yet ready at the time we made this cheese.