so I took my first traditional cheddar out of the press this morning, and there were a few creases showing here and there where those tough leathery curds hadn't completely smoothed over...is this normal? This is my first cheddar after making Gouda and Manchego, both of which had no seams on the outside after pressing. I did 35 pounds for 12 hours, flipped and did 45 pounds for 24 hours...I know that's 5 pounds short of what Ricki Carrol calls for, but couldn't get more weight on there with my makeshift setup.
Is this gonna be ok? Is there anything I can do about it at this point? Anyone know why it happened? For the moment, I've filled the creases with butter, as Carroll recommends for cracks, but not sure what to do next.
Thanks for your help!
Arne