First Caerphilly is a success!

[awakephd]

I cut into my first Caerphilly today. Not my first aged cheese -- I've made about 10 thus far -- but only the fourth to come of age, since required so much less aging than the others I've made. This one is 4 weeks old; I would have tried it at 3 weeks, bit I've been travelling for the past two weeks.

I'm very pleased with the results. As best I can tell from the descriptions I've read here, it came out just right: crumbly but not dry, salty, tangy. My youngest daughter was especially enthusiastic about it.

I followed the recipe in 200 Easy Cheeses pretty much to a T, but used 1/8 tsp MA011 and 1/16 tsp MD88 in lieu of Flora Danica or similar. Definitely a cheese I will make again, though next time I will cut back a bit on the brining time, or try making it from the recipe that Jeff Hamm has posted.

Pictures below show the cheese just before and just after cutting. The slight red coloration came from the wax -- yes, I know, not a cheese that needs to be waxed, but as I said I've been travelling abroad the last two weeks, and wanted to keep it simple for my daughter to look after, so I waxed it just before I left on my trip.

[awakephd]

Hmm ... I was just looking at the "hard other" forum and noticed several Caerphilly posts there. Maybe I posted this in the wrong place? If so, my apologies. Is there a way to move it?

[JeffHamm]

Nice looking caerphilly! Sounds like it came out just right, so a cheese to you.  There are versions of caerphilly that are cheddared, and versions that are not, so it fits in both boards.  The 200 version doesn't have a cheddaring step as I recall, so technically it would be a "hard other", but I won't tell if you don't?! 

Anyway, technicalities aside, great looking cheese.  This is one I really think all beginning cheesemakers should work at to really get some quick feedback on their technique.  One improves and learns a great deal from making this cheese.  And, it doesn't take a lot of patience to get tucking into it. 

- Jeff

[H-K-J]

Looks like you did it right, my wife and I love this cheese although we try to age them 4 to 5 weeks before they opened
Have another cheese

[awakephd]

Thank you both! Yes, this began disappearing at an alarming rate, but hopefully I will still have some left at 5 - 6 weeks to see how it compares. Meanwhile, I have a Lancashire that will be ready in another four weeks, and some Gouda coming due another month after that. I'll probably make another Caerphilly somewhere in there so that I am not without cheese in between, and I need to make some others for longer aging ...

[GlabrousD]

Congratulations on a fine looking Caerphilly. A Cheese to you.

Cheers, GD.

[John@PC]

A really nice looking cheese (and greetings from a sandlapper just south of you).  Looks like you're already gotten a cheese from Jeff so I'll give you another in advance for the Lancashire while waiting for pictures (can I do that  ?). 

[awakephd]

Thanks! The Lancashire is killing me -- it smells heavenly, but I'm trying to wait a bit longer to open it. (It is 5 weeks old yesterday.) I may have to go ahead and cut it next weekend, since I will be visiting with my parents. That would be 6 weeks ... then maybe I can save half for 8 weeks. Maybe.