My first proper Cheddar

[Reflector]

My previous few cheddars (maybe 3 or 4) were all of a stirred curd variety and were  salted in a brine bath. They came out fine, but perhaps a bit on the dry and bland side. I think the delay in getting the cheese infused with salt may have caused too much acid to develop.

So with this 15L raw milk make, in an attempt to achieve a softer paste and more depth of flavour, I let the curd mass go through the proper cheddaring and milling stages, and I added 2% of salt directly.  I also cut back a bit on the mesophilic cultured milk addition, and only added 2.5% wet stuff.  This cheese has just come out of the press (16hrs worth at around 6psi). So far it looks promising (touch wood) and the wheel has a somewhat suppler feel to it than my previous attempts. One can only hope!   

[Boofer]

Looks promising. And here's hoping....

It's good that you're referring back to previous make notes and making corrections. How long will you age it?

-Boofer-

[Spoons]

Very nice wheel, Reflector! 6 psi is pretty good for a counter top home-press (pulley system is the way to go). Well done!

[Reflector]

Thank you, Boofer and Spoons. I'm planning on waxing this one and then age it for 2 months. That's a long time to share a house with a cheese.  I'll try not to name it, although "Stoby" is starting to sound good. Maybe I'll just dispense with the surname. 

[awakephd]

Reflector, don't be surprised if you are a bit disappointed with the cheddar at 2 months. My first traditional cheddar was okay, but nothing more, at 2 months. I put half back and it was definitely better at 3 months. Based on that experience, I am determined to wait at least 6 months before opening the next cheddar that I made -- it's coming up on 5 months next week. And if I can back to making some cheese, and make some Caerphilly to hold me over, I may be able to let it age longer than that.

[Fundy Mental]

nice job dude. Now that the "hurry up" has finished comes the worst part. "the wait"   

[JeffHamm]

That's a nice looking wheel!  A cheese to you Reflector. 

I fully agree with awakephd.  Two months isn't enough time for a cheddar to complete its make procedure.  The cultures require a long time to work on the curd, and really, six months is the bare minimum for a cheddar to start coming into its own.  I would even suggest you plan on something closer to 8 months for this fine looking cheese. 

There are some protocols on the boards for cheddar type cheeses that are ready a bit sooner.  Caerphilly is the one I tend to recommend (I like it at the 3 week age, as it still has a young tang to it then).  There's a lancashire make by MrsKK that is really nice around the 2 month range.  Most other cheddar types are ok, but unremarkable, unless you give them time.  There's a cheshire protocol that fied posted a few years back which I've made a couple times and it is great at 8+ months (I've got a wee wedge left of my most recent one, and will have to make a replacement in the next while for next year).

So, if you cut into it at 2 months and think "eh, ok, but not much there", then just re-wax it and try it again at 6 months.  Yes, you can simply re-wax it and wait.  Will continue to age and develop, so no big loss if you give in to temptation!

- Jeff

[Reflector]

Thanks to all for the encouragement, and the very useful advice. I must admit it is nice not to have to re-invent the, erm, wheel.  Six months it shall be! 

[Reflector]

The cheese has lost 8% in moisture over the last week, and I decided he felt dry enough to apply a coat of PVA and wax. Here he is somewhat irreverently coated in molten candles. Now to put him away for the equivalent of three generations of hamster.

[OzzieCheese]

Just a thought... If you really want to get to get trad. try and cloth bandage a cheddar - leaving it 6-9 months and I promise you it will be worth it.  I have one at 6 months and is getting a family of various colonies on the bandage and is fun to watch develop.

-- Mal

[Reflector]

Hi Mal. I'm dead keen on trying bandaging and will do so once my cave is sorted. At the moment I  keep the cheeses in an unused fridge and pop in a frozen gel pack once or twice a day which seems to keep the temperature within limits, but the moisture is all over the place. With summer around the corner, I'm going to have to make another plan.

Did you return your cheddar to the press for a while after wrapping, or how do you persuade the cloth to cling?

[OzzieCheese]

Lots of lard and about 4 layers of cheese cloth finished of with a top and side of butter muslin.  I use cloths that have been used a few times so I don't mind cutting them up for this.. The last recycle..
Basically I cut 8 circles of the cheese cloth about 1/2 inch larger than the diameter of the cheese and 4 strips 1 and 1/2 time the diameter of the cheese. A block of lard and got to town on it.  Top - bottom - sides rubbing lard into the layers.  I finish off with a top bottom and side of butter muslin. The beauty about this is that the molds grow on the layers of cloth and keeps the moisture in the cheese and still allow the gas exchange.  Have a look here at what it looks like

http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10377.0.html

It works and you will not look at a store bought cheese again in the same light - trust me, this is it !!

-- Mal

[Boofer]

It works and you will not look at a store bought cheese again in the same light - trust me, this is it !!

Wow, what a salesman!    Very encouraging, Mal.

-Boofer-

[John@PC]

Now to put him away for the equivalent of three generations of hamster.

  For the enlightenment of everyone (including me) who isn't familiar with the gestation period of hamsters (from Wikipedia, of course:

Gestation lasts 16 to 18 days for Syrian hamsters, 18 to 21 days for Russian hamsters, 21 to 23 days for Chinese hamsters and 23 to 30 for Roborovski hamsters.

So if we're talking about 3 generations of Roborovsi, you're planning on a 3 month gestation aging?   Seriously it's a great looking cheese and good information so a cheese for you!

[John@PC]

Have a look here at what it looks like
http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10377.0.html

I checked that link Mal and a great looking cheese and result.  I just wonder if anyone has substituted coconut oil for lard?  I know lard will go rancid quicker than coconut oil and coconut oil has good anti-oxidize properties (have no idea if that is a good or bad thing).  I must made a small cheddar and have a couple coats of coconut oil already but I've got gobs of cheesecloth and I'm thinking about bandaging it just to see.