I have done a lot of reading on this site and elsewhere on the art of making cheddar, only one way to find out if I am an apt pupil!
3 US gallons P&H whole milk
1/2 pint pasteurized cream
1/2 t calcium chloride in distilled water
1/2 t Meso II
3.5 floc multiplier
86 F pitch temp
102 F cook temp
1/2 " curd cut
stacked 1/2 slabs for one hour
milled 1/2 " cubes with 2% salt by weight
pressed in warm whey first hour flipped once at 15 lb.s deadweight
kept warm with heating pad pressed 3 hours at 25 lb.s
still with pad pressed overnight (about 10 hours) at 50 lb.s
I modeled this make using several sources, thanks to LB, Caldwell, skasnerkay and others guidance.
Problems;
The milled curds were very hard and can still be seen in the finished wheel. The cheese cloth was sticking to the wheel like I have never experienced before. I wanted to use Linuxboy's spritz of calcium chloride, vinegar and water solution on the cloth to keep it from sticking, but did not know the formula. 2.5 grams of salt seemed like too much! (I put a bit less) The final wheel weighed 1.25 kilos or about 2.75 lb.s so I may have too little salt. It took almost all day!
Positives;
It took almost all day! Fun day for a cheese geek!