Hi
I am making my third gouda and although I am getting much more consistency than my first two, thanks to Sailor Con Queso's suggestion to create started culture the night before, I still notice that after my last wash at 102, the PH will drop faster than I would like it to to allow it to press in the whey and then press long enough outside to create a nice rind. I am able to seal the rind well because I use more weight than instructed, but I understand that I should press for 4 to 6 hours and I am done at 2 hours (PH = 5.3)
I use raw milk and the starting PH was 6.6 (high end PH meter and calibrated). At curd cut, my PH was doing well at 6.45. What do you think I can do to slow down the PH drop after curd wash?
Thanks