Greetings from a little island off Australia

[5ittingduck]

Hi everybody.
I'm a busy amateur from Tasmania Australia, making cheeses from raw, unpasteurized cows milk for the last couple of years.
I age in vacuum bags in fridges running at about 10 Celsius and make mainly hard aged cheeses (Gouda, Manchego, Farmhouse Cheddar, Caerphilly, Romano, Parmesan, just starting to experiment with blues and Swiss styles).
I also use a bit of Australian native herbs and spices as flavoring in my experimentals.
Currently trying to improve my pressing (planning a wall mount Dutch press) as my pressing weight has been too low, and trying to get eyes in my Swiss and hybrid swiss cheeses (unsuccessfully so far).
I don't use a PH meter and have a bit of a rough and ready approach to documentation (unlike you guys who seem much more organized that I.)
:)

[awakephd]

Welcome to the forum! And tell us more about the bi-colored cheese shown in the picture - looks intriguing!

[5ittingduck]

The bicolour is a farmhouse cheddar (recipe from Carroll's book).  The curd made in 2 batches, one plain with home made pickled onions chopped and added just before hooping, and the other colored with annatto with dried (homegrown) tomatoes.
I filled the moulds with pickled onion first, then topped with tomato and pressed.
I have not tasted one yet, they are only about 4 months old at this stage.
The plain cheeses are Romano, which will be ready next year.

[Duntov]

Welcome to the forum.  Your cheeses look very intriguing!  Keep us posted on your makes.

[Andrew Marshallsay]

Welcome on board. Those certainly are interesting looking cheeses. I will be interested in hearing how they turn out as well as hearing more about the native herbs and spices that you are experimenting with.
I am also in the process of trying to get eye formation in some Jarlsberg. If you are interested, the post is here.

[5ittingduck]

Some of the work in progress.  My favorite spice is Tasmanian Native Pepper, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasmannia_lanceolata .
Ground and added (Banded cheddar) or infused (the Pink and White cheese). 
Rhagodia is just being tested, I'll get back to you on that one :)  http://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/scotia/key/Plants%20and%20Fungi%20of%20south%20western%20NSW/Media/Html/Rhagodia_spinescens.htm.
Experimenting with Chives, Jalapeno, Honey, Coffee, Chocolate, Balsamic, wine, garlic etc as rubs, brines and additives.
I lost a lot of my experimental cheeses and all my cheddars last year when a fridge thermostat broke and everything froze.  That was pretty tragic :(.
I'll watch your Jarlsberg post with interest. 

[Gregore]

Holly crap that is a lot of cheese .

I bow to you and give you a digital cheese to go with those.

[awakephd]

Yes, I'm going to have to add another cheese (thumbs up) - quite impressive, both in quantity and in your experimenting with additions. I'll be interested in taste reports, but meanwhile they sure do look pretty!

[Duntov]

Holly crap that is a lot of cheese .

You took the words right out of my mouth!

[Andrew Marshallsay]

Add another cheese from me in recognition of your experimental approach.

[OzzieCheese]

Raw milk... oooh how I wish....  Look forward to reading some of your exploits.

Mal

[5ittingduck]

You are welcome to visit and try if you are down this way :)
Some time in winter we will taste and repack a whole bunch of experimental spring cheeses, that should be fun.
Some older exploits show up on reddit "cheesemaking" forum.

[Jay-1]

 G'Day from Tasmania, thank you for the warm welcome, to return the favour, Welcome to the forum, may your cheese set well and taste great.
Jay.

[Geodyne]

Cor blimey that's a lot of cheese. Truly impressive, have a cheese.

I'm revisiting the forums after a hiatus from cheesemaking, and am another Tasmanian. It's nice to see more Tasmanians on the site!

[John@PC]

I just had to give you another cheese for the cheeses and the caves.  Reminds me of the first Crocodile Dundee movie but instead of brandishing his knife he shows a picture of your two caves and says "now, THIS is a cheese cave" ;).