Holy Colby! :)

[Rain Frances]

Hi my friends

I have a wee question.

I made my first Colby Cheese (recipe from New England Cheese Making Site). Everything went well...it dried nicely with very few mold dots to brush off. I followed all of the instructions. When it came time to vac-seal it, it was too big for my bag, so I cut it in half and to my surprise, I saw holes:



Made: Aug 26th
Dried from: Aug 27th to Sep 2nd (2 days in room temp, 5 days in cheese cave)
Sealed: Sep 3rd

I'm no Colby expert, but from what I have seen, it's not a  holy cheese is it? I don't mind, I mean it smells divine, though I haven't tasted it yet.

Any thoughts? Thanks!
Rain

[Gregore]

Non round holes like you have come from the curd not completely pressed solid , due to many things like ph at time of molding , most likely .  To moisture level , or pressing weight.

No worries it will not cause any harm

[Rain Frances]

That makes total sense to me Gregore. I don't have a cheese press, I use bricks and dumbbells. This works for the Cheddars because I have a small mold for them. The Colby is a huge cheese and I had to use a plastic colander with a coffee saucer as the follower and I know it didn't get the pressing the Cheddars get. I'm glad to know about this! I've actually ordered a larger mold with a follower for future larger batch cheeses!

[awakephd]

Agreed - particularly if it smells good, it is fine.

[Rain Frances]

Thanks Andy

I'm starting to learn!

[awakephd]

The nice thing about the learning process in this hobby is that usually you can eat even your mistakes ... and either way, after the cheese is eaten or tossed in the trash, no evidence remains behind. Mistake? What mistake?

[Rain Frances]

LOL Andy...that's so true. The painter Bob Ross always said (in his hypnotic voice) "There are no mistakes when you paint, just happy accidents." I live by that!

[Col68]

Hello Rain Frances, not bad for a start, I think in may of time you are going to present us with good cheeses, I give you a cheese for motivation, good cheer and good cheese, cordially.

[Rain Frances]

Thank you Col68! I don't plan on giving up my cheese making, so I hope I keep improving!

[awakephd]

LOL Andy...that's so true. The painter Bob Ross always said (in his hypnotic voice) "There are no mistakes when you paint, just happy accidents." I live by that!

[valereee]

I'm no Colby expert, but from what I have seen, it's not a  holy cheese is it? I don't mind, I mean it smells divine, though I haven't tasted it yet.

Rain, old-fashioned Colby is a holy cheese! In the 1970s, the state of Wisconsin changed the requirements for Colby to say that it could or could not have holes. Before that, it always had holes. In large commercial cheese factories, the part of the process that results in the holes is more expensive. So, guess what? The "colby" you find in grocery stores is not what those of us who grew up eating Colby before the mid-70s remember and instead is closer to a mild, slightly sweet cheddar. Your Colby is what Colby used to be.

Val

[Rain Frances]

Oh, that's really cool Val, thank you for the history lesson!!! So I didn't know it but I made a traditional Colby!
That kind of makes me feel good.