John's Cheese #020 - American Neufchâtel #3

[Cheese Head]

No cream type cheese in fridge, decided to make Neufchâtel Cheese for third time based on recipe posted here. First time's records posted here, second time's records posted here, although I tried to unsuccessfully accelerate the process.

RECORDS

• July 6, 2008 7:50AM Poured 1 US gallon/3.8 liters of store bought pasteurized homogenized whole cow's milk from fridge into stockpot on smallest ring of stove. Added 4 ice cubes of homemade mesophilic starter culture. Started warming with ring on low setting, measured temperature @ 53 F/12 C and pH at 6.30.
• July 6, 2008 8:05AM Finished warming to room temperature, turned stove ring off, measured temperature at 76 F/24 C and pH at 6.17.
• July 6, 2008 8:15AM Whisked in estimated 1/16 teaspoon powdered microbial CHR Hansen Rennet and 1/4 teaspoon non-iodized salt dissolved in 1/2 cup water, measured pH at 6.16. Covered and set aside to ripen and curd to set.
• July 6, 2008 10:45AM Checked for clean break, not, melted another 1/16 teaspoon powdered rennet in water and whisked into semi thick milk. Measured pH at 6.11, covered and set adide to ripen and curd to set.
• July 6, 2008 7:45PM Checked for clean break, good, cut curds to accelerate whey drainage while hanging in bag overnight, curds were soft as no cooking.
• July 6, 2008 8:00PM Measured whey temperature at room temperature 77 F/25 C and pH at 5.85. Ladled curds and whey into polyester fine weave but strong cheesecloth lined colander to drain whey.
• July 6, 2008 8:30PM Hung curds to gravity rain whey overnight.
• July 7, 2008 6:00AM Unhung cheese, inverted into sealed plastic container and placed in fridge. Cheese was still a little wet on top as expected and a little wet on bottom, unexpected.
• July 7, 2008 6:00PM Found more whey around cheese in container in fridge, poured off whey.
• July 8, 2008 6:00AM Found more albeit less whey than previously, poured off whey.
• July 9, 2008 8:00PM Added dried colantro and cayenne pepper as flavouring and put back in fridge.

NOTES

• Polyester tight weave worked much better than heavy cotton cheesecloth and much better than nylon course weave cheesecloth at hanging - gravity draining whey. Only problem is fraying edges, have to get sewn.
• Hung cheese for 10.5 hours as per original recipe, but got whey around cheese in fridge, need to hang cheese longer than recipe called for.
• Hung cheese overnight and thus did not turn inside cheesecloth to put top wetside down. Next time start in evening and let culture grow overnight and hang during day so that can 1) spatula filter cake drier cheese off of bag and enable moister curds to drain faster and 2) can turn cheese to wet side down.

[Cheese Head]

Pictures #2 . . .

[Cheese Head]

OK all ya'lls, help me choose what to flavour my Neufchatel with . . . lots of herbs and spices and peppers in cupboards . . . any recommendations?

[DaggerDoggie]

As I have yet to add any outside flavors to my cheeses yet...first, I have to get the basic cheese flavor correct, I am looking forward to making a peppercorn cheese.  I think that will be my first.