I really appreciate the work that went into this thread.
I made Halloumie with 2 gallons raw high fat cow milk, meso culture, rennet. I pressed at 20 pounds. The curds didn't stay together well, so I cooked them in cheesecloth. It was hard to tell if they were floating or the cloth was pulling them up. I did not make an albumin cheese with the whey prior to cooking the cheese. Cooled and then put in saturated brine at room temp 70*F, after 5 days the outside of the cheese was becoming soft and the brine looked cloudy, so I air dried and salted.
I'm curious as to why it became soft in the brine? Would a day long air dry first be better? Too warm a temp?
I'm not a huge fan of salty cheeses, but this one has developed enough flavor to be addictive. Grilled cheese and grilled fruit - and up all night drinking water.