The "cheddaring" process... please explain

[Spoons]

I'm fairly new to the hobby and have read ALOT about the basics of making cheese, but I can't quite picture how to do the CHEDDARING process.

I'm goin to Glengarry (Alexandria, ON) this Friday to purchase a tomme mold (my first mold... woot!) and some culture and I'm planning to try my first traditional cheddar that evening.

So about cheddaring :

Once I've got the curd drained through the strainer, it should have become a mass that has taken the shape of the strainer by this point (right?)

Now this is where I'm confused :
At this point I should cut the curd mass into slabs of 1/2" thick? I'm trying to visualise, but it just seems like those slabs will end up pretty thin, so how can you stack on 1/2 inch?. Can anyone clarify, Please? The pics I've seen don't quite match what seems to be described...
Then the whole stacking and flipping process is slightly confusing as well (at least to me...)

Can someone please help and explain thoroughly along with pictures? I would greatly appreciate it.

BTW, I bought the Complete IDIOT's Guide To Making Cheese and I still need help... LOL!

[wharris]

It used to be thought that the whole point of cheddaring was to obtain Cheddar Cheese's characteristic texture.
"The piling and repiling of blocks of warm curd in the cheese vat for about 2 h also squeezed out any pockets of gas that formed during manufacture. Cheesemakers came to believe that the characteristic texture of Cheddar cheese was a direct result of the cheddaring process."

This theory is no longer accepted and true, as there are new modern methods of commercial cheddar production that exclude this traditional cheddaring step, but yet still produce cheese with the characteristic texture.

The development of the fibrous structure in the curd of traditionally made Cheddar does not commence until the curd has reached a pH of 5.8 or less. The changes that occur are a consequence of the development of acid in the curd and the consequent loss of calcium and phosphate from the protein matrix.

I believe cheddaring is done now, mainly due to tradition.

But here is how it cheddaring is done in commercial cheese facilities.

cheddaring

[FarmerJd]

Here is a link to a thread where I posted my cheddaring process. One pic has the slabs stacked. The pic of the curds in the cooler is what it looks like before i cut the slabs. I let the whey drain and the curds consolidate into one mass then I cut the slabs like sandwich bread and stack the slices.

[ConnieG]

FarmerJd, how big was that finished cheese in the photo?  I like the idea of the cooler  - do you do anything special to clean it?

[FarmerJd]

They usually turn out about 15-20 lbs when they are through drying. I use boiling water to sanitize everything but I plan on using Star San like everyone else on here this year. One problem with the cooler that i am dealing with after using it alot is that the knife I cut the slabs with has significantly scarred up the bottom of the cooler so that I will eventually start getting plastic particles if I don't do something. The great thing about a cooler is that it keeps the heat in. I also attached a couple of incandescent bulbs to the lid for extra heat while cheddaring.

[ConnieG]

Do you have a pict of your hoop and press on here?

[Sailor Con Queso]

When cheddaring is almost complete you can pull on a chunk of the cheese mass, and it will actually be fibrous like a piece of grilled chicken. You can actually see strands. That's because the pH has dropped, probably around 5.2-5.4 and everything is really starting to aggressively bond together (until you add salt). If you wait too long the pH will get too low and it becomes harder to pull those fiberous pieces away from the rest of the curd mass. Curds that have "cheddared" too long will also be much more difficult to mill by hand. A lower pH also means a harder, drier cheese. So, if you don't have a pH meter this is one time where you can get a really good "feel" for what the cheese is doing.

[FarmerJd]

Do you have a pict of your hoop and press on here?

Yes, here is link.


I hope one day to get the "feel" for this texture Sailor is referring to.

[ConnieG]

That is so cool!  I loved that whole thread and your system is incredible. 

This forum has opened up so much to me - I hadn't thought outside the kitchen table press before.  I'm learning so much everyday - it's really quite overwhelming.

JD does your wife post here?

[FarmerJd]

No but she and the kids know all the regular posters by name. Cheeseforum is Dad's obsession but cheesemaking is a family affair. The ultimate insult on a cheesemaking day is, "Dad, do you think you should ask Linuxboy?"   Been asked that many times.

[ConnieG]

LOL, LOL!!  Cheese day sounds like quite an event at your place.  What fun

[DeejayDebi]

Nothing like a show of confidence from the tribe eh?