Cheddaring Process - question for Linuxboy

[dthelmers]

LB,
I've been making a cheddar that I'm quite happy with, the one based on your fresh curd recipe. Instead of stacking the curd, I've been pressing at medium pressure for an hour to an hour and a half, then milling the curd and salting, then pressing at my heaviest pressure. It seems to be working. I don't know how well it will age, as the oldest any one has gotten is eight weeks. It's quite tasty at three weeks, and is similar to a Lancashire. Am I missing anything by using this press instead of stacking and turning?
Second question: I've been ripening the milk to 6.4 before renneting. The milk I've been using has had a pH of 6.6. The last batch I made, the pH was 6.8. I ripened to 6.4, but should I be looking for that particular marker, or that amount of drop from original pH?
Thanks, Dave in CT

[linuxboy]

Am I missing anything by using this press instead of stacking and turning?

Nope. Perhaps the first press traps a bit of moisture, but that's mitigated by the later mill.  Also depending on your temp, might not achieve enough acidification.

should I be looking for that particular marker, or that amount of drop from original pH?

With blended milk, it would be delta, because the milk should never be 6.8 when blended. With selected milk, would be absolute. Also depends on protein quality in milk.

[dthelmers]

Thanks! I've been waiting until it hits 5.4 to mill, and that usually takes an hour in the mold. This was the first time I had the high initial pH. It was three gallons of P/H milk with one gallon of fresh raw Jersey milk from the local farm. I didn't measure the individual pH before mixing them, so I don't know which was doing this, but I imagine it was the P/H milk.
Thanks again for all your help!
Dave in CT