Cantal

[jawdog]

I made a 7 gal Cantal on Thursday.  Very quick make!  I pressed it for 12 hours at 25 pounds, and then 12 hours at 50 pounds.  Then, I milled it into rather small pieces and salted.  I warmed the curds back up to about 86 degrees, hoping to get a better fuse and smoother rind than past attempts at Cantal.  I pressed at 175 lbs for 48 more hours, keeping the room around 80 degrees.  The rind is better, but still has imperfections.  I plan on getting a pneumatic press before trying this one again.

John

[Sailor Con Queso]

Cantal is very difficult to press properly.

[jawdog]

I'm hoping 500 lbs on an 8" wheel will work.  Does rewarming the curds do anything (moisture, acidity)?

Thanks.  John

[Aris]

How are you going to treat the rind?

[jawdog]

Dry, oil, and vac seal after a month or so.

[justsocat]

I get better rind than i can see at Your pic when i make cantal. But after air drying there appear cracks. This happens to me everytime. The last cantal i decided to seal after only 4 days. Of course that will be the rindless cheese but i like it's taste and flavour so much!

[Aris]

Real Cantal has an awesome looking natural rind and they age it in caves and wipe it with cloth. I wonder what they put in the cloth. Vinegar maybe?

[fied]

Washing Cantal rind? It's a 3% brine, used twice a week. If you're lucky, it ends up with a grey-red rind.

[jawdog]

A natural rind would be great.  But, with the irregular surface of this one, it will be bagged.

I just ordered a pneumatic press from a forum member.  Cantal will be the first cheese it presses.

[justsocat]

jawdog,
do You line the mold with cheesecloth? The rind at Your pic looks like You don't.
And the the good press is the better solution You are right I believe.

[jawdog]

Yes, I use a medium weave cheesecloth.  It is dry now and hasn't cracked yet.

[justsocat]

So at my opinion You've got the success with this very wheel. It's better to have some caverns but no cracks

[Tomer1]

How about sealing it in warm 60c water\whey  for a few seconds like some do with cheedars?

[justsocat]

I've tried that, but 60C is too low to seal the rind evenly. And when i went to higher temp i was forced to place the wheel upon something i could put into hot water instead of my hand. The cheese stick to any material i use. May be i did something wrong but the result was ugly
The better solution is to increase the pressure anyway.

[Iezzo]

How similar is the Cantal to the Laguiole?  Would an oiled bandage (burlap?) be appropriate for your wheel?