Hello.
I'm working on two batches of my first pressed cheese, Manchego. I've been struggling with maintaining the correct humidity/temp, and as I'm new to this I don't really know what the cheeses should look and smell like. The first batch I have in a cooler with ice packs. The temperature has been perfect for the 8 days it's been in there but the humidity has been horribly low, anywhere from 45% to 60%. After 8 days it's started to smell but I can't really describe it; not quite ammonia but definitely getting pungent. There has been no mold on it yet so I just keep flipping it everyday and changing the freezer packs.
The second batch I've got in the veggie crisper in the fridge. The temp hovers around 44 degrees but as it's our main fridge I can't really sacrifice all our food for a wheel of cheese (can I?). The humidity is lower than I would like but I can generally keep it around 70-75%. This little sweetheart is only two days old so there's no smell or anything.
My main concern is what the older cheese looks and smells like. It's really just a white, nondescript blob of smelly dairy product. It's hard to imagine that it might turn into something that resembles the authentic Manchego that I love so much.
So after all that, does anyone have any pictures of their successful Manchego production? I'd love to see something that resembles the white mass that is occupying my cooler. Also any notes on how the cheese develops would be appreciated. I guess I just need a hug and encouraging pat on the head...