Air Drying - Accidentally For 5 Days, Impact?

[westernhorsegirl]

I will go ahead and tell my story. I have an interest in dairy, however this is my first time making cheese. I am making the cheese for a project to compare Holstein milk (raw), jersey milk (raw), and the local favorite storebought brand using the same recipe for farmhouse cheddar.

This time, I have made pepper-jack, as the dairyman who is helping me with the cheesemaking project, said it was one of the easiest cheeses to make. Anyways, I had done everything on the directions, and was in the process of letting it dry at room temperature. We were looking for a wine cooler, which seemed like the best thing we could find to keep it at a constant 55 degrees.

I was planning on leaving early for the weekend, and my dad said that he would take care of getting the wine cooler running. I came back today to find that the wine cooler's temperature never set and the cheese stayed at room temperature until now.

The cheese was set out to dry on Wednesday, is it still good or should I just throw it out? It is very dry and hard.

Thanks!

[Tomer1]

It likely formed a hard rind and lost some moisture.  you can wax it or vacuum bag it.

[westernhorsegirl]

so the cheese itself is still okay to eat once it properly ages?

[Boofer]

Wow, five days out at room temperature!    What was your room temperature like in your house where the cheese was kept? Warm and dry? Cool and humid?

You could try to save it by doing what Tomer suggested: wax it or vacuum-bag it. That may help draw some of the inner moisture (if there's any left) out to the rind which could soften up a bit.

Did it crack anywhere? Or develop any mold?

If nothing else, you can chalk this up as part of your education. Make sure your environment is operational before you walk away. Shrug it off and make another cheese. 

As far as eating the cheese once it ages (if it gets that far)...I have intentionally left some of my cheese out at room temperature for a month as part of the process. No problem eating it after that.
 
-Boofer-