Curds won't knit so now what?

[tnbquilt]

I'd wax it. I clothbanded a few cheddars and they come out drier than the ones that I waxed. I like a little moister to the cheddar.

[jwalker]

I'd wax it. I clothbanded a few cheddars and they come out drier than the ones that I waxed. I like a little moister to the cheddar.

Good advice , especially for such a thin wheel , they tend to dry out while aging more than the thicker ones.

[bobbymac29649]

It's drying nicely now.  It's dry to the touch so I'm guessing it's ok to wax?
After the initial 10lb press it weighed 2lbs 9oz.  It now weighs 1lb 12 1/2 oz.
Per Mary Karlin's instructions I brined it for 8 hours in a nearly saturated brine. (20oz of salt in 3 quarts of water)
That seems a pretty long time for a cheese that's only an inch thick.  But, I'm learning so we'll see...
Thanks again everyone for your assistance.
Bobby

[High Altitude]

It looks really good now Bobby.  Cant wait to see the end result in a couple of months!

Just a thought for your next one...press in a 2 lb mold (like 5" diameter).  I do that for all the recipes in Karlin's book calling for the 8" mold (after making a gruyere in the 8" mold that also turned out about 1-2" thick).  So far it has worked for everything I've made.  I think you really need 4 gals of milk to properly fill those 8" molds.

[bobbymac29649]

I will definitely be using a smaller mold.  Thanks for the advice.  I don't want my cheeses to look like Frisbees!
I'd like to make four gallon batches but my 2/3 steam pan fits perfectly in my sink which I fill with hot water. 

Is it possible to make cheese in batches i.e. make a two gallon batch, set the finished curds aside, then make another two gallon batch.  Mix the curds from the two batches together to make a 4 lb cheese...Can it be done?

[jwalker]

Yes , it might be possible , but a lot more work.

I am guessing you may have issues with changing PH and such while the first batch is sitting waiting.

I bought a stainless stock pot from Amazon for $30 , which holds 4 gallons comfortably , with room to stir , I like making cheese a lot more now.

A worthwhile investment if you really like doing it.

[bobbymac29649]

Well, I opened this farmhouse cheddar yesterday.  It was a little on the dry side, not much, but a tad.  I have to get over my lipase addiction.  I've learned that not everyone likes their cheese to smell like feet!  It didn't melt very well but browned nicely and was delicious. 

[Denise]

After a rocky journey it all came out well in the end. Well done. A Cheese! ^-^

[Spoons]

Well done indeed!

When you say it didn't melt well, did it "foam" instead of melting? I've had that happen to me once on a colby. Never found out what caused it.

[bobbymac29649]

Well done indeed!

When you say it didn't melt well, did it "foam" instead of melting? I've had that happen to me once on a colby. Never found out what caused it.

No, it didn't foam.  It got soft, held it's shape and browned beautifully.

[Digitalsmgital]

you said it was dry and delicious, but what about the cheddar flavor? I want to try that recipe from Karlin's book but am afraid it will come out too bland  :o

[bobbymac29649]

you said it was dry and delicious, but what about the cheddar flavor? I want to try that recipe from Karlin's book but am afraid it will come out too bland  :o

It's far from bland.  It reminds me of a Romano.  It has a nice sharp tang to it. 
Use more weight than the Karlin recipe calls for.  That was the whole problem.  If you look at earlier posts in this string you'll see what a mess I had.

[Digitalsmgital]

It looks really good! And if its not bland then I will certainly try it...you said in a post above that you need to get over your lipase addiction, did you add that? My Karlin book has chives in that recipe but no lipase.

[bobbymac29649]

It looks really good! And if its not bland then I will certainly try it...you said in a post above that you need to get over your lipase addiction, did you add that? My Karlin book has chives in that recipe but no lipase.

I didn't use chives but I did add 1/4 tsp of Lipase.  I used raw milk as well.