Hi everyone, I cut into my first completed cheese this morning, what a great day to be alive! Technically it is the 2nd cheese I ever made, but it is the first one to the finish line (the other is a Tomme that is aging longer). It is a raw cow’s milk manchego using Caldwell’s “A simple picquant pressed cheese” recipe. I wanted to age it a while, but since it was just a 1 pound wheel I followed the advice of other forum members and decided to do a younger cheese (semi-curado if I remember correctly?).
For my first couple of cheeses I admittedly didn’t really take any notes on the make. But I wrote a few things down. My potential concerns with the cheese were that I let it press a touch too long (PH got down to 5.2, I was shooting for 5.3), and I left it in the brine 20 minutes longer than I anticipated. I was also concerned with the curd knit (the rind looked less fully closed than the Tomme I made previously, but I didn’t want to press longer since the ph was already on the low end). I aged it in a wine cooler for just under 30 days at 85% rh, and oiled the rind with olive oil. Due to the creases/pits in the rind there were a few persistent mold crannies that I was really hoping would not lead to a moldy paste - fortunately all mold was superficial! I had heard that oiling the rind discourages mold, but I was surprised at how often I had to wipe it with salt and vinegar to keep it clean (every few days).
The paste has fewer mechanical openings than expected, since I was unsatisfied with how closed the rind was. The cheese tastes tangy, and reminds me of a cheese I had in Mexico called Queso Guerrero. It is not too dry, and although I think there is a lot than can be improved upon this cheese will definitely get eaten. I am proud of and encouraged by this cheese!
