I'm pleased to report that the Edam I made following this method has been opened after ripening for 7 weeks.
I had meant to give it eight weeks but was sorely tempted today and shared some on crackers with my wife.
I'm very pleased with the result and will be making more.
Making a buttermilk starter took a while but it supplied me with enough freezer cubes to make a few cheeses and a few that can be used to remake more starter.
I found it interesting that I could make cheese with just milk and rennet. Cheese made this way can really be called home-made. No commercial cultures needed!
The cheese is typical Edam, mild tasting, slightly 'squidgy'. It also has holes, which must be from something in the flora here that had set up in my buttermilk, I think.
Here's the Edam after brining and when surface dried a few days later:
Incidentally I read recently in a book written around 1900 that at that time a sort of rubber mat used to be supplied to fit under the follower so it got a better fit and avoided 'stepping' at the edge of the cheese. I think I might see if I can give that a go...
...and this is after ripening and sampling seven weeks later:
I make a label written in pencil to avoid ink migration and wrap it in a piece of cling film then put that in the vac pac with the cheese.
If you've time to spare it is an interesting and rewarding experiment which I would recommend.