> for extra-hard washed curd cheese. I met all the ph goals except for the final goal at the end of pressing, which she recommends at 5.4 for a smaller wheel. I only got to 5.6.
It may be unrelated, but that's not how you make a grana cheese. Grana cheeses do wash the curd and are cooked up to 55 C. Then you have a *very* long, low temperature pressing session after which you let it sit for a good day or so before you brine it. The idea is to press at a relatively high pH (up over 5.7 IIRC), but you let it completely bottom out to around 4.6 or so before you salt it. This gives it the grana texture and let's it age for a long time.
Do you have eye development when you make washed curd cheeses? Your problem may be your water.