Made my first cheddar.
Recipe is basically Peter Dixon's.
I only had 25kg in weight to press the cheese. It seemed to knit OK, but I will probably sample it after 6 months to see if I'm in the ballpark for texture, flavour, salt etc.
This is a condensed version of what I did. My recipe sheet has more scribble front and back than a kindergarten essay competition.
12 litres Norco homogenised/pastuerized milk
½ tsp CaCl in water
6 tbsp Diprox M265 mother
½ tsp Rennet in water
½ tsp Annatto in water
1½ tbsp Cheese Salt
Add ½ tsp CaCl in water to milk and indirectly heat to 30°C. Check pH
Add 6 tbsp M265 mother directly to milk and stir till dissolved. Check temperature is at 30°C
Cover and let rest untill pH is 0.05 below above pH, about 40 mins
Add ½ tsp Annatto in water and stir 30”. Add ½ tsp Rennet in water and stir 30”
Check time to flocculate and multiply time by 3.0 to get rest time
Cover and let rest. Check for clean break
Cut curds ½” with whisk, let rest 5 mins
While stirring, indirectly heat the curds to 35°C over 30 mins
While stirring, indirectly heat the curds to 40°C over 15 mins
Continuously stir untill whey pH is 6.2. Settle curds for 15 mins
Drain and save the whey
Cheddar untill curd pH is 5.7
Mill curds till uniform. Add 1½ tbsp cheese salt and mix well
Transfer curds to cheese cloth lined mould
Let covered curds drain for 15 mins
Press 10kg for 1 hr. Flip
Press 25kg for 16 hrs. Stop pressing at pH 5.3
Air dry for 1-2 days. Turn often
Cloth bandage using tallow with 2 x cheese cloth and 1 x butter muslin layers
Age in cheese cave 6-12 months
Turn every morning for 7 days
Turn every week for remaining time
And a couple of happy snaps before and after bandaging.
