Avoiding muslin/Plyban/cloth marks

[amiriliano]

So does anyone have a good trick minimizing the amount of marks left on wheels from cloths. I've tried muslin and Plyban. Plyban seems to be a bit better but I can never smooth out the cloth completely.

Any ideas?

[Spoons]

Plyban is a good start. Then do a "naked" press in the mould without the plyban for a few hours if it's a hard cheese. If it's  a semi-hard cheese like a gouda or havarti, you don't even need to apply pressure. Just put your cheese naked in the mould and put them in the cave for a few hours if you want to slow down the acidification right before the brining.

[Boofer]

If it's a cheese that gets rubbed or washed during its affinage, those lines magically fade. 

-Boofer-

[amiriliano]

Very interesting. What about curds falling out through drain holes if I press them "naked"?

[Spoons]

Yes, the cheese will get nipples. So don't press too hard during a naked press. For semi-hard cheeses, you don't need to press at all, just leave it in the mould with the lid on and place it in the cave for a few hours to slow down acidification.

[Boofer]

Yes, the cheese will get nipples. So don't press too hard during a naked press.

We used to call them "nubbins".

-Boofer-

[amiriliano]

The only issue is with something like cheddar where I have to apply significant pressure...