Tried to make cheddar came out as Wensleydale, what did I do wrong?

[opinionated86]

My first attempt making cheese after getting a Lakeland hard cheese making kit for my birthday, went for the cheddar recipe, thought it went OK but when I cut a wedge from the waxed wheel it looked tasted and had the texture of Wensleydale, would love some input on what I might have done wrong, attached is the recipe I followed.

Ps may not have followed temp guides exactly as had to age in fridge 7C as nowhere else was cool enough

Nb added pic of cheese

[John@PC]

Greetings and welcome to the forum.  Interesting that the instructions assume you have a bench or kitchen cupboard in the 10 to 13C temperature range you need allthough 7C isn't that far off.  The fact you got a "satisfying" result is a very good result when you're starting out so congratulations! And by the way, pictures of your cheese creations are always appreciated .

[DoctorCheese]

I would need more details on the way you did the make. However, from what I know of Wensleydale, I would guess that something was off about the "cheddaring" step.

Edit: Now that I looked at the recipe you used, I am noticing no cheddaring step, which is what makes cheddar taste like it should. If you really want cheddar, I would recommend using a different recipe. Although, I would recommend starting with a faster ripening cheese as you learn the basics of cheese making because they can be less punishing. Caerphilly or Butterkase are really easy, beginner cheeses that taste great.

[awakephd]

Welcome to the forum!

[Gregore]

The recipe calls for 5 weeks aging minimum ....... how about more like 6 to 8 months minimum.

At least good , even if not the correct type of taste you were shooting for.