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GENERAL CHEESE MAKING BOARDS (Specific Cheese Making in Boards above) => STANDARD METHODS - Forming Cheese => Topic started by: Jessica_H on March 21, 2011, 04:23:11 PM

Title: Surface Stress Cracks - From Mishandling
Post by: Jessica_H on March 21, 2011, 04:23:11 PM
At 3:00am I grabbed the top of my new 3lb Romano too tightly and created 2 cracks in the side when I was moving it from the press to the brine.  :o

They are just from the weight of the cheese...one is about an inch and the other is an inch and a half.

I continued to brine it (and it's brining now).  I wasn't sure if this would inhibit the cracks from healing later?  But I thought too it might inhibit mold growth in the cracks.

To help it possibly heal...should I put a little weight on it?  The cracks disappear if you press on the cheese lightly...  Or keep it in a higher humidity than I normally would for drying?  Or just let it run it's course as is?

Thanks!
Title: Re: Surface Stress Cracks - From Mishandling
Post by: Sailor Con Queso on March 21, 2011, 08:05:07 PM
Try using a hot butter knife to smooth out the cracks.
Title: Re: Surface Stress Cracks - From Mishandling
Post by: Jessica_H on March 21, 2011, 09:31:31 PM
Thanks. My partner took the cheese out of the bribe fur me and the cracks are worse :(

He put the cheese back in the press under 40lbs at room temp. I'll be home in about 5 hours and try the hot knife.
Title: Re: Surface Stress Cracks - From Mishandling
Post by: Tomer1 on March 21, 2011, 10:27:50 PM
Perhaps jam some lard in to close it up if pressing doesnt help?
Title: Re: Surface Stress Cracks - From Mishandling
Post by: Scarlet Runner on March 22, 2011, 01:04:08 AM
I had good luck with a crack/hole by packing the hole with salt grains (dry), applying a moist "salt patch" (damp paper towel bit that was dampened with brine) to the hole, and then continuing to dry it for 2-3 more days at higher humidity (about 85%- created by turning an upside down colander over the drying board and storing the whole thing in a hall closet w/ door shut).  Every morning and evening when I flipped the cheese, I'd make sure the patch was still damp, and occasionally (maybe once a day or less) take a butter knife and smooth down the hole/crack to encourage the surfaces to knit. 
Title: Re: Surface Stress Cracks - From Mishandling
Post by: Jessica_H on March 22, 2011, 04:59:42 PM
Thanks for the suggestions!  The cracks healed with more pressing...now to see if they'll stay that way during drying...  And to figure out the effects of pressing so much!
Title: Re: Surface Stress Cracks - From Mishandling
Post by: Cheese Head on June 25, 2011, 04:33:15 PM
Late reply, I also had the same problem where pinch lifted my new pressed cheese out of brine and caused stress cracks.

Also see the Wiki: Turning Cheeses (https://cheeseforum.org/articles/wiki/) for how best to lift cheeses and avoid this problem and Wiki: Surface Defects, Cracks (https://cheeseforum.org/articles/wiki/) for a picture of this problem.
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