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My first post!  I gave it a taste.  It was somewhat bland, tasted like cheese but not that sharp taste I would like.  I cut it into wedges, waxed it, and it's in my fermentation fridge indefinitely. 

Welcome to the  forum and congratulations on a nice looking first cheddar.  A cheese for you for your efforts.
It's obviously pretty young and you can probaly expect the taste to develop as it ages. What recipe did you use?

Quote from: Raw Prawn on October 14, 2014, 03:05:19 AM
Welcome to the  forum and congratulations on a nice looking first cheddar.  A cheese for you for your efforts.
It's obviously pretty young and you can probaly expect the taste to develop as it ages. What recipe did you use?

I got a recipe with the press. 

2g whole milk, pastuerized, with CaCl2 added, annatto added
mesophillic starter (Lacto lactis / Lacto cremoris) @ 88F
ripen for 1 hr.
add animal rennet
rest 2 hrs. 
cut curds and stir a little to separate them
raise temp to 105F
rest 1 hr.
remove curds, transfer to cheesecloth, drain for 2 hours
Salt
press for 12 hrs
dry for 3 days

welcome and well done. Time is the next marker on this one. Question will be patience 

That is not an accurate recipe. There is no way you should let a cheddar set for 2 hours after adding rennet.

Quote from: Sailor Con Queso on October 14, 2014, 07:42:26 PM
That is not an accurate recipe. There is no way you should let a cheddar set for 2 hours after adding rennet.

You're right, I got confused with a cheese I just made.  The one above was about 45 minutes.  I followed the instructions here:  https://www.homesteadersupply.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=2

I made another one Sat night and I did leave that one alone for 2 hours after adding the rennet (I was preoccupied with party across the street).  That one is drying right now. 

Quote from: pastpawn on October 14, 2014, 01:51:32 AM
It was somewhat bland, tasted like cheese but not that sharp taste I would like. 

Ok, I'm going to ask a question that should be below my pay grade (meaning I should know the answer but too lazy to look it up). What contributes to "sharpness": aging time, lipase addition, pH, cultures, curd prep, cheddaring time, paste moisture,  phase of the moon ?  My experience with most cheese I've made has been that they seem to meld, mellow and become more flavorful so maybe I'm confusing what the definition of what "sharp" is.   And is it just me or is the commercial (Kraft, etc.) sharp cheese now about the same "sharpness" as mild was 20 years ago? 

Quote from: John@PC on October 14, 2014, 11:02:29 PM

Quote from: pastpawn on October 14, 2014, 01:51:32 AM
It was somewhat bland, tasted like cheese but not that sharp taste I would like. 

Ok, I'm going to ask a question that should be below my pay grade (meaning I should know the answer but too lazy to look it up). What contributes to "sharpness": aging time, lipase addition, pH, cultures, curd prep, cheddaring time, paste moisture,  phase of the moon ?  My experience with most cheese I've made has been that they seem to meld, mellow and become more flavorful so maybe I'm confusing what the definition of what "sharp" is.   And is it just me or is the commercial (Kraft, etc.) sharp cheese now about the same "sharpness" as mild was 20 years ago?

I thought the sharp flavor of cheese was created by continued fermentation by the bacterial cultures I added.  So, my assumption was the longer I let those cultures work inside the cheese (at 55F), the "sharper" the cheese got.  That's why I'm storing mine for a while.