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@Shane - nice knit -  a grand looking cheese.  Cloth Bandage and leave it for 12 months - if you can   You've done the hard work.  Looks good.  I'm on a cheddar a month plan and by Chrismas will have a rolling stock by then. 

A cheese I feel is required

-- Mal

Thanks very much Mal. I've been analysing your last make sheet and banding thread for this one. Thanks for providing such detailed information. I will try and be patient to take this one out to 12 months.

I do have one question relating the bandaging. Does a bandaged cheese require the same high humidity as one with a natural rind? I was planning on putting it in its own ripening box, but thought I'd check. My fridge when operating is a tad savage on lowering the humidity. I do have a few fingers and humidity controller in there, but I think the size of the fridge is beyond what my system can control.

Thanks.

Shane

I wouldn't be too concerned with the humidity if you have wrapped it..  From what I've seen you get a gas exchange and very little moisture is lost and over 12 months I don't think you would notice. As long as you have pressed long enough and let air dry you shouldn't get moisture coming out of the cheese.  If you use at least 3 layers I also wouldn't be too concerned about the odd patch of mould either.  You will get some but 90% of it peels off with the layers. Just as insurance I wipe the surface vinegar - just to knock off any surface mould - but not too wet.  If you get mould and you are unhappy with it you can always unwrap the cheese, clean it down and re-do it   

-- Mal 

Thanks. I'll give it a whirl and see how it goes.

Shane

Shane, what a great looking cheddar.  Certainly worth a cheese from me.   

Kern

Thanks Kern.

Shane

I wrapped the cheese this morning. There were some surface cracks, so I thought I'd better get a move on. I lightly applied cider vinegar to all faces prior to wrapping. The wrapping process seemed quite therapeutic. 

Below is a photo just prior to me putting in the cave. I hope to age it out to 12 months.

Thanks all for your help

Shane

Shane, I have 4/28/2016 marked on my calendar (and a cheese to you in anticipation). 

Thanks very much John. 

Shane

Excellent !!  remenber don't get freaked if you see mould - you will get some cant stop it.  I'll send you photos of mine later but tha=ey do get a bit funky looking...

It really is a good hands on exercise...

_ A cheese for yee.

-- Mal

Thanks Mal. I won't be to shocked. I have seen some photos of them. Does the lard dry out to the point where handling is easier?

Shane

The lard is starting to dry out a bit. It makes handling a lot easier. Here is an updated photo.

Shane

Ojh that looks wonderful - A deserved cheese !!

--Mal

Thanks Mal. I'm keen to see how it stands up to the lowish humidity in my cave. If it goes okay I think I'll be doing a lot more bandaged cheddars.  What other cheeses go okay bandaged?

Shane

Well, anything really... Caerphilly does really well - I've done it once early on but I didn't think it warrented the work for a short ripening process.  I've heard that Gouda also works really well, really anything you would wax you could bandage.   One thing I might try is Bees wax impregnated cloth but @ $15-20 Kg and the higher handeling temperature might put a stop to that..

-- Mal