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This is not my first Jarlsberg but it's been a while since I made one. This one is for my son that lives far away.

It's a 4 gallon batch, down to about a 4 lb round, which I waxed after it dried.
I brought it upstairs (from the cheese cave), for the warm phase.
Within 24 hours it broke through it's wax like an alien being. Which is kind of fun.

I remember from the last time, the washing of it became quite a chore, as mold would begin. I think I lost patience and decided it was big enough (the expansion) and then vac packed it after only a few weeks. It turned out beautiful and my son loved it.

So now on this one, once it begins to expand, I flip it daily, watch it for mold, wash as needed, dry off, etc every day. If it doesn't crack open, (exposing it's interior to mold) would you keep it out at room temperatures (70-75 deg F) for a full 4-6 weeks as the recipe says? Would you make that decision based on how big it expanded (top and sides) or how much of a chore the washing flipping daily becomes, or both?

I've seen a lot of threads suggesting that 2 weeks or so is enough, and others say 4-6 weeks is best. Others have said their cheese has ruptured due to it swelling too much. If yours has already started to swell i'd say keep an eye on it and if it starts looking like a basketball maybe it is time to go back in the cave!

Cheesehead, thanks for the reply. Yes I agree with you. So far it just looks a little bit expanded. I'll be watching it. It's not rounded yet by any means.
I'm really glad, now here we are 4 days, and it's not big and round like a football--because the expansion would have made cracks instead of holes--I think it needs to expand slowly so the cheese can accommodate the gases. (well that's what I imagine)