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Home sick today so i thought it would be a good day to try and make cheddar again.

i'm useing the recipe https://cheeseforum.org/Recipes/Recipe_Cheddar.htm

I just cut the curd the ph is down to 5.7 already haven't got it up to 102 to start the cooking yet

Oof, that pH seems low. You should be draining the cooked curd at around 6.1, then cheddaring, then milling and salting around 5.5. What was your original milk pH? Meter calibrated?

I'm doing stirred but the milk started at 6.7 I think letting it ripe for an hour is too long but i don't know how long to do it for. I'm doing the stirred part now after adding salt the ph is 5.1 This is what it looks like now

final ph was 4.7. I don't think it's going to press though looks like pancake mix again

You're right, at 4.7 you'll get basically a lactic cheese. It may press together, but be chalky and more like a tvorog style than any hard cheese.

Bummer . How much culture are you adding and what kind?

Here's a quick cheesemake guide for cheddar:

1) Culture milk at temp, should be around 88 degrees.
2) Wait for pH change of .1-.2. Rennet. Measure flocculation, use 3x multiplier.
3) Wait for total time until cut, check pH, should have another .1-.2 drop. If the drop is more, you have added too much culture and need to take drastic measures (more on that below).
4) Cut, check pH. If pH drop accelerating, proceed with the drastic measures.
5) Heal curd for 5-15 mins, then cook to 102 degrees over 30-45 mins until curd feels right.
6) Drain whey. pH should be around 6.0-6.2. If the pH is below 5.7, press with a light press so you can mill and salt quickly.
7) Mill and salt at 5.3-5.5 pH. Use the right salt amount. Final salt should be at least 1.5% of weight, and not more than 2.5%.
Press

Now for the drastic measures. If the pH drop is fast and accelerating, you are using way too much culture, or you are using a strain that acidifies too fast. Switch meso strains and/or use less culture. If you've already added the culture, you need to cook those curds down ASAP and press and salt. The way to do that is to cut them smaller than normal and cut them using a smaller multiplier. You will get a drier cheese, but the paste will still be OK. Use a 2x multipler, and/or cut to 1/4" or slightly bigger so the whey is expelled faster. Then, raise the temperature faster and to 103-104. That's the high end for meso, and they don't like the high temps, so acid production should decrease.

In this case, you already said what went wrong, you ripened for too long. I also think you're using a starter that acidifies too quickly or too much starter.

Hi Linuxboy

What is a multiplier?  Is it some sort of knife that you use?

Hi Michelle,

Please see some of my (and others') previous posts:

https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,1880.0.html
https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,1881.0.html

The multiplier is a number used as a multiplier factor with time.

I'm going to try again this weekend. i was using the MESOPHILIC-A 1/2 tsp from leeners. I am out of it now. i will probably use 12 1oz mesophilic ice cubes i made. I'm doing 3 gal batches. Another thing i guess that could be making the ph low so soon is it is taking me 3 hours to get a clean break.

3 hours for a clean break is SERIOUSLY wrong. Should be under an hour tops. Try doubling your rennet.

Ditto, it should be maybe an hour max, hopefully 30-45 mins. Flocculation shouldn't take more than 15 mins. What kind of rennet are you using, what strength, and how much? Might need to use more than double. 3 hours after culture addition, you should be at the end of cheddaring and getting ready to salt.