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Hi everyone!

I just made my first hard cheese about a week ago, and it's sitting in the wine cooler I bought for that purpose.  I made a Caerphilly following the tutorial on the "Greening of Gavin website", and after reading the posts about this type of cheese on this site.  I do have a couple questions though, of course!

The recipes say that we can cut it after 3 weeks.  Is it going to be significantly better if I wait a little longer?  Of course I'm anxious to try it, but a little scared too.  It is the only cheese in the fridge, and the temp and humidity are right according to the sensor I got.  There is no mold growing on it.  It is small because I scaled the recipe down to one gallon of milk.   I think it's about only 1.5 inches tall.  Will that affect the aging time?

Does anyone taste the curds before putting them in the mold?  I have read that this young cheese is supposed to taste tangy, but when I tasted the curds, they tasted very tangy.  Not bad, just surprised me.  I definitely couldn't eat it this tangy.  Does this mean that the lactic acid was too high?  If so, does aging longer let that mellow out a little?  Or is this just how this cheese tastes?

Thanks for the insight...

Kasia

Quote from: kasiaw on October 20, 2011, 09:52:02 PM
The recipes say that we can cut it after 3 weeks.  Is it going to be significantly better if I wait a little longer?  Of course I'm anxious to try it, but a little scared too.  It is the only cheese in the fridge, and the temp and humidity are right according to the sensor I got.  There is no mold growing on it.  It is small because I scaled the recipe down to one gallon of milk.   I think it's about only 1.5 inches tall.  Will that affect the aging time?

I cut my first one at 3 weeks and the flavour was quite nice, I also had my second at six weeks, and it was a bit mellower than the previous one.  If you have a vacuum sealer you can cut it and then seal the rest up and try it later, or you could way the rest instead.  I am not too sure about the size, I believe someone, Sailor I think, said something in another post about aging smaller wheels is tricky.  JeffHamm or Darius may have a better answer for you than me.

Quote from: kasiaw on October 20, 2011, 09:52:02 PM
Does anyone taste the curds before putting them in the mold?  I have read that this young cheese is supposed to taste tangy, but when I tasted the curds, they tasted very tangy.  Not bad, just surprised me.  I definitely couldn't eat it this tangy.  Does this mean that the lactic acid was too high?  If so, does aging longer let that mellow out a little?  Or is this just how this cheese tastes?

I sneak curd all the time, just to see what the difference is at the end of the aging.  If you use Gavin's method, then you should have stacked the curd, this should increase the  acidity in the curd and give you the tang (Of course I could be wrong)

Cheers,

Ian

Hi,

I would suggest cutting a small wedge out at 3 weeks and giving it a try.  If it's too tangy for your tastes, just leave the wheel in your cave and age it another week and try again.  Caerphilly mellows as it ages, so the thing to do is try it at different times to find what you like best.  Personally, I like it better young than at 3 months.  There are other cheeses that will improve more over that time frame, so I make them, and as they are aging I make caerphilly to enjoy while the others are left to their peace. 

I don't think you'll find it too strong at 3 weeks.

- Jeff

P.S. How about a photo of your cheese?  You can attach it using the "Attachments and other options" menu just below where you enter the text of your message.

I agree with Jeff. Mine are tasty at 3 weeks but personally I like them better at 6 weeks. I DID make a one-gallon batch once when I was short on milk. It was very nice at 3-4 weeks.

I vac-seal all cut cheese pieces after the first tasting, marking well which ones I want to age longer. That way they don't dry out.

Thanks everyone for the encouragement!  I'll post a picture later today.  I do have a vac sealer, so maybe I'll try it in 3 weeks, then seal the rest to try later.  I was a little scared after tasting the curds, but you all have made me feel better about the final outcome. 

Kasia

Here's a picture of the first hard cheese from my kitchen....

Hi kasiaw,

looks good.  The knit could improve if you increase the pressure (use more weight) or if you use Sailor's "pressing in the pot" technique.    Basically, set your mold in a pot, put the pot in the sink with warm water, and press with the pot covered to keep in the heat.  Keeping the curds warm will help them knit better.  Still, a good first cheese.  I think you'll be pleased in a few weeks.

- Jeff

Do I worry about it?  Some small white fuzzy spots, some blue fuzzy spots.  They are mostly in the small craggy spots i the top.  I have read that I should use vinegar and salt in a 1:1 solution to rub off the mold.  The cheese is two weeks old now, and I am wondering if I should just leave it alone for one more week, then try it, or if I should get as much of the mold off as I can then vac seal it for the next few weeks till we're ready to give it a try.  If I do try and remove the mold, do I just worry about the surface, or if it goes down into the cracks, do I dig it out and then do the vinegar salt thing?

Do I need to dry it more at room temperature after rubbing it with vinegar/salt, or do I just put it back in the cave?

Thanks for the advice...

Kasia

Hi,

Wipe it down, use a toothpick to get the mold out from the cracks as best you can.  Next time, increase your pressing weight and press "in the pot".  This will help to improve the knit, which makes it harder for mold to get into the crevices.  Do the best you can, and try it in a week.  You can always trim off the outer rind if it's not to your taste; but it won't hurt you if you eat it.  Mold isn't bad for you, though some don't taste as nice as others. 

- Jeff