Farmhouse Cheddar isn't very Dense

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  • #2031 Reply
    ranzi007
    Participant

    I made a Farmhouse cheddar this weekend and I got the best curd yield yet. I drained it extensively and even pressed it for an extra period because it was still giving out a lot of Whey. It seems to have a good shape and is drying out nicely at room temperature but is feels very light for this much cheese and the sides are still a little “spongy” or “springy”. There are no holes and it smells great so I don’t think I have a contamination problem but I was expecting it to me much more dense. Attached is pic, 3 days into the air drying phase and a rind appears to be forming. I was thinking maybe there might be some residual whey in the center since it a tall cylinder so I am considering cutting it in half to assist in drying. Does a farmhouse cheddar have a lighter feel since it doesn’t go through a cheddaring process?

    #2034 Reply
    ranzi007
    Participant

    5 days into the drying process and the cheese has firmed up considerably. It has a wonderful cheesy smell and is developing a nice rind. I’ve moved it to my cheese cave and still drying it at 60F which is a little cooler than room temp. Right now it is 81% humidity. I’m turning it regularly and will wax when I think it’s ready. Any suggestions on what to look for as far as dryness before I wax?

    #2037 Reply
    Mike.Cross
    Participant

    I don’t think you did anything wrong, looks good to me. I usually wax when the surface as a thick leathery feel. Once waxed moisture will actually make the rind softer as it is no longer exposed to the air. Ensure you wipe the surface with brine or vinegar before waxing to kill any mold. Good luck.

    #2038 Reply
    ranzi007
    Participant

    Thanks Mike… I wiped it down with a vinegar and cheese salt mix, let it dry then waxed. I put a pretty thick coat of wax making sure to fill any pin holes. There were no cracks or pits in the rind so I think maybe (so far) things are looking good. It did firm up a considerably while drying and didn’t have any soft spots before I waxed.

    #2067 Reply
    ranzi007
    Participant

    So after waiting 3 months for the my Farmhouse Cheddar to age, it needed to be tested. The 3 month cheese was pretty sharp! Melted easily but a little crumbly. Will need to improve on that. Since the 3mo old was so sharp.. I decided to open a 2mo old Farmhouse cheddar that I made with the same recipe. Definitely milder with about the same consistency.

    All in all.. not a bad couple of batches.

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