We are extremely pleased with the explosion of cheddar based colonies forming on the rind. We haven't had to re-lard which is good news as this can sometimes stifle growth and also make the cheese a bit less predictable. We are being more delicate with our brushing, more of a massage than a brush. I think this is the main contributor to the awesome patchwork style of microflora which is now established. Weight is steady, but we've pulled back on the temperature due to the delay in the 'Affineur of the Year' competition (Omicron, etc), just to slow things down a bit. Pressing the cheese with our thumbs leads to a slight resistance which tells me we should have a degree of moisture remaining in the interior (fingers cross). An oddity has emerged, if you look very carefully at the photos, a line has almost emerged on the surface of the cheese, I've seen this a few times in Cheddar and I don't think it is related to turning schedule, as I am very confident in our approach, but any Cheddar makers (Mary - Quickes) out there who know what this might be, I love to learn! (Quick update on this, I think it might be related to the cloth wrapping? But further research is required)
Before
After
