Starting a new cheese. it is neither edam nor gouda, but closely affiliated with both. If it is a success I think I shall call it goudam...
This is the best clean break of the curd I have yet managed.
The curd is cut
Then it is allowed to set for ten minutes before the heat is slowly raised another 2 degrees Celsius. Both gouda and edam are washed curd cheeses, so then most of the curd is drained and replaced with hot water. I use a seive to keep the curds from getting into the separated whey.
Note how much the curds have shrunk from the extra two degrees of temperature and a little extra time.
At this point hot water is added and the temperature is raised a few degrees again. The curd is wahed for a half hour, stirring constantly and then drained. With edam at this point the curds are put in a boule and then dipped in the heated whey at least once. I did a light pressing in the cheese form and then soaked the cheese in the whey for 20 minutes.
Then various weights for various times and roughly fifteen hours later into a brine solution of 1 gallon of distilled water and 26 ounces of salt. Gouda and edam do not have salt added at any point in the process so they gain it via osmosis in a day long salt bath.
The last cheese had numerous issues I knew about. This one is an attempt to address those issues and I can safely say it already smells similar to the Dutch washed curd cheeses and the structure and feel of the cheese is also much better than the last. Only two to four more months to go...