[color=green]I’ve finally decided to try a bandaged cheese rather than waxing.  I’ll be using a Colby for the first test.  As I understand it, you can either bandage fresh from the press, or you can let a rind form prior to bandaging.  Not having any experience in it personally, I tend to lean toward the fresh from the press approach as it should retain a bit more moisture.  Besides, I’m not too partial to cheese rind.  But if any of you have experience in this I would like some input.  Also, some recommend two layers of bandage - how about that?  Is one layer good enough?  It seems the idea is to let the cheese breath while preventing drying.[color=green]

This may help ;

http://www.cheesemaking.com/includes/modules/jWallace/ChsPgs/1Cheddar/Index.html

i made a wrapped cheddar did it all to the book kept it for 12 months so it would be well aged and i found the mold didnt die off as the cheese dried out and it did dry out all right. when i cut it was mummified i had to throw it out so after looking after it for 12 months i had a lovely aged cheese it would have gone great in a pyramid in egypt

I had seen the site Neil ref’d.  Narelle, when you did yours did you wrap with one layer or two?  And what did you use - lard or veg. shortening, or something else?  While Neil’s site says to wrap first (fresh from the press) and then add lard; others have said to cover with lard first, then wrap.  Don’t know if that makes a tremendous difference.  Your experience sounds a lot like my Swiss adventure - but I didn’t wait a full year. It sounds like I ought not wait too long before trying it - and that shouldn’t be a problem.

I took my Colby out of the mold this morning.  I was going to let it sit till evening before bandaging; but it seemed quite dry enough - so I wrapped it up this morning.  Instead of cheesecloth - because I didn’t have enough on hand - I was going to use old T-shirt material.  But instead I ended up using an old sheet.  The cloth is obviously heavier than cheesecloth, so it took a bit of extra shortening to get it to adhere properly.  It took about twice as long to bandage as it would to wax.  I’m hoping for a better flavor from the bandaged cheese.  But, in any case, it was fun to try something different.  I plan on aging it just 2 months, and I’ll let y’all know how it turns out.

Maybe soak the material in olive oil to make it more pliable, Pics, Pics Pics

Rich, I’ve been wanting to try a bandaged cheddar since I saw it on the New England cheese making site. I’m sure any that I do won’t look as perfect as hers but it really is a tempting project. I’ll be closely watching your progress on this one. Once I figure I have graduated to the next level of cheesemaking I’ll give one of these a try.
Right now I’m trying to perfect swiss, blue and camembert. I have gouda, provolone, mozerrella, colby/jack and colby down pat but still need to work on my traditional cheddar a bit more. After I feel that I’ve mastered the previous three cheeses, (okay, swiss might take a little longer than the other two),  cheddar is my next “project cheese”.
Have I mentioned how much I love making cheese? My family thinks I’m nuts for two months at a time and then they get to taste the finished product and think that I’m a genius. I can live with the nuts part as long as I get the final result.
Just finished a two gallon provolone and it might be the best I’ve made yet. The finished balls were so shiny I could nearly see my reflection in them and the bottoms sealed so perfectly that it was hard to see the seam. I’m really looking forward to slicing these open in about 2 months.
Like I said, keep us posted on this one and like Neil said…..Pics, please!
Dave

yes i wrapped it straight from the press with two layers and coated it with butter next time i will definately eat it much earlier i like to be to be the one on top of the food chain not the rubbish bin

Dave,  I’m envious of anyone who has a few cheeses “down pat.”  Guess I haven’t arrived there yet.  I can never say at the making that any cheese is going to be great - I have to wait and check it out.  And you know what?  So far they have all been slightly different.  There are so many variations in home cheese making.  My cheese fridge varies in temp a few degrees up or down and that makes a difference - as does the humidity.  The temp in the kitchen when I’m pressing probably affects it as well.  So does the milk - it is not uniform - especially since I get it directly from the dairy and the bovine ladies vary in their lactation cycles.  These are just a few of the obvious differences.  But you know what - that’s what makes it so much fun!  In the long run, down pat might just be boring.

I know exactly what you mean Rich. There are so many variables in home cheesemaking that the fnished product will always turn out a bit different from the previous attempt. As an article said (that I read the other day) every single thing that you do in the process of your cheese will affect it’s outcome. Some of those things will change it marginally while others could have drastic changes.
I guess when I say I have some cheeses down pat, I’m referring to the process to make the cheese. I always try to do everything exactly the same from time to time, unless of course I am not happy with the previous results. Minor adjustments have helped me to make some cheeses that are more than acceptable yet there is always room for improvement.
If I can get swiss, blue and camembert to the point I am at now (with the other cheeses) I will consider them, if not perfect, more than acceptable.
In the home environment this might be the best that we can hope for although I still think we are able to turn out cheese that is superior to anything you will buy in your local supermarket.
Thanks for the check on my terminology. I could probably make one type of cheese for the next 30 years and never have it totally, “down pat”.
Have a great week.
Dave

LOL, if u want “down pat” then join a commercial cheesery. Looking at the same product day in day out knowing its going to be exactly the same takes the adventure and fun out of it. Home/Artisan cheese is alive and has its own charachter, Kr af t cheese is a block of slightly tasty plastic and dead.