My Swiss has been sweating like crazy on the counter for about 10 days now. What is the sweating all about? What causes that? How long does that last? Smells fantastic and definitely has vertical and horizontal swelling.

too hot curing room, make it colder

Curds might be a bit wet as wet
.

after 10 days , no way

any way check if it’s water based or oily based

The sweating has slowed down, but has not stopped. The sweat is a VERY clear liquid but it definitely feels oily. I used the Traditional Swiss recipe in Ricki Carroll’s book. It calls for air drying at 68-74 F for 2-3 weeks. My room is definitely in that temperature range. I am using fresh Jersey cow milk with high butterfat. Maybe the high butterfat is causing or contributing to the sweating? The cheese difinitely has a nice rind forming.

so it is hot,

Nabil - 23 July 2009 03:33 AM

so it is hot,

68f to 74f is cool to comfortable room temperature where I live.
We have had more 100+F degree days than I have ever seen in my lifetime.
The lack of rain has put my cheese making on hold because I am thinking that the raw milk may be sort of lame right now.
Since I don’t have a cow I don’t really know for sure but I suspect the dry burned up grass, or no grass at all, makes for poor milk.
???
Any comments from cow owners will be respected, because like I said…I do not really know.

I’m a newbie here, but I know a bit about cows. Feedlot cows are fed corn (as well as antibiotics and hormones). Free range cows forage on whatever is available. So the taste of fresh free range milk changes constantly depending on what the cows are eatting. It is probably really difficult to get consistant flavor with fresh free range milk, but as far as I’m concerned I won’t use store bought milk.

I wouldn’t assume that the burned up grass is giving unusable milk. Hay after all is just dried up grass. Calves have to nurse regardless of the weather and they do fine. Taste the fresh milk. If it tastes good, it will probably make good cheese.

I think you are right.
I called the dairy farmer this morning and reserved 2 gallons of raw milk for tomorrow morning.
Looks like I will be making another cheese tomorrow.