if i were u , i would leave it white

Yup, if I dont find the proper stuff i will next time

Just opened my 3-month Cheddar ... came out more like a Cheshire, mild flavoured and somewhat crumbly. I have to admit though, I’m pretty pleased as it’s my first attempt. This one has a date with a jar of home-made chutney and a loaf of crusty bread. I have another truckle I’m going to age a few more weeks.

Neil, I was wondering how you aged your cheddar.  It seems like its got a lot a lot of mold on it.  Was your wax cracked?  Also, the rind is quite thick, like it was open to the air too long.  How long did you air dry it prior to waxing?

EldonBlue That looks real good

Rich are u maybe referring to EldonBlue?

Yeah, guess I am.  My bad.

It was air-dried for a week before bandaging + shortening. I don’t mind the rind; is there some sort of rule?

As far as I know the rule is whatever you want in order to accomplish your goal.  The bandaging would account for the thick rind and the mold.  If you want to avoid those, you could try waxing, or better yet, do a vacuum seal.  You would just need to dry it until the outer surface is dry to the touch.  Depending on your temp and humidity that could be anywhere from 1 to 4 days.

Opened the second (3+1/2-month-old wheel) over the weekend. Very similar to the younger one, smoother flavour, less crumbly and, oddly, thinner rind. What do I adjust to get a less crumbly texture?

crumbly usually mean excess acid.