I made gouda this past weekend. I’ve never made it before, it was my first washed curd experience and pressing under whey. I used Dave’s Gouda recipe off of this site. The problem is that my ph meter needs to be calibrated so I couldn’t check that.

I made a 4lb batch on Saturday. The part in the recipe that says to wait 20 minutes and then check the ph and it should be 6.4 or 6.45. I tried to use my ph meter but since I’m not sure about the accuracy I didn’t know what to do. I waited 35 minutes and went on. I pressed this cheese in a 6” mold.

On Sunday I made another 4lb batch, but someone on this site said that it took them 90 minutes to get the ph level down to 6.4 or 6.45, so Sunday I waited 90 minutes. I’m still not sure about the ph level but I continued from there. I pressed this cheese in 2- 5” molds so that I would have 2 - 2lb cheeses. I have two cheese presses.

I have 8lb of gouda in 3 pieces drying on the table. I am going to smoke them before I wax them. I am excited. I am also going to get my ph meter calibrated this weekend. I just need to buy the liquid stuff that you dip it in.

Awesome !!

Good luck on the Gouda.  Mine is now sealed and in the cave.  I feel like I’m starting all over.  When my fridge crashed I lost about 30 lbs of cheese.  So now I’m filling it all over again.  Two lonely wheels in there at the moment.  Now for all of you who make cheese without a pH meter, I would encourage you to take the plunge.  The control you will have over your make is substantial.

Tammy, are you somehow triggered by messages on the forum from the neighbourhood of Gouda? 

About the PH: Yes, I read the recipe and I’m sure it will make a fine cheese.
But to be honest I must admit that I never use any way to check the PH of the whey or curd, nor do I see farmers here that make Gouda cheese or Gouda-like goat cheese use PH-meters. I think that they (like I do) are convinced that the right temperatures, ingredients and timing will ensure the right PH.
One of these days I will post a simple recipe for Gouda cheese that I use for cow milk and for goat milk.
It would be interesting to see if there’s a significant difference in taste between cheeses with the same size and age, but made with the different recipees…

I think that would be interesting also. Dave’s Gouda recipe has some distinctive differences than the ones in my books, but I wanted to make his first and then make some by the book recipes. I don’t mind not using the ph meter, if I know that the recipe that I am using is correct for time and temperature. I make notes about every cheese and if I get one that comes out right then I can just use it and not check the ph anymore. I have a recipe book that I have checked the ph on those cheeses that I have made and ph is always right at specific points in the recipe.