I have been studying the brine a lot lately, since I screwed one up. Is there a reason to use a gallon of brine for one 4lb cheese? I only made 1/2 gallon, and I put the cheese in a big bowl with 1/2 gallon of brine and set it in the cheese cave for 12 hours like the recipe said.

Are you supposed to put the cheese in the whole gallon to sit, or is fine as long as it is covered in brine enough to float?

I think I saw something that said the amount of brine should be 5 to 1 to the cheese, but I didn’t understand the statement. The examples in that article were showing pictures of commercial cheese brining vats that were over loaded, so I figured it might not apply to me and my one cheese.

I made the brine with the whey from the cheese and then after I took the cheese out I chunked the brine. I made me some salt water brine to wash the cheese with. The whey brine from raw milk had yellow fat floating on the top and I figured I’d rather wash the cheese with salt water than salty fat.

The cheese smells so much like butter. I can’t wait to break into it. Only 4 months to wait…

I bob it down every few hours so theirs a fresh coating on top, other then that I just leave it alone. Commercially I think their rotated regularly.

I put a weight on top of the wheel so that it is submerged during the brining process.  That way, I don’t have to turn it at all.

I use a solution of fresh water, salt and a bit of vinegar to clean the cheeses, because I also think that the brine from whey is too fat to clean with.
During brining I also turn the cheeses as it is done at the farm where I buy my milk. I have been thinking about putting a weight on top, but was afraid that the brine couldn’t reach the cheese enough where the weight was touching the cheese…

Thats why I dont put weights on, the areas in contact with weights even if its pegs my create inconsistency.