Artisan Cheesemaking: Irish Cheddar

Cheesemaking.

The word evokes images of an old-fashioned kitchen, a wood-fired cookstove and big, steaming pots of milk. For me, "cheddar" has always been big bricks of yellow-orange with the name "Tillamook" printed on the side of them (at least for me), or of the slightly tangy, creamy scent of a gourmet cheese display in a high-end grocery store. Either way, cheese, for most Americans, is a part of daily life.

Like homemade bread or wine (among other fermented delights), cheese can be made at home, artisan-style, with some effort (at times a great DEAL of effort). I started thinking about cheese making and the idea took root. I did not start with cheese, however, but simple, American-style yogurt, graduating to Greek yogurt within a couple or three weeks. That naturally got me thinking: Why not cheese? So, after a brief trip surfing that oracle of note we call the Internet, I saw it was indeed possible to make the kind of stuff I adore. A good cheddar (of course...I am an American, after all), Brie, Bleu...and of course Asiago (!!!). There are so many cheeses, so little time.

Irish Cheddar with Brew Rind

Yesterday, I made an Irish Cheddar. Today it's in its drying phase, on the counter in its round, flat whiteness, the rind drying for a day or two to prepare it for waxing. Then it'll sit in its cave (a dark, cool spot in the basement that I call a root-cellar) for a couple months at about 55-56 degrees. I did not use annatto to color it as is traditional (that cheddar-orange coloring), but left it natural white. I really am trying to eliminate all unnecessary colorings, additives, etc., so white cheese it is. The wax is the only colored thing that will go on my cheese! I got a nice, bright Arkansas-Razorbacks RED cheese wax. (Go Hogs!) After 24-48 hours, my wheel of cheddar will be ready to paint with wax.

When the ripening phase is complete, I will update the results, so keep an eye out!














After a couple or three weeks, we decided to cut the cheese to see how it was faring. After all, this was our first cheese and we wanted to see it! We did rewax the cut portion so it can continue ripening (did some research on that and most say it's fine to do it).

Here is what it looks like. And the taste? Considering how young it is, the taste was amazing. A slight hint of the beer and whisky, but mostly just a very creamy, very cheddar-y taste. It'll only get better with time.