Air Drying General
The first stage or rind development is the process of evaporation. Once the cheese has been either pressed/brined or naturally pressed by its own weight, the cheese is left for a few days at room temperature to air dry. Its important to turn each day in order to keep everything balanced. In larger scale productions cold air is circulated around the room to help accelerate evaporation. During this time the young cheese will shrink slightly.
The most important thing to consider is the rate of drying which can be affected by the cheese size/moisture content and the overall temperature and humidity. Its also important to alow teh air to circulate around the cheese so never air dry a cheese on a solid plastic/china base, always use food grade matting top allow air to circulate. Any moisture will attract yeast and mold.
- Too slowly it will be moist and this will attract unwanted yeast and other airborn bacteria at this early stage.
- Too quickly and the outer rind will dehydrate and shrink faster than the centre of the cheese resulting in stress that could lead to splitting. The main culprit can be the fridge fan
You can also go wrong when using cheese mats as the mesh is so tight, it was sometimes hold moisture leading to yeast problems. Wire racks allow a good circulation while holding the cheese without causing too much indentation to the cheese.
Time/Temp/Humidity
Air drying time depends on what type of cheese is being made. On average a temperature of 70F/21C at around 75% humidity with very little air circulation is a good start. If temperaturs are too high its safer to air dry in a fridge but be aware of rapid drying resulting in cracks. Below 65% humidity can also cause cracking where over 80% can prolong air drying.
Turning Cheese
The reasons for turning cheese (either in the mold under its own weight or while pressing for harder cheeses) is to help distribute and remove the whey/protien/fat evenly. While they are being pressed the whey drains from the bottom resulting in a more dehydrated top. Great care must be taken on the first turn due to a weak formed cheese. Most cheeses are first turned after 20 mintes, then 30 minutes, 1 hour, 5 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 2 days. When turning in brine its usually done half way through the total bring time. Cheese is very boyant in brine so the top exposed surface usually misses out.
Turning Cheeses During Air Drying/Aging
When cheeses are left to mature over long periods they will also need turning. The bottom of the cheese is usually contains more moisture than the top so this enables the cheese to dry evenly. Gravely causes the cheese to bow slightly so turning helps prevent a lop sided cheese.
