Caerphilly — MAFF historic adaptation

Caerphilly — MAFF historic adaptation adapted to a 10 L batch. 10 L milk. Shared calculations and pH notes.

Milk: 10 L milk
Make: about 1–2 days
Salt at: before moulding
Affinage: 10–14 days, historic 15.6–18.3 °C

Ingredients

Whole milkPasteurised, not UHT: 10 L
Calcium chlorideFor pasteurised/homogenised milk; source 0.33 mL/L: 3.3 mL
Bulk mesophilic starter0.25–1% v/v; dose for 1.5–2 h ripening: 25–100 mL
Rennet, 200 IMCU/mLProposed modern adaptation: 45 IMCU/L at 200 IMCU/mL; not an activity-equivalent conversion of the source. Adjust to the source flocculation / set criterion.: 2.25 mL
Cheese saltPlus light surface salt: 9.4 g
BrineHistoric egg-float guide, not precise measurement; use measured concentration: about 10–12% NaCl

Stage	Time	°C	pH	Do	Notes
Milk
Pasteurise				Skip for this cheese	Use already-pasteurised milk; this heating stage is skipped.
Culture	mix	21	≈6.6predicted, milk	Use 10 L already-pasteurised milk. Warm to 21 °C and add the stated bulk starter; do not use an overnight raw-milk natural-acid hold.
Ripen	1.5–2 h	32	≈6.2predicted, milk	Raise milk to 31–32 °C in summer or 32–33 °C winter; ripen to source acidity endpoint.	Source TA 0.21–0.23% retained as historical reference; no universal TA-to-pH conversion.
Rennet	37.5 min or clean break	32	≈6.0predicted, curd	Dilute rennet just before use; stir up/down 30 s, still milk and cover.	Dilute 3–4×; stir 3–5 min, surface-stir to floc 7–12 min. Cut 35–40 min≈3.3–5×floc.
Curd
Cut and rest	0 min rest	32	≈6.0predicted, curd	Cut to 8–10 mm cubes; allow cut faces to heal without stirring.
Scald	20–40 min	33	≈5.8predicted, curd	Hand-stir while raising to 32–34 °C until a handful retains finger impressions.
Pitch	20–40 min	33	≈5.7predicted, curd	Let curd settle.	Source whey TA 0.15–0.17%; do not convert directly to pH.
Stir				Skip for this cheese
Shape
Drain and form	until texture / acidity	32	≈5.6predicted, curd	Drain whey; pile in semi-cones each side. Cut finger-length pieces when ready and heap warm.	Source pH proxies came from TA conversion; use measured milk/curd pH and texture, not those conversions.
Mill	5 min	32	≈5.5predicted, curd	Cut to 25 mm cubes; source rennet-to-salt interval 2–2.5 h.
Salt	mix	32	≈5.5predicted, curd	Mix 9.4 g salt into curds.
Press	about 16.2 h / closure	22	≈5.1predicted, curd	Fill cloth-lined moulds; stack to self-press. Light screw/chain press 1–1.5 h; turn/redress in tepid brine; 3 h; turn, rub salt, press≈18× wheel mass overnight.	Historical 102 kg load was for 5.6 kg gross cheese, not 10 L wheel.
Brine	24 h source schedule	12	≈5.1predicted, curd	Unmould and brine; renew cloudy brine.	Historical fixed 24 h depends on wheel size and brine strength; 10 L adaptation requires monitoring salt uptake.
Cave
Affinage	10–14 days; best before 3–4 weeks	17	≈5.1make-end baseline; recheck during aging	Complete the described drying or rind-finishing stage, then mature under the stated cave conditions, turning as directed.	Historical 15.6–18.3 °C, draught-free, daily turns onto dry shelf. Cloth-dry then drain 12 h+12 h on wood before ageing.

Source and cheese-specific notes

British Territorials Recipes.txt — Caerphilly — MAFF historic adaptation

Historical method modernised to already-pasteurised milk and deliberate starter; source raw-milk evening hold omitted. Rennet strength unknown. All TA-derived pH proxies excluded as unsupported conversions; parent model provides explicitly inferred checks. Warm historical affinage is source information, not a validated modern storage protocol.

Where source rennet potency or quantity is unknown, the make uses an explicitly proposed 45 IMCU/L modern starting dose (2.25 mL at 200 IMCU/mL for 10 L); confirm actual flocculation and adjust future makes.

≈ marks an illustrative prediction. Source targets and recorded readings are labelled separately; recorded readings are historical context, not targets for a new batch. Use a calibrated meter and the correct sample medium. Read the shared method and assumptions.