Caerphilly — Peter Dixon

Caerphilly — Peter Dixon 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: up to 4 months, 10–13 °C

Ingredients

Whole milkPasteurised, not UHT: 10 L
CHOOZIT RA blended starterThermo/meso blend: 1.10 DCU
Calcium chloride: 1.98 mL
Rennet, 200 IMCU/mL: 1.98 mL
Cheese salt1% before pressing: 10 g/kg drained curd
Cheese brine10–13 °C; source concentration absent: enough to immerse

Stage	Time	°C	pH	Do	Notes
Milk
Pasteurise				Skip for this cheese	Use already-pasteurised milk; this heating stage is skipped.
Culture	2–5 min	31	≈6.6predicted, milk	Add diluted calcium chloride; sprinkle culture, rehydrate 2 min and stir gently.
Ripen	45–90 min	31	≈6.4predicted, milk	Maintain 30–32 °C, depending on season.
Rennet	54 min or clean break	31	≈6.1predicted, curd	Dilute rennet just before use; stir up/down 30 s, still milk and cover.	Floc 12–15 min, cut 4×floc.
Curd
Cut and rest	2.5 min rest	31	≈6.1predicted, curd	Cut to pea-size, 6–8 mm cubes; allow cut faces to heal without stirring.
Scald	20 min ramp; 30–50 min total	32.5	≈5.9predicted, curd	Raise 31→34 °C 20 min; continue stirring more firmly until springy.	Source says 30–50 min total; central 40 min used.
Pitch	20 min +2 min	34	≈5.7predicted, curd	Settle 20 min; move curds to back of vat and settle 2 min.
Stir				Skip for this cheese
Shape
Drain and form	until pH 5.7–5.8	33	5.75source target, whey; act on measurement	Drain to curd level, trench middle; at whey 5.9–6.0 cut wedge packs and pile. Higher piles retain more moisture.	Duration 1 h is modelling assumption; source endpoint governs.
Mill	5 min	32	≈5.4predicted, curd	Mill wedges into 25 mm pieces.
Salt	5 min mellow	32	≈5.4predicted, curd	Mix 10 g/kg curd; small batch one dose. Mellow 5 min then hoop.
Press	about 12.7 h / closure	21	≈4.9predicted, curd	Press until whey drops appear; turn/redress after 20 min, repeat 20 min once, then increase load overnight to close rinds.	Press room 20–22 °C; no numerical force supplied.
Brine	4.4–5.5 h/kg	11.5	4.95source target, curd; act on measurement	Unmould next morning and brine 10–13 °C; turn at least once.
Cave
Affinage	up to 4 months	11.5	≈4.9make-end baseline; recheck during aging	Dry until matte; oil, wax or bandage, then mature.	10–13 °C, 90–95% RH; dry in ventilation first. Turn daily, brush early with 5% brine, later dry; wax after drying for milder cheese.

Source and cheese-specific notes

British Territorials Recipes.txt — Caerphilly — Peter Dixon

≈ 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.