Stirred cheddar — home recipe

Stirred cheddar — home recipe 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: 2–6 months, 7–13 °C

Ingredients

Whole milkPasteurised, not UHT: 10 L
Calcium chlorideSource solution concentration unspecified; verify label: 3.30 mL
Mesophilic starterOriginal packet serves 2 US gallons; use manufacturer dose for 10 L: 1.32 source-packet
equivalents
Liquid animal rennet, 200 IMCU/mLSource liquid strength unspecified; single-strength 200 IMCU/mL assumed: 3.30 mL
Cheese salt39.6 mL by volume; weigh your salt rather than assume bulk density: 2.64 tbsp
AnnattoOptional; 4 drops × 10/7.5708; use a small syringe for precision: about 5 drops

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	32	≈6.6predicted, milk	Add diluted calcium chloride; sprinkle culture, rehydrate 2 min and stir gently.
Ripen	45 min	32	≈6.5predicted, milk	Cover and ripen, maintaining temperature.
Rennet	45 min or clean break	32	≈6.3predicted, curd	Dilute rennet just before use; stir up/down 30 s, still milk and cover.
Curd
Cut and rest	15 min rest	32	≈6.2predicted, curd	Cut to 6 mm cubes; allow cut faces to heal without stirring.
Scald	30 min + 30 min	35	≈5.8predicted, curd	Raise 32→38 °C over 30 min, stirring q 3 min; hold/stir 30 min.
Pitch	5 min	38	≈5.8predicted, curd	Allow curds to settle.
Stir				Skip for this cheese
Shape
Drain and form	several min	38	≈5.8predicted, curd	Drain promptly to a colander; do not allow curds to mat. Return to pot and separate particles by hand.
Salt	1 h mellow	38	≈5.5predicted, curd	Mix in salt without squeezing, keep 38 °C for 1 h and stir q 5 min to avoid matting.
Press	about 26.3 h / closure	22	≈5.1predicted, curd	Press 7.5× wheel weight 10 min; 15× 10 min; 20× 2 h; 25× 24 h. Flip and redress at every change.	Source ratio basis is 0.91 kg yield.
Mill				Skip for this cheese
Cave
Affinage	2–6 months	10	≈5.1make-end baseline; recheck during aging	Dry until matte; oil, wax or bandage, then mature.	7–13 °C source range. Dry 2–5 days, turning twice daily; coat, then turn weekly and remove unwanted mould.

Source and cheese-specific notes

British Territorials Recipes.txt — Stirred cheddar — home recipe

≈ 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.