Swaledale — traditional framework

Swaledale — traditional framework 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: afterpress, pH 5.20–5.30
Affinage: 3–4 weeks, 10–12 °C

Ingredients

Whole milkPasteurised, not UHT: 10 L
Calcium chloride: 3 mL
Bulk MA 4002 starterSource 0.1–0.2 mL/L; unusually low bulk dosage; verify activity: 1–2 mL
Rennet, 200 IMCU/mL45 IMCU/L: 2.25 mL
BrineSalometer reading, not 85% NaCl: 85°SAL

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	28	≈6.6predicted, milk	Add diluted calcium chloride; sprinkle culture, rehydrate 2 min and stir gently.
Ripen	120 min	28	6.6source target, milk	Cover and ripen, maintaining temperature.
Rennet	52.5 min or clean break	28	≈6.5predicted, curd	Dilute rennet just before use; stir up/down 30 s, still milk and cover.	45–60 min; 3.5×floc.
Curd
Cut and rest	0 min rest	28	≈6.5predicted, curd	Cut to 20 mm cubes; allow cut faces to heal without stirring.
Stir	40 min	28	≈6.4predicted, curd	Stir gently for 40 min at exactly 28 °C. Apply no heat.
Pitch	10 min	28	6.42source target, curd; act on measurement	Pitch for 10 min, then drain completely. Keep the curd sweet.
Scald				Skip for this cheese
Shape
Drain and form	10 min +20 min	28	6.3source target, curd	Cut large blocks, about 30 × 15 cm where feasible. Drain 10 min, cut smaller and stack two high for 20 min.	Source block dimensions may exceed a small 10 L curd pack; preserve the gentle handling and drainage sequence.
Mill	5 min	26	6.22source target, curd; act on measurement	Break by hand into walnut-size nuggets and hoop immediately without salt.
Press	18 h / closure	19	5.25source target, curd	Press lightly at 1–2 times final wheel weight for 18 h at 18–20 °C. Turn after 4 h. Unmould at pH 5.20–5.30.
Salt	1 h/450 g/inch of wheel height	12	≈5.2predicted, curd	Submerge in 85° SAL brine. Calculate time as 1 h per 450 g cheese per inch of wheel height.	Use actual wheel mass and height. A 12 °C brine is a house assumption; the source temperature is absent.
Cave
Affinage	3–4 weeks	11	≈5.2make-end baseline; recheck during aging	Complete the described drying or rind-finishing stage, then mature under the stated cave conditions, turning as directed.	Source humidity is absent; 90% RH is a house assumption.

Source and cheese-specific notes

British Territorials Recipes.txt — Swaledale — traditional framework

The source specifies only 1–2 mL bulk starter per 10 L, far below normal bulk-culture doses. It is preserved as written; verify culture activity before making. This is a major source of pH prediction uncertainty.

≈ 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.