Pressed My Tomme

[Imole.de]

Pulled a batch of alpine tomme out of the press this morning, still warm, squishy, and bandaged right out of the mold like, this is only my third attempt aging something semi hard, and I've gone the butter muslin and lard route this time around. A little experimental, I'll admit, my cellar has been hovering around 55°F with around 88 to 92% humidity, so I'm hoping it cures up nicely without the slip skin.
I'll be flipping it daily for the first week and keeping an eye out for any unwanted blooms, who else done a similar method or gone full natural rind without brushing, I'd love to hear how you managed the early weeks of aging, am I supposed to let the lard breathe a bit or go full coat straight away?
Any suggestions and help is welcome

 

[MrsDairy]

That's an interesting approach with the butter muslin and lard for an Alpine Tomme!

For those early weeks, especially with your cellar conditions, I'd suggest ensuring a very thin, even coat of lard from the start, avoiding any thick spots that might trap too much moisture. The goal is to protect the rind while still allowing for very slow, subtle moisture exchange.

Flipping daily is good! Just keep a close eye for any unexpected mold growth under the muslin. You might need to gently wipe with a little brine if anything unwelcome appears!

Good luck, and I hope it turns out beautifully!

 

[ILead]

A concern I had early on was trapping moisture under the lard, letting it breathe a little before a full coat helped prevent slip skin, flipping daily and watching for blooms is important too

 

[saintcarlg61]

Great start! With the butter muslin and lard, most people apply a full coat right away to protect the curd then flip daily as youre doing. Keeping humidity high and consistent will help prevent slip skin, and watching for unwanted blooms early is key.
Some people lightly air it for a day before coating, but it usually works fine applied straight,, just monitor closely during the first couple weeks.

 

[theblueveindre4m]

Yep, a complete coat right away is a good idea if the air isn't too damp. Just check on it now and then for the first few weeks.

 

[thecheesy1]

That's an interesting approach with the butter muslin and lard for an Alpine Tomme!

For those early weeks, especially with your cellar conditions, I'd suggest ensuring a very thin, even coat of lard from the start, avoiding any thick spots that might trap too much moisture. The goal is to protect the rind while still allowing for very slow, subtle moisture exchange.

Flipping daily is good! Just keep a close eye for any unexpected mold growth under the muslin. You might need to gently wipe with a little brine if anything unwelcome appears!

Good luck, and I hope it turns out beautifully!

Thanks for the tips! I'm trying my first clothbound cheddar in a cool basement and wasn't sure about the lard layer. Mine looked a bit thick in spots. Do you ever mix anything into the lard, like salt or oil? And how long before you start seeing mold under the muslin, if it's going to show up? Loving the process so far!

 

[brielliant12]

Great start! With the butter muslin and lard, most people apply a full coat right away to protect the curd then flip daily as youre doing. Keeping humidity high and consistent will help prevent slip skin, and watching for unwanted blooms early is key.
Some people lightly air it for a day before coating, but it usually works fine applied straight,, just monitor closely during the first couple weeks.

How do you keep humidity steady without a fancy cheese cave? And if I spot early blooms, is it better to brush them off or rewrap the whole wheel?