Currently underway - Gouda

Gouda with pasteurized milk is now firming. I have quite an interesting set up including: a cookie sheet, a cake pan, a cheese mold, hand weights and a side plate. Beside this set up the brine solution has been made. Give me eight hours and I'll see how much whey has come out of the cheeses (I used two molds).

The problems:

• I did not use calcium chloride which is required for making cheese with store bought milk. Milk that has been pasteurized doesn't have the same qualities as raw milk, and calcium chloride helps make the milk more firm so when it comes time to cut the curd you get a nice clean break. The curds were sloppy and small, so I lost a few when draining the whey.
• I also do not have the proper size mold so I used a cake pan of sorts and the cheese mold I received for Christmas. This means that one cheese will be the perfect size, the other will be a large skinny circle. 
• I'm still trying to get the hang of not using farm fresh milk, which is much more forgiving in the cheese making process.

Well I'll hope for the best. I like making cheeses that require a brine solution because it lowers the moisture content of the cheese without it drying out and cracking. Tomorrow evening I'll have myself some gouda (and enough for some friends too).