The photo shows Gouda out of the brine and beginning to air dry in the cheese cave.
Gouda is an example of a washed-curd cheese, and this is the first time I have made one. When making a washed-curd cheese, one of the steps is to drain some of the whey from the curds and to replace it with hot water. This was done twice with this Gouda, and the process removes some of the lactose and lactic acid from the cheese, thereby making the cheese milder and quicker to mature. Colby is another example of this type of cheese.
Here is a summary of the steps and the time that they took. One extra step I took was to redress and flip the cheese midway through the 50 lb. pressing to help make the cheese a more even cylinder. When I started pressing, the curds barely fit into the cheese mold. I used leftover brine from the last batch of Parmesan topped up with additional brine made from 2 cups of boiling water and 2 oz. of salt, cooled to room temperature.
| Step | Description | Time | Cum Time |
| 1a | Heat milk to 90 degrees F | 0:15 | 0:15 |
| 1b | Mix in starter and let ripen for 10 minutes | 0:15 | 0:30 |
| 2 | Add calcium chloride and mix | 0:01 | 0:16 |
| 3a | Add rennet and mix | 0:01 | 0:31 |
| 3b | Wait for curds to set | 1:00 | 1:31 |
| 4a | Cut the curds into 1/2 inch cubes | 0:05 | 1:36 |
| 4b | Set curds for 10 minutes | 0:10 | 1:46 |
| 5a | Drain 1/3 of whey | 0:05 | 1:51 |
| 5b | Add 175 degree water to raise temp to 92 degrees | 0:05 | 1:56 |
| 6a | Let curd settle for 10 minutes | 0:10 | 2:06 |
| 6b | Drain off whey to the level of the curd | 0:05 | 2:11 |
| 7a | Add 175 degree water to raise temp to 100 degrees | 0:05 | 2:16 |
| 7b | Keep at 100 degrees while stirring for 15 minutes | 0:15 | 2:31 |
| 8 | Settle curds | 0:30 | 3:01 |
| 9 | Pour off remaining whey | 0:05 | 3:06 |
| 10a | Put curds in cheesemold | 0:05 | 3:11 |
| 10b | Apply 20 lbs. of pressure | 0:20 | 3:31 |
| 11a | Redress curds and turn over cheese | 0:20 | 3:51 |
| 11b | Apply 40 lbs. of pressure | 0:30 | 4:21 |
| 12a | Redress curds and turn over cheese | 0:05 | 4:26 |
| 12b | Apply 50 lbs. of pressure | 12:00 | 16:26 |
| 13a | Unwrap cheese | 0:05 | 16:31 |
| 13b | Make brine | 0:05 | 16:36 |
| 13c | Soak cheese in brine | 12:00 | 28:36 |
| 14a | Remove cheese from brine and pat dry | ||
| 14b | Place in cave at 55 degrees and 85% humidity | 3 weeks | |
| 15 | Wax the cheese | 0:15 | |
| 16 | Age the cheese (3-4 months at 50 degrees) |