Description

Wallace Dry Jack: 6 gallons, ¼ tsp MA4002, just over ½ tsp (3 ml) rennet. Cloth-formed ball, often finished with a cocoa–pepper–oil rub. Age ~6 months. A 2-gallon scale-down is published.

Recipe details

Style

Hard cheese

Country

United States

Region

California

PDO

No

Schema version

1.00

Type

Home recipe

Vegetarian

Yes

Created

2026-09-09

License

CC-BY-4.0

Author

CheeseXML 1.00 reference set

Units

US

Milk

Cow milk, Pasteurized, Not homogenized

Milk volume

6 gal

Expected yield

6 lb

Yield ratio

0.119826 ratio

Active time

220 min

Total time

14 h

Scale

For milk volume: 6 gal

Ingredients

• Whole milk, not ultra-pasteurized — 6 gal

  Role: Base milk · Kind: Whole milk

• MA4002 (or C101 on a 2–3 lb batch) — 0.25 item

  Role: Culture · Kind: Culture

  Preparation: Time: 2 min; Instruction: Sprinkle on the milk surface and rehydrate 2 minutes before stirring in.

• Calcium chloride (for pasteurized milk) — 1.5 tsp

  Role: Mineral · Kind: Calcium chloride · Optional: Yes

  Preparation: Dilute in: 0.25 cup; Instruction: Dilute in cool non-chlorinated water before adding.

• Liquid rennet — 3 ml

  Role: Coagulant · Kind: Rennet

  Preparation: Dilute in: 0.25 cup; Instruction: Dilute in cool non-chlorinated water.

• Non-iodized cheese salt — 3 tbsp (Details: Salt: Dry salting; Iodized: No)

  Role: Salt · Kind: Salt

• Black pepper (rind rub) — 1.5 tsp

  Role: Spice · Kind: Spice Pepper

• Cocoa nibs / espresso for the rind — 2 tbsp

  Role: Adjunct · Kind: Adjunct Cocoa · Optional: Yes

Equipment

• Heavy-bottomed pot
• Dairy thermometer
• Curd knife
• Slotted ladle
• Cheese hoop / mold
• Cheese press
• Follower
• Butter muslin / cheesecloth
• Aging fridge or cave
• Cheese wax

Process

1. Heat the milk to 32 °C

   Heat · Milk preparation

   Heat the vat to the culture temperature published for this make.

   Temperature: 32 °C

2. Add culture

   Step code · Ripening

   Sprinkle the starter, rehydrate, then rest at temperature.

   Temperature: 32 °C · Time: 45 min · Addition: Amount: 0.25 item; Rest: 2 min

3. Add CaCl₂

   Step code · Calcium correction

   Dissolve calcium chloride in clean water and stir into pasteurized milk.

   Temperature: 32 °C · Addition: Amount: 1.5 tsp; Dilute in: 0.25 cup

4. Add rennet, then wait floc × multiplier

   Step code · Coagulation

   Dilute the coagulant, stir about 1 minute, remove the stirrer, then wait until a clean break (floc time × multiplier).

   Temperature: 32 °C · Time: 36 min · Flocculation: 12 min × 3 · Stir: Duration: 1 min · Until: Clean break · Addition: Amount: 3 ml; Dilute in: 0.25 cup

5. Cut the curd

   Cut · Cutting

   Cut vertical, rest, then horizontal to the published grain size.

   Size: 8 mm · Curd cuts: Cut: Size: 8 mm; Wait: 5 min; Cut: Size: 8 mm · Settle: Duration: 5 min

6. Heal the grain

   Step code · Healing

   Let the grains rest so the cuts seal.

   Time: 5 min · Settle: Duration: 5 min

7. First stir

   Stir · Stirring

   Stir gently so the grains separate and do not mat.

   Stir: Duration: 5 min

8. Cook to 38 °C

   Step code · Cooking

   Heat the grain at the published rate, stirring so it does not mat.

   Temperature: 38 °C · Ramp: From: 32 °C; To: 38 °C · Rate: 1 °C

9. Settle the grain

   Step code · Healing

   Stop stirring and let the grains sink before the whey draw.

   Time: 5 min · Settle: Duration: 5 min

10. Wash the curd

    Step code · Washing

    Draw whey and replace with wash water as published for this style.

    Temperature: 27 °C · Time: 15 min · Whey draw: 33 % · Wash water: Volume: 1.98 gal; Temperature: 54 °C · Cool: To: 27 °C · Stir: Duration: 15 min

11. Draw whey and hoop

    Drain · Draining

    Draw whey to the grain and fill the hoop.

    Flips: Turn: After: 5 min; Turn: After: 15 min

12. Press

    Press · Pressing

    Oil with cocoa, espresso and pepper as published. Age about 6 months until it grates.

    Pressing: Stage: Mass: 25 lb; Duration: 1 h; Stage: Mass: 50 lb; Duration: 8 h · Turn: Every 1 h

13. Salt / brine

    Step code · Salting

    Salt the wheel as published — brine or dry salt.

14. Age

    Age · Aging

    Oil with cocoa, espresso and pepper as published. Age about 6 months until it grates.

Aging

Duration: 180 d; Stage: Name: Dry Jack cave; Duration: 180 d; Temperature: 12 °C; Humidity: 80 %

Storage

Temperature: 8 °C; Shelf life: 180 d

Allergens

Allergen: Milk

Safety

Use milk that is not ultra-pasteurized. Pasteurize unknown raw milk. Sanitize equipment.

Source

Title: Dry Jack Cheese Recipe; Creator: Jim Wallace / New England Cheesemaking Supply; Year: 2018; URL: https://cheesemaking.com/products/dry-jack-cheese-recipe