Yes, when the bandage is going to be the surface and you press it into the cheese as he describes, the pre-drying period is not necessary before putting on the bandage.  It does, however, need to be dried after pressing the cloth into the cheese as he states, before putting into the "cave". 

The drying period he states is relative to the level of humidity, etc. where you are working.  His work area may have a lower – or higher – humidity than your work area, so it is still a matter of a drying time based on YOUR kitchen/make room/wherever you put it to dry.  Drying is stil very important in the process.

I am hoping to have a few minutes this evening to write a little bit more about the principle behind (purpose) of drying.  Sorry so long in response!!!  (The "stuff of life" getting in the way…)

Frustration reigns…I just wrote a post (over 45 minutes!) and lost it to computer-stupidity before I got it posted.  I'll try to recreate it but…..

I was saying…..

A purpose of drying the cheese is to begin to develop a rind. In short -

"The rind on a cheese works in two ways:  as a buffer or guard against unwanted bacteria and mold that will compromise the cheese's interior and as a facilitator of the ripening of the cheese with addition of good bacteria and molds"  The Joy of Cheesemaking  Jody M. Farnham and Marc Druart

Depending on the type of cheese you're making, the rind is important in the flavor development in the cheese as it ripens (ages) and can totally change the flavor profile of the end product. 

A few thoughts on cloth bandaging:

-One advantage to using cloth (in my opinion) over a natural rind is that when doing a natural rind you lose more of the outer layer of the cheese to the harder rind.  Some people eat the rind but others cut it off and discard it – and that loses a lot of cheese…especially if you're making 2 gal wheels!!

-Cloth bandaging and natural rinds require a bit more work/tending during the aging process.  For natural rind (again depending on the type of cheese) you need to "wash" (vinigar or salt water) or "brush"them to keep unwanted molds from developing on the outside throughout the aging process.  Depending on the type of cheese, some prefer to let the molds grow.  For cloth bandaged, the mold WILL grow on the cloth, then you peel it off when you're ready to use it.  ("The cloth acts as a "host" for the mold to develop and create the natural rind.")  Some of the descriptive words for the flavor are "earthy, musty, rustic aromas" etc.  A question you have to ask yourself is – will my family want to eat this cheese based on it's outside appearence?

I have read that continuing to add lard to the outside of the cloth can cut down on mold growth.  [Some cheesemakers use only lard on the outside, after the drying time, similar to using wax.]  The mold on the cloth-bound cheese is either an advantage or disadvantage – depending on how you look at it and the flavor you're trying to achieve. 

-Cloth bandaged and natural rind cheeses require a more "controlled environment" in the cheese "cave" or aging area.  The humidity level needs to be monitored and controlled more accurately than when using wax.  If the humidity drops too low, the cheese may crack and expose the interior, changing the flavor and texture, or just produce an overall dry cheese;  If too high, unwanted molds. etc. can grow and, again, the flavor and texture will be different.

Personally, I - as a home cheese-maker who has a full time job and other responsibilities – like to seal my cheeses with wax.  It takes the extra work out of tending rinds, provides a more "forgiving" situation regarding the humidity levels (as the wax coating provides a seal to keep humidity pretty stable inside) , and just takes less tending during the aging process overall. 

Some day when I have more free time on my hands I'd like to try some of the more interesting rinds like cocoa-rubbed, cinnimon-rubbed, etc.  (Maybe I won't wait until I'm not working outside my home for this as I'm really itching to try them…maybe this winter…)

Could you keep us posted on how your cloth-bandaged cheese is coming?  I'd love to see photos taken throughout the aging process (maybe each week?) so we can see how it's looking?  You could post them here or over in the cheesemaking group on Farmbell http://chickensintheroad.com/f…..ing/forum/ …or maybe both places!!! 

On the wax – did you dip or brush?  We had a little discussion over on fbr groups about waxing that may be helpful (go down to the last few posts) 

http://chickensintheroad.com/f…..#post-1447