Cheese making.

[PredFan]

This recipe is the original one made from Whole Milk and buttermilk. I have no idea what kind of cheese it made. Take 1 gallon of whole milk warmed to 90 degrees. Add buttermilk, wait an hour, then add rennet and wait another hour for it to set. It looks like a pot of white jello:

 

[PredFan]

Yay it worked, thanks Missourian.

 

[PredFan]

Next, heat to 100-103 degrees while carefully tumbling the curds. They will separate to this:

Ladies, Gentlemen, Little Miss Muffit, I present curds and whey.

 

[PredFan]

The curds in a cheese cloth lined strainer ready to be put into the mold:

 

[PredFan]

Placed in the mold, then pressed for 12 hours or so, then wrapped in a cloth and dried in the refrigerator for two weeks. A new clean cloth is exchanged every day. This is after one week. One more week to go:

 

[PredFan]

This picture is of my press that I made. Right now, though you can't see it, there is a 2 pound block of Farmhouse Cheddar in that press under 50 pounds of pressure and will stay that way until morning:

 

[Missourian]

Yay it worked, thanks Missourian.

My pleasure...thanks for the pics!

 

[gallantwarrior]

This recipe is the original one made from Whole Milk and buttermilk. I have no idea what kind of cheese it made. Take 1 gallon of whole milk warmed to 90 degrees. Add buttermilk, wait an hour, then add rennet and wait another hour for it to set. It looks like a pot of white jello:

The buttermilk serves as your culture.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Congratulations, PredFan! I've been making my own cheese now for...what, 7 years? I make feta, cheddar, mozzarella (I smoke both cheddar and mozzie), and a tasty Norwegian whey cheese, mysost (or brunost), as well as chevre, cream cheese, and yogurt. I use my own fresh goat milk and have always had the best results. I tried store-bought (pasteurized, processed) milk and had little success making a good cheese with it. Rikki Carroll's book is like a bible around here. Here's a link to one of her webpages. I am also subscribed to her monthly newsletter. Lots of neat information and recipes there.

Cheese Making Workshops with Ricki Carroll and Jamie Eckley

Another helpful website is Steve Shapson.
Cheese Making Equipment & Supplies | The Cheesemaker

I have also ordered lots of needed and helpful cheesemaking supplies from both their on-line stores, as well as many other great sources.
I love your press. It's innovative and works well, it seems. I usually make cheese in three-gallon batches (largest stainless steel pan I can still nest into another). Of course, I am milking 3-4 gallons a day right now, so milk is not in short supply. Not too many people have the resources to raise their own dairy animals, but if you can get some fresh, unprocessed milk (cow or goat works), try that and see if you don't like the results better.

Good luck. I'm looking forward to another cheese-maker on board.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Have fun, predfan. Part of my college experience at USU included two years as a commercial cheese cook. Smelled cheesy after work , but the pay was decent for the time and helped me to learn something new.

 

[The Professor]

Blessed are the cheese makers.

For they have found the whey the truth and the life.

 

[kwc57]

Tried my first brick of cheese yesterday. It was pretty decent. The starter was only buttermilk so it was a very mild flavor. I even put a few pieces on a burger patty and it melted like it should. The 2nd batch from the same recipe, I'm going to cure for 2 weeks and then wax it for aging. Meanwhile, I'm planning on making some Farmhouse Cheddar tomorrow.

Sweet! We have a garden in the back yard as well as strawberries and blackberries. It has been years since my wife and I have done any canning and we decided to make jelly from out bounty this year. Turned out well. There is something totally gratifying and satisfying about making your own of anything.

 

[PredFan]

This recipe is the original one made from Whole Milk and buttermilk. I have no idea what kind of cheese it made. Take 1 gallon of whole milk warmed to 90 degrees. Add buttermilk, wait an hour, then add rennet and wait another hour for it to set. It looks like a pot of white jello:

The buttermilk serves as your culture.

Yes. It made a very mild white cheese. Tasted exactly like Cottage cheese but with a firmer texture. I liked it but my wife said it needed more salt. I will probably make that recipe again.

 

[PredFan]

Congratulations, PredFan! I've been making my own cheese now for...what, 7 years? I make feta, cheddar, mozzarella (I smoke both cheddar and mozzie), and a tasty Norwegian whey cheese, mysost (or brunost), as well as chevre, cream cheese, and yogurt. I use my own fresh goat milk and have always had the best results. I tried store-bought (pasteurized, processed) milk and had little success making a good cheese with it. Rikki Carroll's book is like a bible around here. Here's a link to one of her webpages. I am also subscribed to her monthly newsletter. Lots of neat information and recipes there.

Cheese Making Workshops with Ricki Carroll and Jamie Eckley

Another helpful website is Steve Shapson.
Cheese Making Equipment & Supplies | The Cheesemaker

I have also ordered lots of needed and helpful cheesemaking supplies from both their on-line stores, as well as many other great sources.
I love your press. It's innovative and works well, it seems. I usually make cheese in three-gallon batches (largest stainless steel pan I can still nest into another). Of course, I am milking 3-4 gallons a day right now, so milk is not in short supply. Not too many people have the resources to raise their own dairy animals, but if you can get some fresh, unprocessed milk (cow or goat works), try that and see if you don't like the results better.

Good luck. I'm looking forward to another cheese-maker on board.

Many recipes call for curing the cheese at 55 degrees for months. How do you accomplish that?

 

[PredFan]

Have fun, predfan. Part of my college experience at USU included two years as a commercial cheese cook. Smelled cheesy after work , but the pay was decent for the time and helped me to learn something new.

It's the whole idea and process of aging and slow production of flavors that appeals to me. That is what attracted me to breadmaking, and brewing beer. I have a teeny weeny bit of trouble sometimes with patience, but I still like it. I was reading the recipe for my favorite chese; Parmesan, and you have to cure it for 10 months! That is exciting to me.

 

[PredFan]

Blessed are the cheese makers.

For they have found the whey the truth and the life.

Awesome!

 

[gallantwarrior]

This recipe is the original one made from Whole Milk and buttermilk. I have no idea what kind of cheese it made. Take 1 gallon of whole milk warmed to 90 degrees. Add buttermilk, wait an hour, then add rennet and wait another hour for it to set. It looks like a pot of white jello:

The buttermilk serves as your culture.

Yes. It made a very mild white cheese. Tasted exactly like Cottage cheese but with a firmer texture. I liked it but my wife said it needed more salt. I will probably make that recipe again.

Normally, I use very little salt but when you make cheese, the salt is an important part of the process, as I discovered. Cheeses like feta are brine-cured, for instance.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Congratulations, PredFan! I've been making my own cheese now for...what, 7 years? I make feta, cheddar, mozzarella (I smoke both cheddar and mozzie), and a tasty Norwegian whey cheese, mysost (or brunost), as well as chevre, cream cheese, and yogurt. I use my own fresh goat milk and have always had the best results. I tried store-bought (pasteurized, processed) milk and had little success making a good cheese with it. Rikki Carroll's book is like a bible around here. Here's a link to one of her webpages. I am also subscribed to her monthly newsletter. Lots of neat information and recipes there.

Cheese Making Workshops with Ricki Carroll and Jamie Eckley

Another helpful website is Steve Shapson.
Cheese Making Equipment & Supplies | The Cheesemaker

I have also ordered lots of needed and helpful cheesemaking supplies from both their on-line stores, as well as many other great sources.
I love your press. It's innovative and works well, it seems. I usually make cheese in three-gallon batches (largest stainless steel pan I can still nest into another). Of course, I am milking 3-4 gallons a day right now, so milk is not in short supply. Not too many people have the resources to raise their own dairy animals, but if you can get some fresh, unprocessed milk (cow or goat works), try that and see if you don't like the results better.

Good luck. I'm looking forward to another cheese-maker on board.

Many recipes call for curing the cheese at 55 degrees for months. How do you accomplish that?

I have a refrigerator that has been set up just for curing cheese. You also have to keep the humidity at a minimum level, too. Keeping pans of water in the bottom serves acceptably well.

 

[PredFan]

Congratulations, PredFan! I've been making my own cheese now for...what, 7 years? I make feta, cheddar, mozzarella (I smoke both cheddar and mozzie), and a tasty Norwegian whey cheese, mysost (or brunost), as well as chevre, cream cheese, and yogurt. I use my own fresh goat milk and have always had the best results. I tried store-bought (pasteurized, processed) milk and had little success making a good cheese with it. Rikki Carroll's book is like a bible around here. Here's a link to one of her webpages. I am also subscribed to her monthly newsletter. Lots of neat information and recipes there.

Cheese Making Workshops with Ricki Carroll and Jamie Eckley

Another helpful website is Steve Shapson.
Cheese Making Equipment & Supplies | The Cheesemaker

I have also ordered lots of needed and helpful cheesemaking supplies from both their on-line stores, as well as many other great sources.
I love your press. It's innovative and works well, it seems. I usually make cheese in three-gallon batches (largest stainless steel pan I can still nest into another). Of course, I am milking 3-4 gallons a day right now, so milk is not in short supply. Not too many people have the resources to raise their own dairy animals, but if you can get some fresh, unprocessed milk (cow or goat works), try that and see if you don't like the results better.

Good luck. I'm looking forward to another cheese-maker on board.

Many recipes call for curing the cheese at 55 degrees for months. How do you accomplish that?

I have a refrigerator that has been set up just for curing cheese. You also have to keep the humidity at a minimum level, too. Keeping pans of water in the bottom serves acceptably well.

Good. This is what I had planned. I have a frige in the garage that has been keeping beer and colas in it. I'll move those to the house and use that one for cheese. If the temp will go up to 55.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Many recipes call for curing the cheese at 55 degrees for months. How do you accomplish that?

I have a refrigerator that has been set up just for curing cheese. You also have to keep the humidity at a minimum level, too. Keeping pans of water in the bottom serves acceptably well.

Good. This is what I had planned. I have a frige in the garage that has been keeping beer and colas in it. I'll move those to the house and use that one for cheese. If the temp will go up to 55.

My cheese "cabinet" stays at around 50-52F. A little low but it just means a longer ripening time for most cheeses. Where temp is really critical is when you start making moldy cheeses, like Brie or bleu.