The way we do it is:-
Take 9 litres of milk and place in a pan. Heat it to 66 degree Centigrade and hold at that temp for 30 mins. Place the pan in cold water in a sink/bath to cool quickly to 29.C. Remove from the water and add about 5 tablespoons of starter. Stir in well and keep warm for 30 mins. Correct the temp to 30.C. Dilute 4ml rennet in the same amount of cooled boiled water, add to the milk and stir very well. Top stir for a few minutes ( just trail the tips of your fingers through the surface of the milk) this stops the cream rising and being lost in the whey. Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place till the curd sets (about 45 mins). When the curd is firm cut it with a long bladed knife, both ways vertically and then diagonally to cut into cubes. Aim to make the cubes about 20mm or so, it's not critical. Now place the pan on a gentle heat source (we use the smallest gas ring set to minimum) and stir the curds with your hand gently. The idea is to keep them moving without breaking them up too much. Stir for 40 mins (yes, I know, it sounds ages) and during that time raise the temp to 45.C. When the temp is reached and time is up, turn off the heat and stir quickly for a few seconds then allow to settle for about 15 mins.
You should now have a lump of curd in the bottom of the pan and a lot of whey. Ladle or drain off the whey into a bucket and give it to your pigs (but don't tell DEFRA!). Take the lump of curd and cut it into slice about 20mm thick and stack them up wrapped in a piece of muslin on a tray to drain. (slope the tray so the whey runs off). After 15 mins re-stack in a different order and wrap up again. Then after another 15 mins repeat. The curd should now be drained enough and if you break it, it should look a little like cooked chicken breast.
Now break the curd into cherry sized pieces and sprinkle on 2 dessertspoons of salt. Mix well in and then line the mould of your cheese press with clean damp muslin. Pack the salted curd into the mould, fold the cloth over the top and put on a follower. Press very lightly for 1 hour, increase pressure to about 1/2 the maximum and leave another hour then increase to maximum. Leave 24 hours. Take the cheese out of the mould rinse the cloth and replace it in the mould the other way up. Press for 24 hours. Remove from the mould and remove the cloth. dip the cheese in hot water at 66 degrees for 1 minute then place on a cheese mat to form a skin (rind).
After 12 hours or so melt some cheese wax over boiling water and dip the cheese in it to cover and seal it. We find it pays to dip it twice to get a good covering. Put it away at about 12 degrees C for at least 3 months, 6 is better.
12 degrees.C is not easy to acheive in summer so we use an old fridge set to minimum and plugged in through a time so it only come on for an hour 4 time a day. This seems to work.
We have only done this with Goats milk as the cow only calved a week ago, but is works consistantly.
If you are tempted to try your cheese before 3 months you'll find it pretty mild and tasteless. After6 or 7 months, when you bite it, it bites back!
Give it a go, it sounds harder than it is.
Dave