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Author Topic: Cheese making  (Read 11285 times)

Bionic

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Talley, Carmarthenshire
Cheese making
« on: August 11, 2016, 12:17:28 pm »
My last attempt at making cheese was a complete disaster and it all went in the bin.

The pain of my failure is disappearing so I have decided to give it another go.

Apart from milk and rennet what are the essentials I need for making a cheddar type cheese?

Can someone also advise if it makes any difference to use liquid rennet or tablet form
Life is like a bowl of cherries, mostly yummy but some dodgy bits

waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: Cheese making
« Reply #1 on: August 11, 2016, 01:09:38 pm »
Hi Bionic
What recipe are you using? For a typical cheddar you will need a cheddar starter. Most cheddars use a mesophilic culture which is added to milk heated to 30 Celcius, this cannot stand higher temps. If you use thermophilic culture it can go in over 30 Celcius up to 60 I think.  The culture is essentially there to provide the cheese with essential bacteria which helps it to age better, we use mesophilic starter. You can get these from dairy/cheese equipment suppliers in packets which you can either measure out and put in sealable bags in the freezer or buy in small amounts and store, always in the freezer.  If you measure it out from big packets then vacume seal the bags and put straight back in the freezer. You can either use liquid or tablet form it doesn't matter, a lot of home cheesemakers use tablet form, personally I prefer using the liquid form. Hope this helps and all the best with the next lot. This is a recipe I am attempting to follow for small amounts
http://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/recipe/cheese-recipes/cheddar-cheese-recipe/
Otherwise I would have to seriously divide my own cheddar recipe into smaller numbers, I usually used to make 200ltrs of the stuff, so immagine trying to divide that into smaller batches for homemade stuff instead, it would take forever! :roflanim:
« Last Edit: August 11, 2016, 01:12:26 pm by waterbuffalofarmer »
the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, loving concern.

Bionic

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Talley, Carmarthenshire
Re: Cheese making
« Reply #2 on: August 11, 2016, 01:54:35 pm »
I haven't picked out a recipe yet but the one you sent does look good. Thanks

Need to do a bit more investigating on the necessities before I place some orders for bits and pieces.
Life is like a bowl of cherries, mostly yummy but some dodgy bits

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Cheese making
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2016, 03:29:06 pm »
Sally, Cheddar is one of the more complex recipes.  How about starting with simpler cheeses and working up to Cheddar?
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Bionic

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Talley, Carmarthenshire
Re: Cheese making
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2016, 04:33:33 pm »
Sally, Cheddar is one of the more complex recipes.  How about starting with simpler cheeses and working up to Cheddar?

What would be easier? I am ok with cream cheese or brie type cheeses but hate any goats cheese
Life is like a bowl of cherries, mostly yummy but some dodgy bits

waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: Cheese making
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2016, 05:03:10 pm »
here is something which might be interesting to try.....
https://bitofearthfarm.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/make-the-easiest-homemade-cheese/
I always found cheddar very easy to make, but you will need heavy weights or a cheese press.
the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, loving concern.

Backinwellies

  • Global Moderator
  • Joined Sep 2012
  • Llandeilo Carmarthenshire
    • Nantygroes
    • Facebook
Re: Cheese making
« Reply #6 on: August 11, 2016, 06:35:44 pm »
Hi sally

Cheese making is one of the topics suggested  for our new smallholder group (keep first Wed eve of month free!)   ....  guess who used to teach it at college many moons ago!   We used same rennet for soft and hard cheese. 

What went wrong with last batch?
Linda

Don't wrestle with pigs, they will love it and you will just get all muddy.

Let go of who you are and become who you are meant to be.

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SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Cheese making
« Reply #7 on: August 11, 2016, 09:29:58 pm »
Sally, Cheddar is one of the more complex recipes.  How about starting with simpler cheeses and working up to Cheddar?

What would be easier? I am ok with cream cheese or brie type cheeses but hate any goats cheese

Sounds like you've got local expertise in Linda!  But I'd start with a simple acid (curd) cheese, then a Camembert type, then a semi-hard.  Not sure I'd really bother with cheddaring for a home cheese, although I have done it and enjoyed it, and you can't get quite that texture any other way.  (Though they don't cheddar when they make the block 'Cheddar' cheese, which knocked me for 6 when I found out!)

I found the Rita Ash book to be very understandable and easy to follow. 

I was hoping [member=1]Dan[/member] might pop in; the cheeses he's been making looked wonderful.
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Cheese making
« Reply #8 on: August 11, 2016, 10:40:41 pm »
I was hoping [member=1]Dan[/member] might pop in; the cheeses he's been making looked wonderful.

He will, I'm sure. We tried the Caerphilly tonight - wee bit dry but very tasty and a nice rind  :thumbsup:

Bionic

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Talley, Carmarthenshire
Re: Cheese making
« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2016, 10:45:51 pm »
Hi sally

Cheese making is one of the topics suggested  for our new smallholder group (keep first Wed eve of month free!)   ....  guess who used to teach it at college many moons ago!   We used same rennet for soft and hard cheese. 

What went wrong with last batch?


It was a fair while back so I can't quite remember what happened. I just remember it all went in the bin.
Will you be back for the first Wed in Sept?
Life is like a bowl of cherries, mostly yummy but some dodgy bits

Backinwellies

  • Global Moderator
  • Joined Sep 2012
  • Llandeilo Carmarthenshire
    • Nantygroes
    • Facebook
Re: Cheese making
« Reply #10 on: August 12, 2016, 07:53:15 am »
I'm back from Africa but am in London for work.   Annette n Emma are doing something that eve at Cwmdu.
Linda

Don't wrestle with pigs, they will love it and you will just get all muddy.

Let go of who you are and become who you are meant to be.

http://nantygroes.blogspot.co.uk/
www.nantygroes.co.uk
Nantygroes  facebook page

Dan

  • The Accidental Smallholder
  • Administrator
  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Carnoustie, Angus
    • The Accidental Smallholder
    • Facebook
Re: Cheese making
« Reply #11 on: August 12, 2016, 07:56:37 am »
Rennet (whether liquid or tablet make sure it's in date and has been stored at the right temperature) and optionally a starter culture, plus if you're using pasteurised, homogenised milk you'll need calcium chloride to get a decent firm curd.

For equipment, at a minimum: a decent digital thermometer, cheese mats (expensive but last forever), hoops if you want to make cheeses like Camembert. A double-boiler or bains marie can be useful so you have good temperature control. Cheese cloth. A press if you want to make harder cheeses.

Based on my experience I'd suggest starting with soft cheeses - fresh cheeses you can eat right away like Paneer or Queso Fresco, or bloomy rind cheeses like Camembert, which you can eat within a few weeks, or cream cheese which you can flavour with all sorts of things. That way you learn the basic steps (which are the same for many cheeses up to curd set) and have immediate results you can taste and enjoy.

I like cheesemaking.com a lot, sign-up for their emails and you'll get 2 volumes of their recipe book emailed as a PDF. I used their Camembert recipe and the results were really good:

http://www.cheesemaking.com/Camembert.html

The downside of pressed cheeses is the amount of extra equipment you need for consistent results. And for cheddar the length of time you have to wait before knowing if it's a success (months), assuming everything goes well up to the point of ageing. You also need the right environment to age it in.

Re starter cultures - although the recipes will tell you to use this or that starter, I've used Flora Danica for all my cheeses to date, adding penicillium candidum for the Camembert to develop the right rind mould. As long as it's the right type of culture (mesophilic vs thermophilic) you'll be fine - maybe not the *exact* same as you're used to, but that's half the fun of doing it yourself.

They are expensive, but you can make them up and freeze them - I use ice cube trays, then turn them out into tubs. Should be good for up to 12 months.

HTH, I've loved making cheese this year and plan to continue with shop-bought milk now we've stopped milking.

Bionic

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Talley, Carmarthenshire
Re: Cheese making
« Reply #12 on: August 12, 2016, 08:18:31 am »
Dan, thanks for all the info. I have been impressed by the pics of your cheese I had seen recently.

There is definitely a lot to this though and yes, seems like I need to start with a soft cheese.

Let the fun begin......
« Last Edit: August 14, 2016, 04:33:00 pm by Bionic »
Life is like a bowl of cherries, mostly yummy but some dodgy bits

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: Cheese making
« Reply #13 on: August 12, 2016, 08:48:55 am »
Good luck - keep us posted!  :thumbsup:

(and bless you all  :roflanim:)
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

Bionic

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Talley, Carmarthenshire
Re: Cheese making
« Reply #14 on: August 12, 2016, 09:13:57 am »
Don't hold your breath t won't be for a while yet
Life is like a bowl of cherries, mostly yummy but some dodgy bits

 

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