# Who wants to make some cheese?  (ARE YOU GOODA WITH GOUDA?)



## Queen Mum (Nov 18, 2011)

I volunteered to teach and online cheese making class.   Want to learn how to make cheese with your goat, cow or sheeps milk.   Got a gallon or two or three or four or five to spare?  

I propose to teach you the basics.  So sign up now!

Here is how we are going to start.  Each week, on Saturday, I will give you a lesson on making cheese and cheese like substances.   This week, I want you to have immediate results, so I will start with a fairly simple "cheese like substance" to get you used to the principles and the equipment.  

You can then ask questions until Friday about any problems that arise so you can correct errors and maybe share recipes and pictures of your results.   

The order of operations will go kind of like this...

Sour Cream   (not really cheese, but it gives you an idea of technique

Yogurt  (also not cheese, but more technique and also it's a basic "culture for making other cheeses)

Buttermilk (another cheese culture),

Feta Cheese  (very easy cheese - quick to from the culture to the table)

Robiola Cheese  (4 days from pot to table)

Cheddar Cheese  (aged from 30 days - 6 months)

Gouda Cheese  (mild cheese aged from 30 days to 3 months - different technique)  

Camembert (mold on the outside)

Gorgonzola (mold on the inside)

Romano cheese  (Hard cheese aged 6 - 9 months) 

If you are interested, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.   

Then go to the store and buy some live culture buttermilk.  Make sure you have some fresh cream (about a quart) on hand and a thermometer that measures temperatures from 60 - 90 degrees Fahrenheit.  

Not the stuff you get from making your own butter.


----------



## autumnprairie (Nov 18, 2011)

I wish I had my dairy goat, I want to make cheese

Sara did you see me raise my hand?

Are you going to do this course again?


----------



## Queen Mum (Nov 18, 2011)

I saw that hand up.  Don't try to hide it.  I took your name down.  

You don't have to have goats to make cheese.  You can use regular milk from the store.  (Or cream)  Or you can go out and coral any goat and milk them whether they like it or not, if they have kids.   Of course, they might be kind of irritated at you.  Or sneak on to someone else's property and borrow their cow for a few minutes.  Wear kevlar, if they've been known to shoot intruders.


----------



## redtailgal (Nov 18, 2011)

ok sure, I'll give it a try.

I dont have anything to milk, except the grocery store at the moment, so how much butter milk and creme do I need?


----------



## elevan (Nov 18, 2011)

redtailgal said:
			
		

> ok sure, I'll give it a try.
> 
> I dont have anything to milk, except the grocery store at the moment, so how much butter milk and creme do I need?


She said a quart of cream and I don't know how much buttermilk  :/


----------



## elevan (Nov 18, 2011)

Sour cream is a great place to start and I do love sour cream.  I'm in for this week


----------



## Royd Wood (Nov 18, 2011)

I think my beloved oh will be right up for this (I will mention it when she's in a good mood)


----------



## Queen Mum (Nov 18, 2011)

You will need a quart of cream and a very small carton of buttermilk.  Like those little school milk cartons.  Make sure it says on the carton that it is cultured buttermilk.  Preferably 'live culture'.  Organic is good, but not required.


----------



## redtailgal (Nov 18, 2011)

Got it, will go the the store this afternoon.


----------



## autumnprairie (Nov 18, 2011)

Queen Mum said:
			
		

> You will need a quart of cream and a very small carton of buttermilk.  Like those little school milk cartons.  Make sure it says on the carton that it is cultured buttermilk.  Preferably 'live culture'.  Organic is good, but not required.


what kind of cream, light cream, heavy cream or whipping cream?
 and I am in too I will be going to store today for my supplies.


----------



## Queen Mum (Nov 18, 2011)

Heavy cream is best.   It makes the smoothest sour cream.  If money is an issue, you can go with just a cup of cream.  But then how are you going to have enough for the whole family?  Or make the cheesecake recipe that will be posted at the end of the class?

Did I mention, that I'll post a recipe at the end of each class?   You can't have cheese without a recipe for something yummy to use it on.


----------



## daisychick (Nov 18, 2011)

I'm raising my hand!     I want to make cheese!!!!!!!!   I can't milk my goats yet, because their cute little baby girl teats don't work yet.   :/   But when they are old enough to be bred and have babies I will be over the moon excited to milk them.  So for lessons, I guess I will go to the store.......sigh......


----------



## jodief100 (Nov 18, 2011)

ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME!!!!!!







I have frozen goats milk, will that work?  What other supplies do I need?  I haven't milked Jazzie this season yet but I can steal some fresh.  She still has her babies on her.


----------



## daisychick (Nov 18, 2011)

So if I had a chance to get some fresh goats milk, do I want it pasturized or raw???  If I go beg the lady down the street for a bucket of milk I think she pasturizes her milk so I would need to tell her ahead of time if I need it to be raw.


----------



## Queen Mum (Nov 18, 2011)

Milk for cheese can be pasteurized or raw,  but it can't be * ultrapasteurized*.  Ultrapasteurized milk has the protein denatured and so the curds won't form properly.  
For sour cream, obviously, you need cream but for everything else, just regular milk.  


For those of you who are uncomfortable with using raw milk products - the steps to pasteurize milk for cheese making are as follows:

*Procedure*
Heat the milk slowly - over a 30 minute period in a sterile stainless steel pot to one of two temperatures:

145 - 150 degrees Fahrenheit  (63 - 66 degrees Celsius) for 30 minutes

or 

161 - 166 degrees Fahrenheit (72 - 77 degrees Celsius)  for 30 seconds

Cool the milk in an ice water bath to the desired culture temperature for cheese making.  Or pour it into sterile Canning jars immediately, put clean canning lids and rings on the jars and screw them down.  Place them in the refrigerator until ready to use.  

*For long term storage of pasteurized milk*
You can also put the clean fresh raw milk in sterile canning jars, place them in a water bath canner, bring the water bath to a boil until the milk is at the correct temperature for pasteurization, put lids  and remove the jars from the water bath, immediately put lids and rings on the jars and lightly tighten the rings.   When the jars  seal and are cool, the milk will be pasturized, sealed and can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to make cheese.


----------



## Queen Mum (Nov 19, 2011)

Hopefully...

You have a quart jar or a thermos hanging around your house somewhere.  And maybe a meat thermometer.  Or one of these two kinds of thermometers.   

Glass thermometer you can get online http://www.cheesemaking.com/store/c/11-Thermometers-Acid-Testing-Equipment.html 






Or stainless steel thermometer you can get at the same place or at the hardware or home supply store.






A towel helps too.  


Sour cream is so easy to make, you will think I'm kidding about it.  But really the key is that you need to get used to the idea that everything has to be *CLEAN, very CLEAN* and that milk and cream have to be *SLOWLY* heated.   It's all about cultures and getting them to make the right level of acidity.   

This is done by heating to the right temperature, adding a culture and then keeping the milk or cream at the right temperature for long enough that the bacteria can do it's work.

The specific bacteria in this case is lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, (LLC) lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, (LLD) lactococcus lactis subsp. biovar diacetylactis, (LMC) leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris. 

Then it's important to be patient.   Lots of cheese takes hours, days, weeks and even months of waiting for things to: 

1.  heat up
2.  cool down
3.  become acid enough
4.  solidify
5.  ripen
6.  cure
7.  mold  Yes, we like mold if it's white, green, or blue.   We don't like mold if it's black, grey or slimy.    


So here is the recipe for the day.  

Sour Cream

1 quart heavy cream
1/3 cup fresh cultured buttermilk.

Put the cream in a very clean quart mason jar (a sterile mayonnaise jar will do) 
Set it in a pan of warm water and set the water to boil.
Slowly bring the temperature of the cream (over 15 minutes) to 180 degrees.
Immediately remove from the water and cool to lukewarm.  (about 80 degrees.)  
Add buttermilk and stir well.   
Cover the jar, wrap it in a towel and put it in a warm place on the counter overnight  (12 - 24 hours).

You can also heat the cream in a double boiler and pour it into a wide mouth thermos when it is lukewarm to keep overnight.

*In case you are wondering: *

The reason for heating the cream the first time is to kill any bacteria that is hanging around in the cream that you don't want messing up your sour cream.  The cream is probably pasteurized, but sitting on the shelf it may have gotten some bacteria sneaking in there.  

We want it around 80 degrees and kept that way because the bacteria in Buttermilk is called a *Mesophyllic bacteria* which means that it likes lukewarm temperatures to do it's reproduction.  If it's too cold it won't reproduce.  If it's too hot, it will die.   A lot of cheeses are made with Mesophyllic cultures.

Yogurt, by the way, is *Thermophyllic.*  It likes warm temperatures to reproduce.  

*Now for the special recipe:*

My mom's best friend gave her this recipe.  It is an authentic Kosher New York cheesecake. It is very rich.  It will make your teeth hurt if you eat too much too fast.  It is to die for.  It REALLY, REALLY has to be beaten for 15 full minutes.  Don't skimp.    


Louise's New York Cheese Cake

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.  
1/2 cup Butter
3/4 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
4 Tablespoon Sugar

Mix thoroughly and press into a spring form pan

In Mixer bowl  beat for 15 minutes:  

24 oz. cream cheese
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Pour into spring form pan.  Bake 40 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit..
Cool for at least 35 minutes.

Whip together for 10 minutes:

3/4 cup sugar
1 pint sour cream

Pour over cheese cake.
Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.
Cool thoroughly and then refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.


Questions?

Tomorrow, I will have some information for you on building your cheese equipment supply stash _*ON THE CHEAP!*_


----------



## Queen Mum (Nov 19, 2011)

Oh, I forgot to mention.  I have some packets of sour cream culture that you's guys can have if you pm me.  I will send one to each of you with which to make buttermilk or more sour cream.   You can freeze it in ice cube trays and use it as a basic mesophyllic starter for lots of things.  I accidentally order too many.

Cheese cultures are easy to share.  It's like those old fashioned sourdough starter kits people used to give away called love bread or something like that where you pour flour and sugar and water in a bag and wait for it to bubble and then give it to a friend.  Only in my case, I have some actual real live starter culture.

I believe in sharing.


----------



## MrsDieselEngineer (Nov 19, 2011)

Me!  I really want to make some cheeses!  Cheddar is my favorite 
I don't have cream (except what is on top of the goat milk right now) or buttermilk...  I can go to the store tomorrow though!


----------



## Queen Mum (Nov 19, 2011)

So you can find it,  here is the sour cream recipe again...



			
				Queen Mum said:
			
		

> Hopefully...
> 
> 
> *Sour Cream*
> ...


----------



## Queen Mum (Nov 19, 2011)

And the cheesecake recipe








			
				Queen Mum said:
			
		

> *Now for the special recipe:*
> 
> My mom's best friend gave her this recipe.  It is an authentic Kosher New York cheesecake. It is very rich.  It will make your teeth hurt if you eat too much too fast.  It is to die for.  It REALLY, REALLY has to be beaten for 15 full minutes.  Don't skimp.
> 
> ...


----------



## Little One (Nov 19, 2011)

Yay! I am taking notes. I won't be getting my first goat until next year, but I am so excited to make my own homemade cheese from real milk one day.


----------



## Queen Mum (Nov 20, 2011)

Did anyone try the sour cream?   How did it turn out?   

In the mean time... Here is some equipment you can make on your own to start out your cheese equipment stash...

You will need a cheese mold.   They cost about $30  and can be bought at various cheese making supply stores like this one.   The difference in price is that you have to pay shipping.

I have one of those, but I had to leave it behind when my trailer broke down on my way to Texas.  SO I went to the hardware store and bought a piece of PVC connector pipe.  The six inch size is good for making a 5 gallon batch of cheese (5 pounds).   The four inch size will work for about a 2 gallon batch.

I drilled a bunch of holes in the side and ground out the middle ridge on the inside.  You can buy one that is called a NO STOP connector and you won't have to grind out the middle, but they didn't have one at our local hardware store.

Here is the end result...







I bought a top to use as a follower,   (that is the thing that you put on top to squish the cheese down.)  






and a piece of plexiglass which I cut out in a round'ish shape to press the cheese curds down.  (it goes inside the mold)






A 6 lb 9  or 10 oz can of fruit or hominy will work just as well.

I got some little glass cups  to use for mixing rennet and cultures with.  They hold about 1/3 cup of water and I can see through them to be sure my stuff is dissolved.   These came from the thrift store for 10 cents.






Some cheese is molded in baskets.   You can get nice tightly woven baskets at the thrift store as well.  About 6 inches across.   They need to be clean and bamboo or hickory are good because you can wash them and they won't lose shape.  Pretty patterns on the inside make for nice cheese.  This one has a dollar price tag on it, but I got it for 25 cents.  






And then of course there is a cheese press.   I started out using a pan and books.   What a headache.  You have to get it perfectly balanced.  Then I used milk crates filled with books, but it still fell over on my foot once in a while.   

You may start out with 25 pounds and then you have to turn the cheese after an hour and then increase the weight.  Sometimes up to 200 pounds.   Well, try balancing 200 pounds on top of a couple milk crates on top of a six inch piece of PVC pipe.   

So I built my own Cheese press and it works pretty well.   






This one is PVC pipe.  I also have a heavy duty one made of galvanized pipe and the pipe is only 1/4 inch.  BUT, I can put a weight bar (like you get at the gym) and add up to 300 pounds of weights to it.  I got the weights at garage sales.  Usually for about 50 cents each.  

Most cheese only takes about 50 pounds.  That is 5 of those 10 pound weights.  The PVC press holds them quite well.   

I modified my design from this picture to add a board under the drain tray and one on top of the press so that the weights sit right on the board.   It is very well balanced.  

On the galvanized press (I don't have a picture) the bar bell is bolted to the board so it doesn't roll off and I just add the weights one at a time.  

You can also buy molds like these french molds for soft cheese.  






And the drain tray on the bottom of the cheese press is a must.  It is the one purchase worth the expense.


----------



## daisychick (Nov 20, 2011)

Ughhh I was so busy buying all my Thanksgiving dinner supplies and stuff to make that pumpkin cheesecake recipe that Marlowmanor posted, I forgot my sour cream supplies.       Maybe I can get it tomorrow because I want to make it this week so I can keep up with all the lessons.


----------



## autumnprairie (Nov 20, 2011)

Still packing up my Uncle's house so I hope to make both recipes next weekend.


----------



## Queen Mum (Nov 20, 2011)

No problem.  That pumpkin cheesecake is GOOD.  I made it and was very delighted with the results.  Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.   I am thankful for cheese.


----------



## marlowmanor (Nov 21, 2011)

Queen Mum said:
			
		

> No problem.  That pumpkin cheesecake is GOOD.  I made it and was very delighted with the results.  Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.   I am thankful for cheese.


Glad you liked the pumpkin cheesecake!


----------



## Queen Mum (Nov 21, 2011)

That pumpkin cheesecake was very, very yummy.  I gained quite a few pounds, I think...


----------



## SmallFarmGirl (Nov 21, 2011)

Oh this is making me


----------



## Queen Mum (Dec 17, 2011)

OK, OK, so I have been 'AWAY' for a while.  But lets' get back on track.  If you didn't make the sour cream,  that's OK.  Let's try Yogurt.   It's not that hard, but you might have tried it before and felt like it came out too thin.   

The keys to good yogurt are consistent temperature, FRESH MILK and patience.  A little secret is to use a bit of powdered milk with your regular milk.  It makes for at thicker yogurt.  

Any live yogurt culture will work.    SO *that expensive greek yogurt that you have been buying can be made much more cheaply at home with your fresh milk! *

The equipment needed is 

EITHER 
A mason jar
Lots of towels
A cooler or a foam box  OR a cardboard box and a blanket

OR a wide mouth thermos

AND 
the usual thermometer
stainless steel pan
Measuring cups (preferably glass)



Ingredients

FRESH or frozen milk - raw or pastuerized (not ultra-pasteurized)  
1/4 cup powdered milk  (I prefer the kind that is whole milk.  And you can buy goats milk powder if you are using goats milk) 
1/3 cup live culture yogurt from the grocery store  OR a packet of purchased yogurt culture like Y-1 or Y-5 from cheesemaking.com

Heat 1 quart pasteurized milk to  to 180 degrees F.  Cool to 116 degrees F.  Mix in  cup powdered milk.  Pour into jar or thermos.  Add 1/3 cup yogurt and stir well.  Cover the jar with a lid.  If you are using a mason jar, wrap it in towels and put it in a foam cooler or a cardboard box.  Cover the box or cooler with a blanket.  If you are using a thermos, close it tightly and wrap it with a towel.

Let the yogurt set in warm place undisturbed for 12 hours until thickened to desired consistency.  Refrigerate and scarf it all down at your leisure.  

Whether you are using yogurt from the grocery store or a culture from a website, it is simple to make.  You can freeze your yogurt in ice cube trays and make more by thawing a cube and making a new quart of it.

*Next week...  Feta cheese.... my favorite.  *


----------



## Queen Mum (Dec 17, 2011)

*BTW*

If you want a substitute for sour cream,  Try putting your greek yogurt in some fine cheese cloth and draining out the whey for about two hours.  Viola!  Instant thick sour cream with almost no calories.  And feed the whey to the dogs.  They will lap it up.  It has lots of protein.


----------



## Cricket (Dec 26, 2011)

I'm getting on board!  I didn't try the sour cream, but regularly make yogurt.  I was wondering if you could tell if this is co-incidence or there's something I'm doing.  I can make yogurt using a local dairy's greek yogurt (which is quite tart), but not from a well-known more expensive brand.  3 failures.  Don't have trouble with the cheaper regular yogurt, either, but it's not as thick.  The $greek says 'live cultures'.  (Yes, I should just give up the mission, as I don't need it anyway, but now it bugs me!)
Cricket


----------



## peteyfoozer (Jan 10, 2012)

Are you still doing the cheese class? I have made sour cream, yogurt, mozzarella and ricotta but am having problems with my hard cheeses. Will you be continuing on THIS thread, or will you be posting a different thread for each different cheese? I'm pouring out 3 gallons of milk a day to make room for more right now because I haven't been making the cheeses, because I have been failing! heeeellllllp!!


----------



## Queen Mum (Jan 11, 2012)

Cricket said:
			
		

> I'm getting on board!  I didn't try the sour cream, but regularly make yogurt.  I was wondering if you could tell if this is co-incidence or there's something I'm doing.  I can make yogurt using a local dairy's greek yogurt (which is quite tart), but not from a well-known more expensive brand.  3 failures.  Don't have trouble with the cheaper regular yogurt, either, but it's not as thick.  The $greek says 'live cultures'.  (Yes, I should just give up the mission, as I don't need it anyway, but now it bugs me!)
> Cricket


The key to thick yogurt is to add some powdered milk to the milk before you add the culture.  Mix it in really well and your yogurt will be a LOT thicker.   If you want a creamier yogurt use whole milk or add some cream.   

The more expensive yogurts are really not that much better.  The live cultures are often supplemented with some other additives.   Greek yogurt just has lactobacillus bulgaricus.


----------



## Queen Mum (Jan 11, 2012)

peteyfoozer said:
			
		

> Are you still doing the cheese class? I have made sour cream, yogurt, mozzarella and ricotta but am having problems with my hard cheeses. Will you be continuing on THIS thread, or will you be posting a different thread for each different cheese? I'm pouring out 3 gallons of milk a day to make room for more right now because I haven't been making the cheeses, because I have been failing! heeeellllllp!!


Yes, I will doing a semi hard cheese on Saturday - Feta cheese.  It's a good way to start on the technique which will get you on the road to making harder cheeses.  

In the meantime, what kinds of problems are you having with the hard cheeses.  Post it here and I will be happy to answer your questions.   Everyone can learn from it.  I've made lots of mistakes and so have other people so we can all learn from each other.


----------



## peteyfoozer (Jan 11, 2012)

Queen Mum said:
			
		

> Yes, I will doing a semi hard cheese on Saturday - Feta cheese.  It's a good way to start on the technique which will get you on the road to making harder cheeses.
> 
> In the meantime, what kinds of problems are you having with the hard cheeses.  Post it here and I will be happy to answer your questions.   Everyone can learn from it.  I've made lots of mistakes and so have other people so we can all learn from each other.


I am having problems controlling my temperatures and I also don't like my cheese press. I am trying to get a guy to make me a better one. BUt i would like to  just follow along with you in the order in which you teach as I think it will help me understand the processes better and do a better job! I haven't made feta, so I am looking forward to it! oh..can I make Feta with cows milk???


----------



## Queen Mum (Jan 11, 2012)

peteyfoozer said:
			
		

> I am having problems controlling my temperatures and I also don't like my cheese press. I am trying to get a guy to make me a better one. BUt i would like to  just follow along with you in the order in which you teach as I think it will help me understand the processes better and do a better job! I haven't made feta, so I am looking forward to it! oh..can I make Feta with cows milk???


Sure, you can make Feta with cows milk.   AS LONG AS... it isn't ultra pasteurized.   (High temperatures kill the proteins and make it impossible to get a good curd.)  

Can you post a picture of your cheese press?   And explain what you don't like about it?   That will help others who have a similar one.  There are lots of ways to work around a bad press.   I have two kinds of cheese press's.   I made both myself.  

What kind of problems are you having with temperature control?  Is it in the curing process?  

For those of you who are serious about making a good hard cheese, the key is even temperature and humidity. Just above refrigerator cold and slightly damp.   

Originally, I  went on craigslist and found a cube refrigerator for $25.00 (nearly brand new) and that works GREAT!  Alas, I had to leave it behind when I moved to Texas.  So there it sits, in my storage.  Mocking me and crying out for cheese.     

While I was in Texas, I used a foam cooler and ice packs because I didn't have a place to cure my cheese.  It was crude, but worked really well.  Then someone showed me a great way to make a cooler out of a small fan and some pop bottles with ice in them.  It worked great!   (I'm the queen of poor, so I will do anything to make cheese.)   Now, where I am is an old refrigerator and I am going to use that turned at the warmest setting.


----------



## peteyfoozer (Jan 11, 2012)

I have a Jersey cow so all my milk and cream is raw. 

The press has a spring gauge that doesn't keep the right amount of pressure on all the time. The mold has no holes in it, so the whey can only come out the bottom, and there is no catch pan so it goes all over the place and has to sit in my sink...which makes it hard to do dishes! Not that I need any encouragement to skip doing them...
I made a couple of pepperjacks, a jack and a farmhouse cheddar. The flavor was good, but had a bit of an aftertaste. I had trouble with waxing so vacuum sealed a couple. After 3 months they started to mold and there was a LOT of moisture...actually, liquid. The chickens didn't care, they loved it. So I have nothing in there curing right now except for a wheel of parmesan which may or may not be any good. Won't know until August, apparently! 
I have had a LOT of trouble with my temps...getting them right, and getting them to rise slowly. I won't go into all I have tried, but instead will follow your cues as you lead us, and ask questions as they come up.
Looking forward to it, I hate wasting the gallons of milk EmmaLouMoo has been giving me, and I SO want to make good cheese!

I am giving milk and heavy cream to a feller who is here for the winter as a ranch handyman and trying to get him to make me a dutch press in return! 

Here is the one I have







oh yeah, I forgot to say I bought a wine fridge to use as a cheese cave.


----------



## Queen Mum (Jan 11, 2012)

OK, so the spring guage, I wouldn't worry about.   The weights on cheese aren't critical.  (I use books in a box and that is NEVER exact.)  

As for whey going everywhere, that's pretty easy to take care of...

You need a drip pan between the bottom of the mold and the bottom of the press.   

Take a look at this...






On my cheese press you will see a stainless steel pan with a spout on one side under the cheese mold.  (I bought that.)   It drains into a bowl.  

You can make something similar with a cheap tin pie plate.  Just  make sure it sticks out a bit from the edge of the press and put a hole in it where it sticks out.   Set the press up on a block so that the hole in the pie plate is centered over a bowl and the whey will drain into the bowl.  

You can buy one of the stainless steel drip pans from www.cheesemaking.com for a few bucks.  They are very handy.

As for the temperatures,  don't sweat it too much.   As long as you get it up to the temperature fairly slowly,  (You can even do it in a sink full of hot water)  you will be OK.   If you tend to scorch your milk, one thing you can do is get an old flat cast iron griddle and put it under your cheese pan on the stove.  That will help distribute the heat better and even out the temperature on the bottom of your stainless steel pot and slow down the heating at the bottom of the milk in your pot.


----------



## peteyfoozer (Jan 12, 2012)

ok, I won't worry then...or at least I won't NAG him about the new press 
Looking forward to this! Determined to find out what has been going wrong and I am SOOO glad you are willing to help!


----------



## Queen Mum (Jan 14, 2012)

This recipe is from Fias Co Farms.   It is the best recipe I have ever used.  The directions are step by step *with pictures*.  You can find it right here.   




Ingredients: 
	2-3 gallons goat milk (or cow milk) 
	1/4 tsp. mesophilic culture
	1/4 - 1/2 tsp.  Lipase powder 
	1 tsp. Liquid rennet dissolved in 1/2 C. water (you can use tablet rennet (junket) in which case use 1/2 tablet dissolved in water 
	Kosher salt 
	Brine: 1/2 C. salt (Kosher, of course) per 1/2 gallon of water (boiled and cooled to below room temp.) 

*NOTE:* Some people feel the lipase makes the cheese taste funny so you can leave it out for a milder cheese.   Also, you can get a mild lipase or a strong lipase.   I recommend the mild lipase to start as it may be too strong for the average tastebuds.   Lipase is used in many Italian cheeses and takes very little to flavor the cheese.  

1.   Warm the milk to 86 degrees Fahrenheit.  (SLOWLY).   Keep it at 86 degrees and add the mesophyllic culture and lipase and let it set about one hour.  (The purpose of letting the milk set is to let the acidity in the milk develop.  

2.   After one hour add the rennet to the milk stirring it in quickly.  Then leave it to set for another hour - COMPLETELY UNDISTURBED.  

3.   When the milk sets a curd it will look like this:    (picture from Fias Co Farms recipe for Feta Cheese)






4.   It is properly set when you can cut it with a knife and it looks like this:   (picture from Fias Co Farms recipe for Feta Cheese)






5.   Then you need to cut it into cubes like this:  (picture from Fias Co Farms recipe for Feta Cheese)






6.   Cut long sliced downward in the curd and then across at an angle so that you are cutting the curd across the middle to make cubes.   

7.   Let the curds set for about 10 minutes at 88 - 90 degrees and then stir gently.   Keep the temperature constant and occasionally stir the curds to cut the remaining curds and keep them from clumping together.

8.   They will look like a really soft pudding at first but will gradually get harder and thicker and more "rubbery" looking.   Eventually they will look like cottage cheese curds.  

9.   After about 45 minutes when all the curds look like cottage cheese curds they will be ready to drain.  

10.  Carefully place them into a cheesecloth lined colander and save the whey for making ricotta cheese (if you are so inclined) or to feed to the dog or water the flowers.

11.  Once the curds are pretty well drained, gather up the corners of the cheesecloth and *hang the bag for about an hour* over a pan to drain.   

12.  After an hour, take the curds out of the cloth and turn them over and rehang them for 24 - 36 hours to fully drain.   (This will give the cheese a nice round shape for cutting later.) 

13.  After the cheese has drained fully for 24 - 36 hours, you can take it out of the bag.  Now slice and cube the big giant cheese ball.  (Go ahead and taste it, you know you want to.  It's pretty mild at this point, and is unsalted.  But you can get an idea of what it will taste like in the long run.  - The texture is very soft and NOT crumbly yet.)    

14.  To slice it, I put it on a salted table.   (non-iodized salt.)   I slice it first,  sprinkle each slice with salt, then cut it in strips and then cube the strips.  Put the cubes into a big flat container with a fairly loose fitting lid.   Layer them in and sprinkle a little more salt on top.   Don't go too heavy on the salt, just dust it lightly for each slice and then sprinkle each layer lightly.   

15.   These cubes will sit for 3 days and absorb the salt and dry.  They will expel whey for the three days which you will want to keep and add  to your salt brine.  After three days put the cubes into a jar with salt brine and put them in the refrigerator.

You can eat them now, but they will be much better in about 4 weeks.   They are good for about a year.  The longer they age, the better they get.  Rinse them before use as they will be quite salty.


----------



## peteyfoozer (Jan 14, 2012)

I have a Jersey cow who puts a LOT of HEAVY cream on my milk...do I skim this off, or use it with it?


----------



## Queen Mum (Jan 14, 2012)

Go ahead and make whole milk feta cheese.  It will be yummy.   The ricotta cheese from the whey will be extra tasty.   

*Ricotta cheese*

Bring the whey to 190 degrees Fahrenheit.

Be careful, it will have a tendency to foam and boil over at this point.

You should see very fine particles of "cheese".   (If you don't add 1/4 cup of vinegar.)  

cool and drain through a very fine cheese cloth.


The results are DELICIOUS.  It is pure protein.  There won't be very much, but it's worth the effort.  (I make 5 gallon batches of cheese so I get about 2 cups of ricotta.)  A 3 gallon batch may yield much less ricotta.  You can freeze it.  

I like to mix mine with a bit of garlic and herbs with some salt.  It makes a great spread.

It is also great mixed with some honey and berry jam and spread on toast.


----------



## peteyfoozer (Jan 14, 2012)

oh! I like the idea of mixing the herbs with the ricotta. I have not been making much lately cuz I don't have that many things to do with it! Now I need some crackers!


----------



## Queen Mum (Jan 14, 2012)

Well, since you mentioned crackers... Here is a recipe for crackers:   

Herbed Vegetable Thins

2 cups Flour
1/4 cup shortening
1 Tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons mixed herbs  (I use Mrs. Dash)
1/4 cup dried soup greens (ground in a blender, coffee grinder or food processor)
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda


Mix the dry ingredients in a food processor

Then slowly drizzle in 3/4 cup cold water.  Process until it makes a ball of dough

Chill the dough until it is cold and then roll until it is VERY thin.

Cut with a pastry cutter and place on a cookie sheet.

Prick with a fork all over.

Bake till golden brown.

*Optional:*  You can add 1/4 cup sesame seeds, or sunflower seeds.   You can also add 1/4 cup of finely grated cheese. 

You can baste the crackers lightly with water and sprinkle very lightly with salt if you desire before baking.


----------



## peteyfoozer (Jan 14, 2012)

Something I would definitely like to try! ...what are soup greens?


----------



## SmallFarmGirl (Jan 14, 2012)

Raising my hand! Do I have to make cheese ??? Or can I just listen in and ask questions?


----------



## Queen Mum (Jan 14, 2012)

Soup greens are dried vegetables like you get in a package of dried soup mix.   Sometimes you will get big jars of soup mix at the grocery for making instant soup  that has bits of dried carrots and onion and celery and parsley.   You can skip that and just use some dried onion flakes, parsley flakes, maybe some other dried herbs.  Or leave it out all together.


----------



## peteyfoozer (Jan 14, 2012)

oh! ok, I dry my own, so I could do that! I just had no idea what it was


----------



## Queen Mum (Jan 14, 2012)

SmallFarmGirl said:
			
		

> Raising my hand! Do I have to make cheese ??? Or can I just listen in and ask questions?


Of course you can listen in and ask question.  Auditing is allowed.   Smileys are welcome.


----------



## Cricket (Jan 15, 2012)

Oh, thank you for the Ricotta recipe, too!  I'm running way behind, but have my buttermilk for sour cream and am getting milk tonight when I go to work.  I found a recipe for ice cream that uses sour cream, yogurt, and honey.  I bought one of those electric ice cream makers where you freeze the bowl and don't have to use ice and salt and I am in heaven.  THEN the  Feta!

This summer I was using my crock pot to make a water bath to make yogurt in--it worked well with the lid off, could check temp occasionally if it was getting too cool.  Left to milk one night with it on and the lid on and by the time I got home, the whey was separating.  I heated it quite high for a little bit on the stove  and it separated more, then hung it in cheese cloth for 24 hours or so.  It was crumbly, and mixed with herbs, onion powder, salt  and  a little cream it made a decent boursin-like spread and I didn't have to use my cream.  Happy accident!
Cricket


----------



## Queen Mum (Jan 15, 2012)

Cricket,

If you pm me your address, I will mail you a packet of sour cream culture that makes an awesome sour cream/buttermilk.   I have quite a few of them.

Any one else want one?


----------



## peteyfoozer (Jan 15, 2012)

well, the cows milk Feta is hangin' and the ricotta is ALMOST up to temperature. I love my cow.


----------



## Queen Mum (Jan 15, 2012)

Awesome Peteyfoozer...  that is MOOzic to my ears!   I am hanging in suspense to hear how it comes out.   Be sure and taste some when you cut and salt it, just to let us know what you think.  Remember the texture won't be right yet, but you will be surprised at the taste.

It gets better with age.

And you can start eating it within the first week of putting it in brine.  Actually, I kind of snack on the chunks while it's drying off in the box, but shhhh, don't tell anyone.


----------



## Cricket (Jan 16, 2012)

That would be wonderful--thank you!  I will try the pm thing.  (I'm not good at the abbrev.  In knitting pm='place marker'.  I thought for the longest time when people referred to their DH, they were being really rude about their husbands)


----------



## autumnprairie (Jan 16, 2012)

Cricket said:
			
		

> That would be wonderful--thank you!  I will try the pm thing.  (I'm not good at the abbrev.  In knitting pm='place marker'.  I thought for the longest time when people referred to their DH, they were being really rude about their husbands)


 I did too


----------



## Queen Mum (Jan 16, 2012)

Cricket said:
			
		

> That would be wonderful--thank you!  I will try the pm thing.  (I'm not good at the abbrev.  In knitting pm='place marker'.  I thought for the longest time when people referred to their DH, they were being really rude about their husbands)


----------



## peteyfoozer (Jan 16, 2012)

the feta is cubed and salted and in a container. It's ok to be layered in there, right? There was a HUGE hunk of cheese. It was a really good yield. I have no idea what it is SUPPOSED to taste like tho, as I have never had it before!


----------



## peteyfoozer (Jan 19, 2012)

Our friend the chef, and our 'neighbor' on the ranch both tried the feta and said it was good. I am glad to know it turned out, but i have also learned, I am not very fond of feta.
Ready for the next success


----------



## Cricket (Jan 28, 2012)

Thank you for the sour cream starter--it is just awesome!  It's almost like a cross between butter, sour cream, and cream cheese.  I had also tried it with buttermilk, which was more like store bought sour cream.  I also love doing yogurt in canning jars--then while I'm heating, I can try different batches at the same time.  I also used the cooler idea with great success.  I put the jars in the cooler, then put them on the mitten rack my husband built on top of the radiator.  I had tried using the radiator before, but it 'finished' on the bottom more quickly than on top.  In what may be my only act of organization of the year, I filled a muffin tin with different starter batches and have frozen and labeled them.

I'm going to have to order rennet.  Is there a starter you would like to try so that I can return your kindness in sharing the sour cream starter?

Thank you again,
Cricket


----------



## Queen Mum (Jan 29, 2012)

Hey everyone,     Sorry this is so late,  I have been out of town and then had a crisis when I came back but the crisis is past.  I will start the next recipe a little late this week, but fear not,  it is coming. 

Peteyfoozer:  Layering is fine.   Congratulations...  Wait, the feta gets better with age, it might grow on you.  AND if you used lipase, try it without the lipase next time for a milder taste.  You might like that better.  

Cricket:   Yay!  I am glad the yogurt and sour cream came out so well.   It's kind of fun to make your own.   BTW if the bottom gets done first,  just stir it.   I will be buying all new culture stock because I "left" my other cultures behind having left the last place in a bit of a "hurry".   So I'm good for now.   I am waiting till I have a doe in milk.   BTW, you can hang the sour cream in a very fine cheese cloth and it will get even thicker and you can add a bit of salt and herbs, or sugar and jam and spread it on toast.


----------



## peteyfoozer (Jan 29, 2012)

I will try it without the lipase next time. Our friend the chef, said it was perfect. My 'neighbor' likes it, so she got the rest. It made a LOT!


----------



## Queen Mum (Jan 29, 2012)

peteyfoozer said:
			
		

> I will try it without the lipase next time. Our friend the chef, said it was perfect. My 'neighbor' likes it, so she got the rest. It made a LOT!


It IS supposed to age for a while in the brine.  The longer it ages, the better it gets.  The lipase tends to get milder after a time.   

ALSO, there are two kinds of lipase.  One is mild lipase and one is sharp lipase.  Most Americans don't like the sharp lipase.  (I love it.)   Mild is more to the American taste.   You can use half the dose of mild lipase in your cheese as well.


----------



## peteyfoozer (Jan 29, 2012)

Is there somewhere that explains how to properly make the salt brine?


----------



## Queen Mum (Jan 29, 2012)

peteyfoozer said:
			
		

> Is there somewhere that explains how to properly make the salt brine?


In the Feta cheese recipe (I think page 4 or 5) the salt brine is listed along with directions on how to make it.  It's easy to miss.   Here it is again.



			
				feta cheese recipe said:
			
		

> Brine: 1/2 C. salt (Kosher, of course) per 1/2 gallon of water (boiled and cooled to below room temp.)


----------



## peteyfoozer (Feb 3, 2012)

Got it. I gave my jack cheese another shot today. GOt a little better handle on the temps by just using a tea pot to pour hotter water in the big pot to raise the temps. We'll see how THIS one turns out!


----------



## Queen Mum (Mar 6, 2012)

I'm BACK!  

I have been away... for a while.  

I moved, the last place I lived kept my cultures.  A couple hundred dollars worth!   Then my computer mini-drive broke and ALL my cheese recipes were typed neatly on that hard drive.  I can't afford to order more.

I have been wracking my brain wondering what I am going to do.  SO I Abandoned you cheese fans.  I'm bad.  I'm sorry.

SO HERE I AM.  I am going to PUNT!  First of all, I can type.  So, by Saturday the recipe will be TYPED into the computer once again.  AND

I can make cheese the old fashioned way.  The way my mom did it BEFORE you could order cultures online.

I am going to go to the store and buy some Junket pudding RENNET and some cultured buttermilk.  

Stay tuned for the recipe ON SATURDAY for ROBIOLA cheese.  Four days from start to finish.   ARE YOU READY.  

Get some buttermilk, a couple gallons (or one) of fresh or thawed frozen milk, and some junket rennet.  (or some rennet from a culture supply place and some mesophillic culture).

See you Saturday!


----------



## Cricket (Mar 7, 2012)

I'm with you, but will be running behind (naturally!)  I can't find rennet locally, but still have buttermilk culture from your previous instructions.  I'm ordering online today--do you want me to order any specific cultures that you'd like to have?  (I still owe you 2 culture packets from your previous generosity!)  I did ricotta from skimmed jersey milk and vinegar--a little rubbery, but good.  Hung too long?  Good to see you back!


----------



## Queen Mum (Mar 7, 2012)

With cheeses, if you are ordering your cultures online, you want to always have on hand some Mesophillic culture and some basic Thermophillic.  For Mesophillic just the basic C101 (small packets) or MA 011 (large pack).  Thermophillic is C201 (small) and LH 100 (large).  

These can be kept in the freezer for up to a year.  

If you make a lot of cheese, it is better to buy the large pack because it is more economical.  Or you can always order a starter pack C1 (mesophillic) or C2 (thermophillic) which allows you to make and freeze a basic culture that you can culture over and over.  

Mesophillic cultures are used for softer cheeses like cheddar, gouda, monteray jack, edam, etc. and for the "mold cheeses" like blue, stilton, etc.
Thermophillic is usually used for the harder cheeses, and longer aged cheeses like parmesan, romano, swiss, gruyere.  
There are some cheeses that use a combination of Thermophyllic and Mesophillic.


----------



## peteyfoozer (Mar 10, 2012)

I have never heard of Robiola cheese!


----------



## Queen Mum (Mar 11, 2012)

OK, a day late and a dollar short, but here it is:

A Recipe for Making Robiola   From Cheesemaking.com   Click here for pictures and directions 

Before you begin:

You will need:
1 gallon of milk (not UltraPasturized)  yours, raw is OK, or slow pastuerized is fine.
1 packet of  Buttermilk culture or 1/2 cup of fresh buttermilk (cultured)
Liquid Rennet (or 1/4 tablet of vegetable - Junket) 
Salt
A good thermometer
A knife to cut the curds, and a spoon or ladle to stir the curds with.
2-3 Basket Molds to drain the curds  (I use cheap bamboo flower baskets with an open weave pattern.  They must be VERY CLEAN.  Bamboo works well because you can wash it with really hot water and it doesn't lose it's shape.) 
Butter Muslin for lining the molds and draining  (very thin white cotton)

Everything needs to be clean and sanitized.

Calcium Chloride can be added for pasteurized cold stored milk and will help to form a firmer curd using about 1/8-1/4 tsp per gallon of milk.

1.  Heat the milk to 72 degrees Fahrenheit.   (If you use goats milk, heat the milk to 98 degrees.)  

2.  Keep it at that temperature and add the buttermilk.  (You might want to preheat the buttermilk too so you can keep everything at that temperature.)

3.  Let the milk sit *COVERED* for 4 hours, keeping it at 72 (98 for goats milk) degrees.  If it is warm in your house, just keep it at 72  degrees (or 98).  Or put it in a sink full of hot water and keep the water hot.

4.  *NOW* dissolve the rennet tablet in 1/4 cup cool water, and add it too the milk,  or add a few drops of liquid rennet directly to the milk and stir it in quickly.  

5.  Let it sit in a very warm place covered for until you see the curd start to sink and the whey rise over the curd.  Do not cut the curd.  But you can cut it to check if it has a soft cuttable curd.  (It may take as little as an hour or as long as 24 hours.  It should look like this:   







  (photo is from http://cheesemaking.com)

6.  Once the curd has formed, cut it into 1 or 2 inch cubes and then cut once again.  First straight across the pan then diagonally so you cut the curds through the middle.  (the ideas is that you don't have long thin strips but rather cubes in the pan.)  

7.  Let the curds rest in the pan and while you are doing that, line your molds with your cloth.  You might want to get the cloth damp so it is easier to put into the molds.  

8.  Ladle out some of the whey into a separate pan.

9.  Carefully and gently ladle the curds into the molds to drain.

10.  Fold the cloth over the cheese and stack one basket on top of the other to press for about 10 minutes.  

11.  After the cheese has "pressed" for about 10 minutes put the top basket on the bottom and the bottom on the top for another 10 minutes.

12.  Now, unwrap the cheese very carefully and turn it over, re-wrap and repeat.  

13.  Finally unwrap the cheese return it to the baskets *UNWRAPPED* and set the baskets side by side for about 18 hours to drain.

14.  After about 18 hours  (or 19 or 24), take the cheese out of the basket and float it in saturated brine for an hour, flipping once or twice during that hour.  

15.  Remove from the brine and wipe dry.  Let set in a 50 - 60 degree spot for about 4 days, turning daily.  Then eat it.  Or you can age it for 30 days if you wish.

I use a big foam cooler with a fake ice pack in it for curing my cheese.  I put a cooling rack in the cooler.  the humidity is just about right.

*Saturated brine* is made by adding salt to boiling water until no more salt will dissolve in the water.  Then cool the water to ice cold.  Some salt will precipitate out of the water when it cools which is normal.  

1 quart of water,  1/2 pound of salt, 1/4 tsp calcium chloride, 1/4 tsp white vinegar

The brine can and should be reused over and over again.

Saturated Brine is *NOT* the  same as brine used for cheese like Feta cheese.  (That brine has much less salt.)


----------



## Queen Mum (Mar 12, 2012)

I made my cheese last night, the old fashioned way.  I made two batches.  One batch came out great and the other,  came out like cream cheese.  SO I will make a cream cheese type of cheese (I have 5 pounds of it and the other will be regular cheese. 

The reason, I think that the one batch cheese isn't right is I over heated the milk when pasteurizing.  So It didn't form a good hard curd. (I should have been more patient and let it sit longer before cutting the curd.)  Either way, it tastes great.    I will salt it today and add some herbs to the cream cheese stuff and it will make a great spread after about a week of "aging".  

I also made ricotta out of the whey and got two cups of very sweet creamy ricotta.   

YUM.


----------



## Queen Mum (Mar 17, 2012)

Cheddar Cheese anyone?   

Cheddar Cheese is pretty simple.  The cheddaring process is a matter of making the cheese curds and then layering them to and letting the weight of the curds press them down into a mass.  Then they are cut into cubes and put into a press.  

So here is the basic recipe.  It's pretty much the same as most other cheese.

2 gallons of Milk
1/4 teaspoon of Mesophillic cheese culture of 1/4 cup of buttermilk
1 teaspoon of calcium chloride (if you have it.) 
1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet or 1 tablet of junket vegetable rennet (dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water)
1 tablespoon NON-IODIZED salt.

1.  Warm your milk to 88 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.  Add calcium chloride and mesophillic culture or buttermilk.

3.  Let the culture set for one hour.

4.  Add rennet and quickly stir it into the milk.  Let the milk sit undisturbed for about an hour or until the curd is set and you have a "clean break".






  (Picture is from www.cheesemaking.com)

5.  When the curd is set, cut it into one inch cubes. and then let it sit for about 10 or 15 minutes.

6.  Now heat the curds and whey to 103 degrees Fahrenheit over a 30 minute period by increasing the temperature very slowly. Stir them frequently to keep the curds from clumping together into a mass.

7.  The curds look like soft pudding at first and over about 40 minutes they will shrink and become like cottage cheese.  You want them to all look like cottage cheese.  Not rubbery and hard, but soft and squishy.  

8.  Remove the curds and whey from the heat and allow the curds to settle to the bottom of the pot.

9.  Ladle off the whey into another pot to make ricotta cheese later.

10. Ladle the curds into a cheese cloth for draining, preferably into a square or rectangle baking dish.  Periodically pour the whey that accumulates into the pot with the other whey.  Try to keep the curds warm by putting them in a warm place.  Wrap them up and put them in the pan to finish draining and keep them warm, turning them over every 5 or 10 minutes for about 20 minutes.    They should form a solid block.

11.  Cheddaring the cheese.  

a.  Cut the block into 3 strips.  

b.  Layer the strips on top of each other, re-wrap and let stand for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes.   

c.  Cut the block in half and layer again, re-wrap and let sit for 30 more minutes and turn every 10 minutes.   Then you should have a really solid lump of cheddared cheese.  

d.  Each time you flip the cheese it should squish down some.  

12.  NOW,  cut up the cheddar'd cheese into little bits about the size of a walnut half.  Put it in a bowl and mix in salt.  Let stand for 5 minutes and mix again to assure salt is well absorbed.

13.  Line cheese mold with cheese cloth and put cheddared cheese into mold.

14.  Press at 10 pounds for one hour,  Carefully remove the cheese from the press, turn it over in the mold, and press at 10 pounds for one more hour.

15.  Remove the cheese again and turn it over.  Press at 35 pounds for 24 hours.  

16.  Remove the cheese from the press.   Bandage it with clean cheese cloth, rub it down with lard or butter and put it in a cool environment.   (55 degrees Fahrenheit, 85% humidity from 1 - 8 months) to cure.   It will develop mold on the outside.  THIS IS NORMAL.  The mold should be green or white.  BLACK MOLD IS BAD.  

You can use a normal foam cooler with an ice block in it as a "cheese cave" or a small cube refrigerator on the lowest setting.  It will NOT cure properly in a regular refrigerator as the temperature is too cold.


----------



## peteyfoozer (Mar 19, 2012)

i never thought of putting it into a square container. That would make the cheddaring sooo much easier! Thanks for the tips. I got a 4 lb wheel in the wine fridge, but I have no idea if it turned out or not yet. I still have 2 months to wait.


----------



## Queen Mum (Mar 19, 2012)

The hardest part about making cheese is waiting to see if it turns out.  

Waiting for my Parmesan and Romano cheese  JUST ABOUT KILLED ME.      But it was worth the wait.  I had wonderful Parmesan and Romano cheese.  My swiss cheese didn't make big holes.  Instead I got small holes, but it was still very good.  All three had to age for a year.     The good thing is you can make other cheese in the meantime.


----------



## Queen Mum (Mar 26, 2012)

Did ANYONE make Cheddar last time?   Anyone?

Sigh,  Well, here is Gouda Cheese.

Gouda Cheese is a Washed Curd cheese.  And it is a soaked brine cheese.

In other words, you wash the curds while "cooking" them.  Then after pressing the cheese, you soak the round in salt brine for a short while, dry it and age the cheese.  

*GOUDA CHEESE*

So here is the basic recipe.  It's pretty much the same as most other cheese.

2 gallons of skim Milk
1 quart cream
1/4 teaspoon of Mesophillic cheese culture of 1/4 cup of buttermilk
1 teaspoon of calcium chloride (if you have it.)
1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet or 1 tablet of junket vegetable rennet (dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water)

Sound familiar - Yep, it's almost the same recipe as Cheddar Cheese except you don't add salt to the curds.  You can substitute whole milk for skim, and leave out the cream, but the cheese is better with cream added.  



1.  Warm your milk to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.  Add calcium chloride and mesophillic culture or buttermilk.

3.  Let the culture set for one hour.

4.  Add rennet and quickly stir it into the milk.  Let the milk sit undisturbed for about an hour or until the curd is set and you have a "clean break".

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/uploads/1156_cheese_curd_cut.jpg  (Picture is from www.cheesemaking.com)

5.  When the curd is set, cut it into one inch cubes. and then let it sit (rest) for about 10 or 15 minutes.

6.  Now heat the curds and whey to 100 degrees Fahrenheit over a 30 minute period by increasing the temperature very slowly. Stir them frequently to keep the curds from clumping together into a mass.

7.  The curds look like soft pudding at first and over about 40 minutes they will shrink and become like cottage cheese.  

*HERE IS WHERE GOUDA IS DIFFERENT FROM CHEDDAR CHEESE.*

8.  Remove the 1/3 of the whey from pot and replace it with an equal amount of water that has been heated to 175 degrees Fahrenheit.  Stir the curds for 15 minutes to prevent them from settling  to the bottom of the pot.  (Set aside the whey that you removed to make Ricotta later.) 

9.  Ladle off the 1/3 of the whey again, and replace it with an equal amount of water that has been heated to 175 degrees Fahrenheit.  Stir the curds for 15 minutes to prevent them from settling  to the bottom of the pot.  (Set aside the whey that you removed to make Ricotta later.) 

10.  *ONE MORE TIME - *Ladle off the 1/3 of the whey again, and replace it with an equal amount of water that has been heated to 175 degrees Fahrenheit.  Stir the curds for 15 minutes to prevent them from settling  to the bottom of the pot.  (Set aside the whey that you removed to make Ricotta later.) 

11.  Set the pot in some cold water with ice added and cool the cheese to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, while stirring to prevent clumping.   When it reaches 95 degrees, remove it from the cold water and let it sit for 35 minutes.  

12.  Drain the remaining whey into the Ricotta pot and pour the curds into a cheese cloth lined colander.    

13.  Place a cheese cloth  in a cheese mold, and ladle the drained curds into the mold.  Fold the cheesecloth over the curds, add the follower and press with about 3 pounds weight for one hour.

14.  Put a fresh cheese cloth on a plate.  ,open the top of the pressed cheese cloth and turn the opened cheese mold over on top of the fresh cloth so that the cheese is resting nicely on the new cloth.  *Carefully* remove the cheese mold, and then peel the wet cloth off the cheese very carefully so as not to disturb the shape of the freshly pressed cheese.  

15.  Re-wrap the cheese with the new cloth and slide the mold over the top of the cheese or carefully lift it into the mold.  Add the follower and then press the cheese with 4 to 8 pounds of weight for 12 hours.

*(Basically what you just did was turn the cheese over in the mold with a fresh piece of cheese cloth.)    *

16.  After 12 hours, remove the cheese from the mold, unwrap it and put it back in the mold to dry for 12 hours (overnight).  

17.  After drying in the mold, Float the cheese in a Saturated brine solution for one hour, turning once during that time. 



> *Saturated Brine* is made by boiling 1 quart of water,  1/2 pound of salt, 1/4 tsp calcium chloride, 1/4 tsp white vinegar
> 
> Chill the brine.  Use it over and over again.  It will get better with age.  *Remember, *this is *not* the same brine that you use with Feta Cheese.


18.  Remove from the brine and set the cheese on a mat of some sort to dry for two days.  (If it is humid, a fan nearby is helpful to help with the drying process.)  

19.  Coat the cheese with wax after drying and place in a "cheese cave" (50 - 55 degrees with 85% humidity) for 3 to 6 months.


----------



## animalfarm (Mar 27, 2012)

Queen Mum

Just to let you know, I am following your thread with interest and future good intentions. I have the milk and the equipment; working on developing a cheese cave, but simply don't have the time at this moment. I am running a farm on my own and there is simpy to many "high priorities" to deal with  before I can get to cheese making.  I am finding your instructions to to be better then most I have read and hope you continue; hopefully when the time comes that I can reap the benefits of your efforts you haven't given up.


----------



## OurWildHeart (Apr 2, 2012)

Going to have to save this topic. It's super useful! I'm a cheese-maker that jumped straight into making mozzarella like so many before me.  Now to try with our own goats someday soon.


----------



## MrsKK (May 20, 2012)

Hello!  I am new to the forum and found this thread - it's great!  I teach cheesemaking classes where we spend a full day and make mozzarella, fresh cheese curds, and queso blanco.  I'm finding that your instructions are very easy to follow - I hope that you are able to continue with this project, as there are so few GOOD quality sources of learning these traditional methods.

I love the pictures of your cheesepress.  I have made one of my own using two boards with holes cut in each corner, then dowels run through the holes.  I do find that it can get a bit unbalanced, but will take a page from your book and try to find PVC t's that will fit over the dowels to make a frame that will help keep everything aligned properly.  I just rest barbell weights on the top board for pressing.  I also use a dish drain board underneath the mold to run the whey off and into the boot tray underneath 

I've never heard of Robiola - what does it taste like?  I have mold allergies, so can't eat blues, etc, even though I love blue cheese.  <Sigh>


----------



## peteyfoozer (May 20, 2012)

I did make cheddar, but I have yet to taste it. It should be ready this month. My cow is dry until July so I am hoping the goats freshen soon so I can try gouda! My cheese press has been remade and I am ready to rock n roll as soon as I have milk again!


----------



## WhiteMountainsRanch (May 20, 2012)

*I'm in I'm in I'm in!!!



I need to start with the simpler ones though. That cheddar looks hard... I need to know how to make buttermilk first!*


----------



## peteyfoozer (May 20, 2012)

WhiteMountainsRanch said:
			
		

> *
> I need to know how to make buttermilk first!*


That tickled me! 

It's so great to see people regaining the skills that used to be common. I love 'meeting' people with this in common.

 I buy a small thing of commercial live culture buttermilk and use it to make mother cultures which I renew every month with the prior month's culture. Just pour some milk in a sterile jar, simmer it for about 30 min. then add some cultured buttermilk and seal it up. I use a couple TBL per cup of milk to make more. This way you can have cultured buttermilk indefinitely, from just buying it the first time. 

An easy way to use it, if you have access to milk and cream, is innoculate your cream with some of it before making butter. (It sits out for a couple of days to culture) Then the resulting buttermilk is thick and cultured and I can use that. The buttermilk from sweet cream butter isn't cultured.

That's how "I" do it! Hope it helps


----------



## WhiteMountainsRanch (May 20, 2012)

*Thank you, that sounds easy enough! 

I made yogurt for the first time last week. Took me three tries to get it right, but the third one turned out amazing! Bet I can do buttermilk too!  *


----------



## autumnprairie (May 20, 2012)

WhiteMountainsRanch said:
			
		

> *I'm in I'm in I'm in!!!
> 
> 
> 
> I need to start with the simpler ones though. That cheddar looks hard... I need to know how to make buttermilk first!*


www.cheesemaking.com is a great site and QM refers to it a lot I have made the Robiola so far, but I get QM live to help


----------



## Queen Mum (May 23, 2012)

Buttermilk can be made with the same culture that cheese is made with.  It is mesophillic or low temperature.  Petefoozer is right.  It's simple to make.  You can use the same culture to make sour cream.  Lactobacillis cremoris.  

Cheddar cheese is not a difficult cheese to make.  In fact, I am going to make some tomorrow. It is one of the easiest "hard" cheeses to make.  It just takes patience to wait for it to age.  

I buy my basic mesophillic culture.  And since I have goats I usually buy some calcium chloride, because the goats milk can be a little "soft".  In other words it will make a softer curd.    

BTW, you can print out the instructions for these cheeses by highlighting each recipe and pasting it to a word document.  

I have a booklet of each recipe that I keep in my kitchen for making my cheese.  I also have it on my computer so I can just print out a new recipe each time I make cheese.

If you sign up at www.cheesemaking.com they have a monthly newsletter that features a new recipe for cheese each month with step by step directions.  newsletter 

Another good website is www.gourmetsleuth.com.  They have a TON of great cheese recipesright here .  

Another good source is Fankhauser's cheese page. It's right here.


----------



## Cricket (May 23, 2012)

And, Queen Mum, one of the best tips you've given me:  cultures freeze!  I get out my canner and put my 2 qt canning jars in filled with milk.  I make 5 qts yogurt (2 from greek-tart, 3 from mellow), 1 with buttermilk culture, and 1 qt cream with the sour cream.  Fill canner with water, heat milk to 170, take rack out and cool to 115.  Add 1 heaping T powdered milk and a couple T of culture and put in cooler.  Then when the other 2 jars cool to room temp, I stir in their cultures.  When everything is done, I fill 3 muffin cups with each kind of culture and freeze just in case I end up short sometime.  It's wonderful!


----------



## Vickir73 (Jun 6, 2012)

I love goat cheese and this is something I want to learn - but oh my.  All this seems over whelming! I'll start easy (sour cream) and work my way up.  Y'all "old timers" (I hope no one takes offense - 'cause I'm using it as a form of respect) impress the hell out of me.    I think my job is beginning to get in the way of my "farm life."    My grandmother has begun teaching me how to can and now I want to learn how to make cheese - I want everything now, now, now!!!  Queen Mum, I'm going now to sign up for the websites.  Thanks so much and I will post how my stuff turns out (as soon as my kids get old enough for me to begin milking)


----------



## RainySunday (Jul 9, 2012)

Attempting Gouda today!

*Edit/update....
Well that was a flop.  I went to unmold it ad the curds were all stuck to the cheese cloth, and then broke up into a billion curds.  It didn't solidify into one round at all.  The sticking to the cloth may have been because I didn't re-wrap it when i flipped it, but no clue what happened with it not forming into a solid round.

To save it, I did the brine soak for an hour anyhow, then drained the curds and stuck them in the fridge.  Still tastes good, just isn't gouda.


----------

