Author Topic: Just Joined  (Read 1924 times)

Offline alaninkarachi

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Just Joined
« on: August 17, 2013, 01:01:05 PM »
Hi,  Just found this site. Great place. Just what I needed. Had decided to get into making cheese. So thanks for having this up and running.

About me.  I'm an engineer currently working in Atyrau, Kazakhstan. I work on rotation with 6 weeks working and 2 weeks off.
Cheese making will make a really good hobby during my working period and I have the opportunity to treat it as learning exercise prior to going home at the endof my contract.

So how to get started... ?  I've no idea...

So please, any advice, suggestions etc apprecieated.   Lessons 101 is what I need.
My existing knowledge of making cheese  =  0   or even - 0
Favourite cheeses  cheddar, other 'hard' type cheeses. Also like stilton.

Here in Atyrau I doubt I can buy fresh milk, just supermarket homogenized type stuff. So where to start, what to do?  Which starter books etc.

Anyone, Someone, please help get me started.

Thanks and look forward to contributing to the forum in due course when I've  something to add !

Offline Tiarella

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Re: Just Joined
« Reply #1 on: August 17, 2013, 01:39:56 PM »
Welcome!!!!  I am rushing off to a friend's wedding but if others don't offer generous amounts of information and ideas I will write again tomorrow!   ;D

bobbymac29649

  • Guest
Re: Just Joined
« Reply #2 on: August 17, 2013, 03:50:43 PM »
Hi Alan - Welcome!  I'm very new myself but have found this forum and it's members amazing.
Having lived in Egypt for years I know the frustrations of living in a developing country.  Things we take for granted i.e. paper towels, napkins, TP, etc. can be difficult to find except in the "big cities"...
If you're working for a U.S. contractor do they have regular mail runs from the States where you can get things delivered?  If so, you have nothing to worry about.  You'll be able to get books - Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking by Gianaclis Caldwell, Artisan Cheese Making at Home by Mary Karlin, Home Cheesemaking by Ricki Carroll (the Cheese Queen).  If you can't order things from the States then perhaps ordering from London, Amsterdam, Paris, etc????
The Internet is full of recipes, tips, methods, everything you need to know.  Watch as many Youtube videos on cheese making as you can so you can see what it's all about.  You'll learn a ton from watching videos.  For me it seems to sink in better than just reading about a certain technique.
Visit the open markets there and find someone who sells cheese if that's possible.  If so, pick their brain about techniques, cheese cultures used, etc. 
From what I've read various milk products are an important part of the Kazakh diet so milk should be plentiful.  (I'll pass on the mare's milk, at least the fermented kind!!).
Speaking of mare's milk I wonder if anyone here on the forum has any experience with it?
Like I said, I'm new at this.  There are tons of people on this forum with a whole heck of a lot of experience.  I'm just speaking as someone who's lived in a foreign country and trying to find or learn something.
Good luck!

tnbquilt

  • Guest
Re: Just Joined
« Reply #3 on: August 17, 2013, 07:22:51 PM »
You need a simple book to begin with and I find Rickki Carrol's book to the best beginner book. It has good procedure instructions. She has simplified the cheese making a lot, so you will out grow the book pretty quickly if you like the hobby, but in the beginning I think simple is best.

If I had started with Gianaclis Caldwell's book to start with I would have lost interest quick, but now I really like it because it is more complex. Tim Smith's book is also a very beginner book with some good recipes in it. It was my first book, and I've made several of his recipes. If the recipe is in Tim Smith and Rickki Carrol's book, then the recipes are exactly the same, but all of the recipes aren't in either book.

I have 5 books, because I like to read about making cheese, but I only mention 3 because I wouldn't recommend the other two.

You can't always make cheese, but you can read and do research on how to make cheese when you can't actually be doing it.

Good luck, it's a great hobby, and the people here on this forum are always a big help. I do searches for whatever cheese I want to make and read about everybody else's experiences first.

Here is a link to "The Family Album"

http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,10888.0.html

it is quite educational.

Offline Tiarella

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Re: Just Joined
« Reply #4 on: August 18, 2013, 02:30:05 AM »
You can avoid buying books totally if you want.  A man named Gavin who lives in Australia has a website with directions and videos of cheese making at his website.  Www.littlegreencheese.com I think that will give you ideas.  Caerphilly cheese is an easy hard cheese if you want to make aged cheeses and it's great because it only needs to be aged about 3 weeks although you can age it longer.  Good luck!!!  keep us posted!

tnbquilt

  • Guest
Re: Just Joined
« Reply #5 on: August 18, 2013, 02:35:45 PM »
Thanks for the website, I didn't know about that. I will share with my friends.

Offline alaninkarachi

  • Young Cheese
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  • Location: Atyrau, Kazakhstan
  • Posts: 5
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Re: Just Joined
« Reply #6 on: August 19, 2013, 08:20:56 AM »
Thank you all for a fantastic set of quick and informative replies. I've ordered a couple of books as recommended above and am following up on the web site stuff. Including Utube.  Again thanks, 8)

Homecheesejack

  • Guest
Re: Just Joined
« Reply #7 on: September 05, 2013, 09:01:35 AM »
Hi Alan,

Welcome on board - it's brilliant that you are so keen to get going with cheese.

I found it hard to get started as info is all over the place, so decided to set up my own site to make it easier for people to get going and improve their skills - and I'm improving my own in the process.

I've launched a free 20-page eBook for beginners (based on my own experience and a lot of research) which you can download for free and with no obligation at http://www.homemadecheese.org/

Best wishes in your cheese adventures!

Jack

hoeklijn

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Re: Just Joined
« Reply #8 on: September 05, 2013, 03:15:09 PM »
And a warm welcome from Holland, from the neighborhood of Gouda, home of the world famous cheese....