Thanks for the warm welcome.
Like I said I have been doing this off and on. I have soo many hobbies I am like a butterfly - I land here and there every now and then.
I have made mozzarella, ricotta, cheddar, provalone, asiago, Parmesan, Romano, Monterrey jack, Colby and I think that's about it. I am Italian and it shows in my cooking and cheese making. I made a bunch of soft cheeses in the beginning but I don't remember what they were mostly cream cheese, Chev re, farmers cheese, Asadero that sort of thing. Except for mozzarella and ricotta I am not a big fan of soft cheeses - but you can't make lasagna on manicotti without them eh?
I have not yet developed the patience to make an old world provalone. You know the kind that used to hung in front of the counter at the meat market that smelled like old gym socks? Loved that stuff! I usually only make 2 pound batches and in the winter so it gets eatten. LOL
I plan to build a cheese cave from a refrigerator this summer. I have most of the parts just missing the refrigerator and the space to put it. I clear a space in the basement soon.
You are probably wondering how I ripen cheeses and salamis without a cave? I have a spare room (used to be my office)now unheated I hang them in and hang Cheese cloth over them which gets misted once a day to control humidity. This works from mid October until early April. Then they get vaccum sealed and go into the refrigerator. I hope to improve on that process. The trick will be doing both in the same cave.