Author Topic: Michigan Cheesemaker  (Read 3505 times)

HenryHill

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Michigan Cheesemaker
« on: April 14, 2009, 07:07:44 PM »
Hello Cheeseforum, I'm Henry.

New to cheesemaking, but an avid brewer so I understand the OCD thing already.  ;D

wharris

  • Guest
Re: Michigan Cheesemaker
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2009, 07:10:16 PM »
Welcome Henry.

What part of Michigan?  There are several folks here from Michigan. (Grand Rapids I believe). 

What kind of cheese do you make, or want to make?

Zinger

  • Guest
Re: Michigan Cheesemaker
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2009, 07:39:24 PM »
Welcome Henry,

Both Shoelessone and myself are from Grand Rapids. Glad to have another Grand Rapidian on the forum.

Zinger

HenryHill

  • Guest
Re: Michigan Cheesemaker
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2009, 08:23:09 PM »
I am from Perry, between Lansing and Flint. It's rural, so I hope to find a raw milk source, and finding goat's milk would make me very happy.

I am more interested in hard cheeses. I like cheddars and colby's, and I also want to make some greek goats cheeses, if I can find the milk for it. I've always like Pinnconning cheese. I will break in doing mozz, and then work up to hard cheeses.

I have contacted some farms I found through this forum, but have not received any replies.  :-\

I need to go to the local farm store and do some asking....

wharris

  • Guest
Re: Michigan Cheesemaker
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2009, 08:57:51 PM »
You did not solicit my opinion, but I will offer a suggestion.

It seems like raw milk costs are about 2-4 times that of store-bought whole pasteurized/homogenized milk.

If costs are an issue, I might suggest developing your cheesemaking skills and processes on the cheaper milk before graduating to the more expensive raw milk.

Might make sense to practice (at least the basics) on the cheap stuff, then when you are ready, adopt your processes to the better stuff.

just my .02 cents.

Captain Caprine

  • Guest
Re: Michigan Cheesemaker
« Reply #5 on: April 15, 2009, 04:24:24 AM »
Man these Michigan people are taking over :o
Welcome to the forum Henry.
CC

MrsKK

  • Guest
Re: Michigan Cheesemaker
« Reply #6 on: April 15, 2009, 01:32:57 PM »
Welcome, Henry, from the neighboring state of Wisconsin!

HenryHill

  • Guest
Re: Michigan Cheesemaker
« Reply #7 on: April 15, 2009, 04:33:05 PM »
You did not solicit my opinion, but I will offer a suggestion.

It seems like raw milk costs are about 2-4 times that of store-bought whole pasteurized/homogenized milk.

If costs are an issue, I might suggest developing your cheesemaking skills and processes on the cheaper milk before graduating to the more expensive raw milk.

Might make sense to practice (at least the basics) on the cheap stuff, then when you are ready, adopt your processes to the better stuff.

just my .02 cents.

Wayne, that is a very valid suggestion.

Knowing that the raw forms will make better end product, I am looking now for what is available to me, and at what price/terms.

My first few will be with store milk.

But I started homebrewing last summer by first building a kegerator, buying (10) 5g corny kegs, obtaining and powering a grain mill, buying bulk grain and hops, building 3 keg-based 'keggles' for brewing vessels, buying brewing software and writing my own recipes, learning the taste of the grains and hops that I preferred, buying and wiring a Ranco digtal temp controller to control my Fridgidaire freezer for fermentation control, and starting to brew All Grain vs. extract, right form the start. And after making 2 batches of 5g's going to 10g batches.

I have a fast learning curve. ;D

HenryHill

  • Guest
Re: Michigan Cheesemaker
« Reply #8 on: April 15, 2009, 04:35:57 PM »
Man these Michigan people are taking over :o
Welcome to the forum Henry.
CC

CC, thanks for the wecome.  ;)

The Michigan people are really turning to homebrwing too. Many new members on my brewing forum are from MI.

Cheese Head

  • Guest
Re: Michigan Cheesemaker
« Reply #9 on: April 16, 2009, 02:52:03 AM »
Evening Henry from Houston, welcome to the forum!

Tea

  • Guest
Re: Michigan Cheesemaker
« Reply #10 on: April 16, 2009, 08:44:56 PM »
Good morning Henry and welcome to the forum.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Michigan Cheesemaker
« Reply #11 on: April 19, 2009, 04:28:45 AM »
Welcome Henry!

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: Michigan Cheesemaker
« Reply #12 on: April 28, 2009, 12:47:11 AM »
Welcome.