Hello from Seabrook, TX

[sominus]

Greetings from a-little-bit-outside-the-houston-area!

Newbie to cheesemaking here, but I've got some homebrew and a LOT of cooking experience... Let's see how bad I can mess this up.. :-)

I'm getting ready to get some supplies together to start making a cheese or three -- anyone have suggestions on where said supplies can purchased locally?

I'm not blessed with a lot of time to tinker with little things, rather I like to spend my time doing the things that I enjoy -- to that end I'd like to purchase a cheese press... Any suggestions?

I'm sure I'll come up with a thousand things later...


-Michael Dow, D.C., F.I.A.M.A.

[jillyphish]

Hi Michael - I am in Clear Lake and a beginner.  I have made a lactic cheese (soft), a farmhouse cheese, and just this last weekend made my first traditional cheddar. This forum has a lot of people with LOTS of experience.  But since we are practically neighbors, I had to say hello.  I got started with a cheesemaking kit and Rikki Carroll's Cheesemaking book for Christmas (from my partner who is also a homebrewer and always looking for fellow brewers).  I too had questions about a press - and it actually stalled me for a while in my cheesemaking.  I got into discussions about cheese presses on a Facebook cheese discussion group and a person in the Dallas area made one for me. It is pretty cool - and works with a lever arm (I'm posting a picture here).  But I have also seen on this forum that there are many types.  I suggest asking (like you did here) and then taking a look at the various types and then go from there.   Feel free to contact me - and we can compare our learnings - or brewmakings!  I'm also posting our kegerator and mini-cheese cave for fun.  I am on Facebook if you want to chat as well (Jill Russell Houston) - just tell me where you got my name to friend on there.

It's a blast - even just reading these posts!

Oh - and if you are looking for fresh, raw cow's milk with no additives, no hormones, etc. I have a source in Alvin that I can provide more info.

Cheers!  Jill

[Cheese Head]

jilliphish, nice press!

sominus welcome to this forum, I live in Katy, on West side of Houston here in Texas.

Lots of pictures on different style presses in Equipment - Forming Cheese board. In there is this buried post where I linked pictures of lots of antique cheese presses, they should also give you some more ideas. If you are buying, you can find some on the cheese making web supply stores, also I've seen some on ebay.

Sorry no suggestions on local supplies, I order mine off web, except I did find some rennet in one of two Whole Foods Stores.

Have fun with your new hobby!

[jillyphish]

Thanks John - still need to get out to Katy to see your set up!

BTW - I just this week ordered from http://www.cheesemaking.com/  (Rikki Carroll's site). They have some supplies - I have not received yet, so not necessarily a recommendation since I have yet to see... but there are lots of sites out there, and this was recommended to me.

[Cartierusm]

Welcome, as far as presses if your going full bore and for the long haul I make cheese presses. They are a little expensive but there is nothing better and will last 10 lifetimes. Check out the link in my signature to go to my website.

I hate to discourage a possible valuable contributor to this website or a potential customer but cheese making is really a tinker hobby. No one, virtually, no one gets it right the first few times, as far as making soft cheese. And as far as hard cheese and mold ripened cheese almost no one gets it right the first 10 times...FLAME ON, I know I'm going to get people say their first and second cheese came out great, there's no dobut about that, but let's say you make a cheddar for the first cheese ever and you expect cheddar, it ain't going to be cheddar unless you are extremely lucky. It might be the best cheese in the world but not cheddar.

This hobby takes practice, dilligence and a lot of help from Wayne (born with stainless steel in his vains), Ryan (no bleach this time) and John (site owner and amatuer hobbit). THAT'S not to say every second is not fun, but to get it a correct cheese the way you intended every time takes years of practice.

Saying that you can still make great cheese just don't expect cheddar, and have fun.

Now if you really don't want to fuss around with equipment and such then just buy the professional looking stuff and be done with it. Honestly I'm not trying to make a sale but most cheese presses out there are crap, hence almost everyone on this board has made their own.

[DeejayDebi]

No one, virtually, no one gets it right the first few times, as far as making soft cheese. And as far as hard cheese and mold ripened cheese almost no one gets it right the first 10 times...

Saying that you can still make great cheese just don't expect cheddar, and have fun.

I can't say that I ever had a cheese failure. I could just be lucky who knows.  There wad no one to talk to about it 30 years ago. I think my general attitude has always been that it's just another form of cooking and I am a great cook.

I have used some pretty funny seups over the years to cook and press cheeses but they always came out excelent. Sometimes cockeyed or with lines where I didn't want them but overall great tastsing cheeses. I find now that I am older I am looking more at making "pretty cheeses" than I did as a kid but they taste great none the less.


Cheedar was the second cheese I made and as recall it was a great cheddar made in a bean can with a c-clamp for a press.

[Cheese Head]

Carter, sorry, forgot you make some excellent serious presses, duh!

I agree with you on perfecting cheeses, but I've eaten 90% of my batches, even if not great looking so that's sort of a success .