A newbie who is full of questions and want to...

[kookookachoo]

...jump right into everything cheesemaking-related, but, afraid to get my feet wet, so to speak.

Hi, all! 

This is an entirely new world for me, I'm amazed, excited..and a bit dismayed (the latter I will explain more in a bit)...but, I'm oh-so-willing to be taught...molded  even!   I really decided to start making cheese pretty much cos I love feta & goat cheese.  After the eleventy three tub the household has consumed since the beginning of the year, I mused to The Guy, "I think it would be really nice to make homemade feta.  I wonder how hard it would be?".  This was a week & a half ago...and it's been an almost-frenzied interweb search, crouching on library floors, thumbing through what little info they have (I'm surprised since this is a farming area), and a rather premature 2 "newbie" kit orders (without having all my facts, mind), I thought, "Hey, I SHOULD really look for cheesemaking communities online!".  And hello, Google found you for me!

I'm faced with many, many obstacles..and here's where the dismay comes in...there are NO source of raw goats milk around here at the moment.  The closest one is over an hour & a half drive away, a large Amish community.  I've asked around & finally got the number of someone 1/2 hour away who will have kids coming *knock on wood* the 2nd week of April.  Aaaaand, I really want to dip my toe in...so here are my questions...

1) Would I be able to use whole cow's milk, for now, to "just get the hang of it"?  A sort of prelude-experimentation thing... (I hope I've not made anyone cringe at this clearly neophyte question)

and this segue's into the next question/s....

2) Here's what I have right now..rennet, chevre culture, starter culture

With these, what are my options?  I'm not getting my hopes up that I would get an "oooh wow!" cheese, at this point, a mediocre one will do, just for a trial run.

I would really, really appreciate any help/information about this!

Thanks in advance & hope you guys have a lovely day!

Steff

[Cheese Head]

Welcome Steff, I've only used store bought past & homgenized whole cow's milk. Works great for Feta but you have to add some Lipase.

What is your "starter culture" meso or thermo? Also where did you get/what is your chevre starter culture made of?

On our website there is a Wiki: Feta Recipe and some other articles such as making brine for ripening cheese in like Feta that should be useful, just search on Feta. Also, there is a whole Forum Board on Brine Ripened cheese making which should give you tonnes of ideas.

There's also lots of threads on Chevre making in the FRESH LACTIC ACID COAGULATED - Normally Whey Removed Board.

PS: With what you have you could easily make some Light Cream Cheese, also called American Neufchatel here if you are in US.

[Mersunwea]

Hi,
I am also a newbie (I have been making cheese for a year and 4 months). Know exactly how you feel about the excitement, the literature and recipe search... the HUNGER for advice!!! Because I still feel the same way!!

Strangely, my goat cheeses turned nearly always better than my cow cheeses. I buy my goat milk in Whole Foods. Isnºt cheap, but is safe. And I also do not have goat farms nearby. Also I have been highly recommended not to get into ´raw milk world´until a bit more experienced. The goat cheeses I made with Whole Foods milk turned out very flavorful. This is my advice if is good for you.

Regarding cow milk, same thing: store bought at the moment. And I have got pretty edible Cheddar, haha. Now I am aging a Tomme, Cammembert, Gouda and a White Stilton.

Never made any Feta, but lots! of Ricotta.
 

[smilingcalico]

Hi Steff,
 The chevre culture should be mesophilic, of course.  It is correct to define cultures as mesophilic (warm loving) and thermophilic (heat loving). I'd go back to your source of the cultures and see what cheeses they are recommended for.  Yes, cows milk is definitely ok to dabble with, but you'll find that folks typically don't recommend ultra pasteurized or homogenized milk as it has really destroyed the calcium in the milk and you may get poor curd formation even if you add NaCl back to it.
  I only work with raw goats milk for my homemade cheese because I work at a goat dairy (soon to be moving and working at a cow dairy).  We make cheese at the dairy from both pasteurized and raw milk.  Raw milk is not much to fear if it's kept clean imho.  But you need to be sure how the goats and milk are being handled. 
  There are many detailed recipes on this site and incredibly knowledgeable people.  Be sure to use the search function as a lot of your questions have probably already been answered.  But don't hesitate to ask, as questions rarely go unanswered.
Welcome,
Brian

[kookookachoo]

Thank you so much!  I'm a bit search engine-impaired, but, I'm really good at following links.  I got my culture in a kit for beginner cheese makers (at this point, cheese enthusiast would be more appropriate, I think) & it does make feta, apart from a few other cheeses (and also mold/containers included).  In transit to me is also another kit to make other cheeses.  Sigh.  I know, overenthusiastic!!   

I found out the hard way about ultra pasteurized goat's milk a few days ago, it just..didn't do anything I wanted it to (or thought it was supposed to do), except make yogurt.  And my hubby got cultured kefir the other day cos "it had a picture of a goat on the front", that I actually made into butter, which I had done a few times before...but nary a pasteurized goat milk in stores around here, only the UP kind.  Boo.  It will be a loooong wait until end of April, so I may have to just go ahead & visit the Amish farms!

I'm not really that paranoid about raw goat's milk, Brian, to be honest.  The one I know of sell their cheeses, soaps, etc at a friend's wine store & the other helps out with the Ag kids, so they're ok, I'm sure.  I lived in Asia when I was younger (we were stationed there) & we raised goats & always drank their milk & I seem to have come off that unscathed.   I just wish I paid more attention when they made cheese!

I have a feeling I will be spending many hours in the forums, reading up on anything.  There seems to be a wealth of information here!  Even the other, more "advanced" cheeses are a lot of fun to read!

Thank you, John, for your wiki/feta link...it seems like it's different from another feta "how to" I found here, too.  I'm currently following this...

http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,57.msg117.html#msg117

My pot is sitting right now, patiently waiting.    I rather like the no-fussness of it..compared to some others I've seen online.  I'm keeping my fingers & toes crossed, of course. 

Mersunwea, I hope to make ricotta soon, too.  I knooow, too much on my plate, so to speak...but it would be nice to make my next lasagne entirely from scratch! (I make my own sauce from my garden tomatoes & a friend makes homemade noodles)

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions...and for being patient in what are surely redundant ones here!! 

[kookookachoo]

My feta success!   

cheeses

I added basil to one (I had small cup-sized molds) & pepper flakes & seeds in one.  The latter didn't turn out too great    The area around the seeds look like they "bled" out, otherwise, the taste was pretty good, if a tad too hot/spicy.  I didn't brine them, though next time I will.  They're a little on the soft side, I like my feta a tad crumblier & firmer.  Any suggestions on how to achieve that?   

I also made ricotta from the whey...it took forever, it seemed!   And of course, I expected a little yield, so I was prepared for the work vs yield so wasn't as disappointed as my kids were ("All that work for that tiny bowl?").  I did add 1/2 cup of milk to the whey, though, but next time will try doing it with straight up whey only. 

Ricotta 1:
 P1060502

Ricotta 2:
P1060507

My hubby is making me a press this weekend.  I've found a couple online that we're mulling over.  What are your preferences between the Dutch-type & the other one (spring-wingnut tightening)?   He's favoring the Dutch type as he doesn't want to fiddle around with calibrating for the spring weight/pressure.

Anyways, thanks for looking..and thanks in advance again for answering my questions! 

Have a lovely day! 

[smilingcalico]

How long did you leave your feta to sit out at room temperature before brining? I leave mine out for two days. This will help you achieve that dry crumbliness.  I usually just make ricotta from whole milk, but others have suggested letting the whey stand over night, the acidity builds in the whey helping to precipitate the protein out of the whey.

[smilingcalico]

 Oh, and Dutch presses are the way to go. Much more accurate and effective.  The spring loaded ones need continual manipulation to keep the pressing weight the same when the cheese shrinks.  The Dutch press maintains the same constant pressure giving consistent results. Search on Dutch press for tons of pictures and info.

[kookookachoo]

Hi, Brian!

I only left the feta in the brine for a day, that probably explains it then.   We were a bit too eager to taste it.  I'm making more tomorrow & I will definitely keep it longer...say, 3 days would be enough to achieve the crumbliness? 

We are making our first press today, in the middle of it, taking a wee break to make dinner right now.  It will be a bit of the simple one, with the chopping board as base, rods & wingnuts on corners, etc.   I'm trying to talk my hubby into making me a Dutch press, though.  I told him it doesn't have to be terribly complicated, big or fancy-I'm only planning to make about 2 gals of milk at a time for now, until I've gotten the hang of it & more confident about sharing them-I've got my eye on another member's presses, smolt I believe his username is.   Of course, my hubby thinks he CAN make a good one....later.    

[smilingcalico]

KooKoo, Sorry, I don't know your name. I mean for you to leave the cheese sit for 2 days before even putting it in the brine.  Check this link and you'll see what I mean.
http://fiascofarm.com/dairy/feta.html

[kookookachoo]

Hi, Brian!

My name is Stephanie...Steff is fine, no one's called me Stephanie since Sister Catherine in 6th grade.    I do let it sit out for a couple of days, hanging out to dry some more, before I brined it.  I think this time, though, I will press it, too. 

Thanks for patiently answering my questions!  I know they have probably been asked by other newbies before me.  I am trying to do a specific search for my questions in the boards, but there are soooo many same "key" words, I'm a bit overwhelmed.  I need to set aside a free day of just reading through, especially the newbie-specific topics, instead of just sneaking in some reading time between work & chores.  Sigh.  Someday, I'll have that free time, I'm sure.  lol  Meanwhile, I'm relying on helpful people like you for virtual hand-holding.  Thanks again! 

[Boofer]

Welcome to the forum, Steff. Good to hear your feta foray turned out favorably.

I would second the vote for a Dutch press. There is a lot on information on the forum about them and they don't have to be complicated or expensive.

I would recommend you attach your photos to your thread when you post rather than have them on Flickr. That way people will be able to see them directly without clicking on a link and, if something happens out there in FlickrLand and your photos get trashed, your photos will still be here attached to your thread. Check the Wiki for how to attach photos here.

you may get poor curd formation even if you add NaCl back to it.

I think you meant CACL2.

-Boofer-

[smilingcalico]

LOL, thanks Boofer, I did!  I must have been in a salty mood that day.

[kookookachoo]

Thank you, Boofer.  I'll edit my photos if it will still let me.   And I'm making more feta today, too..my first full day off in a week, I need something to relax me (cooking & baking always does that!)...I'm warming up for my parmesan-making tomorrow.  Why am I so nervous about it?   Sheesh. 

[MrsKK]

Wow, you're jumping from feta to parm?  Nothing wrong with it, it's just a leap to go from a cheese that is eaten fairly fresh to one that has to age ten months.  Just to warn you, I still haven't been able to cut into the first one I made.  It will be three years old at the end of June.  It is well wrapped and I will someday take Wayne's advice and sterilize a hacksaw to see if there is anything worthy in the middle of it.

I didn't know much about managing rinds and humidity levels at that point in time, obviously!

Good luck and let us know how the parm making goes.