Lurking in Colorado

[Shuyge]

Hi,

My name is Stan and I live in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  I have yet to make any cheese and am currently in the lurking/information gathering stage.

I currently have 3 book checked out from the local library:

Home Cheese Making by Ricki Carroll
Making great cheese at home : 30 simple recipes from cheddar to chève : plus 18 delicious cheese dishes   by Barbara Ciletti
Making artisan cheese : 50 fine cheeses that you can make in your own kitchen   by Tim Smith

I'm enjoying the reading and I'm about ready to get started.  The problem that I have is that I'm not really very interested in soft/fresh cheeses.  I'm all about the cheddar, colby, montery jack, etc.  I like hard cheeses.

The question that I really have to start with is what people think of the cheese making kits that are available for beginners.  I have a local shop that sells the Mad Millie kits, but they seem to be pretty expensive to me.  I am also aware of Ricki's kits http://www.cheesemaking.com/store/c/1-Kits.html

I have already located a used http://www.cheesemaking.com/store/p/93-Refrigerator-Thermostat.html for $50.
I intend to build a dutch style press and start molding with http://www.cheesemaking.com/store/p/45-Hard-Cheese-Mold-Small-1.html unless someone can recommend a good 2-4 lb mold that would work better in my case.  At the moment, I only have a 2 gallon pot to work with so 2 lb cheeses it is for now.

For my situation, would you fellow cheese makers recommend a kit for me?  Are the items in Ricki's basic cheese making kit a good value?  I understand that the mold isn't really what I want to start with but it may be an OK place to start.

Perhaps I don't need a kit and it is more economical to just pick up the cultures and such piecemeal.

How have your kit experiences worked out for you?

[dthelmers]

I've been using a #10 can for my mold with a wooden follower I cut from a piece of butcher block style counter top, and made my own dutch press. I've been using an electric roaster for heating the curd that I got for $20 from Goodwill. I started using cultured buttermilk for meso and yogurt for thermo, then ordered some starters by mail. Flora Danica is my favorite. I've been making a four pound cheese every week for months with milk I get cheap when it hits the sell by date. I'm developing my skills this way, getting a feel for the process and my equipment. I've started using a pH meter since new year. You can make a lot of eatable cheese without spending a lot. I used to use a large tomato can for two pound batches until they were coming out good enough to make it worth doing four pound batches. The larger batches are easier to get the temps right, more thermal mass. Search the archives for the cheese you want to make, I've learned a lot here.
Dave in CT

[Scarlet Runner]

Hi Stan,

I'm a beginning hobby cheesmaker in Denver. I started with two of Ricki's kits: the Mozzarella Kit, and the Hard CHeese Kit.  Don't forget to buy yerself some wax, too.  They have served me well as a basic starting point, but I would count on "outgrowing" it fairly soon. It got me started in that I could make some smaller (1-2 gallon) hard cheeses with minimal experience.  The Mozzarella Kit I would NOT recommend, especially for beginners. 

The mold that comes with the hard cheese kit is okay, but I pretty quickly switched to a 6" mold for 2-4 gallons.  As for economy, you can check prices on cheesmaking.com or dairyconnection.com or others to see what the components would cost individually.  What you get in Ricki's hard cheese kit is just basic starters, nothing fancy like Flora Danica.  I think that's fine to get you started, but I am looking forward to using those up and moving on to more interesting cultures. 

For recipes, looks like you are off to a good start.  The Recipe section on this website is a good place to start, as well as searching the forum for particular recipes of interest to get added details.  Another book a lot of people seem to like is 200 easy cheeses- but I already checked that out from Denver Pulic Library on interlibrary loan... Sorry (but I'll turn it in soon!)

Lurk on! 

PS If economy is a big issue, go get yourself some milk and some buttermilk to use as starter, make sure to use CaCl2, and make cheese in any old thing you have handy to mold it. 

[Chris_Abrahamson]

Stan

I don't know what's available in CO Springs but you could check out some of the cheesemaking classes at Colorado Free University in Denver.  That's how I started - good general first hand experience in doing soft and hard cheeses without spending alot of money.

Scarlet Runner suggested the book 200 Cheeses which is good and I initially started with Tim Smith's book but this site is a true font of knowledge.

Good luck

 

[mtncheesemaker]

Hi Stan, from the Western Slope!
I never used a kit, just jumped in. I like 200 Cheeses as a guide, but this forum is where you can get the info to take it up a notch.
I think you just have to jump in and start, then you'll figure out what you don't know. You'll be surprised how quickly you can be making good cheese.
Welcome and good luck!
Pam

[Shuyge]

Thanks for the support guys.  I stopped by Old West Supply here in the Springs after work.  I had a good look at the Mad Millie hard cheese kit and for $70, I think I can do better.  The kit contained some sanitizer, a small hard mold with follower, wax and melting bowl, and a some meso and thermo starters.  They sell the Mad Millie molds separately and they seem to be a bargain.  I think I'll pick up the 1800g mold as it should do well for a 2-4 lb mold.  They also have a nice dairy thermometer for $13 and a nice stainless skimmer for $6.

Old West also has the 200 cheeses book I may pick up since someone already checked out the only one in the state 

I think I'll mail order Ricki's hard cheese kit and pick up additional supplies at Old West.  That way I get to support a local shop a bit (for the things that make sense), and pick up a kit as well.

As far as economy goes, I'm not really poor.  I just want to be careful before diving in as I have quantities of other hobbies languishing in my basement..... (anybody want to tie flies???)
I also don't want to waste money on items that are junk and will be quickly replaced.  I'm just trying to be smart with my money.

Dave,
Are you actually heating the milk in the roaster, or are you using it as the base of a double boiler?

[Oberhasli]

Hi Stan and welcome.  I live in Black Forest, CO, and I started out 12 years ago with a couple of books and a press.  I found that if I only concentrated on one type of cheese at a time it was easier.  I never went in for any of the kits - too pricey and I found that I could do better by just ordering the things I needed from a reliable cheesemaking supplier.  Where is this "Old West Supply" you mentioned in Co. Spgs?  I usually order from Glengarry Cheesemaking Supply in Canada.  Email me privately if you like and I can maybe help with any questions.

Bonnie

[Shuyge]

Bonnie,

I appreciate the offer of help.  I'd like to keep things here for the most part.  You never know who else might be helped from the public conversation.

I do have a couple of questions:
1) Which milks are you using?
2) Are you having issues with cheeses cracking due to the low RH here.

I located a small sensor and my house is as follows:
basement: 67F, 22RH
Main: 72F, 22RH

I'm hoping that I don't run into problems during the drying phase.

Stan

[Oberhasli]

Stan, sorry for the delay.  I have my own goats and goat's milk so I don't buy store milk.  Also when I am aging my cheeses I use a cream wax first after air drying the cheeses, and then I use a hard wax before I put it in my basement to age.  I don't have any problems with it cracking.  If you have a problem with cracking, you might be pressing the cheeses too long or under too much pressure.

Bonnie

[Shuyge]

Can anyone explain what a "cream wax" is?  This is one that I haven't heard yet.

Thanks,
Stan