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GENERAL CHEESE MAKING BOARDS (Specific Cheese Making in Boards above) => Discussion => Topic started by: kissesforquesos on June 16, 2009, 04:34:35 AM
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Hi all, I'm sure this has been posted somewhere already so I apologize in advance.
I'm interested in making cheeses. What do I need to do to get started? Nothing fancy right now. Just let me know the basics. Equipment, starters, etc. Thanks.
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Google Dr Frankhauser's cheese page..... U C Clermont College, Batavia Ohio.... Have fun!
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You could make a simple cheese like mozzarella or riccotta with what you probably have in your house already. If you plan on making hard cheeses you will need a press. Molds for soft cheese can be made from things around the house.
Here are a few links to get you on the path to making cheese:
http://www.cheesemaking.com/ (http://www.cheesemaking.com/)
http://www.deejayssmokepit.net/CheeseMenu.htm (http://www.deejayssmokepit.net/CheeseMenu.htm)
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/Cheese_course/Cheese_course.htm (http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/Cheese_course/Cheese_course.htm)
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When I was starting out with making cheddar, I used the basket from a deep fryer as my mold, several layers (3-4) of plastic cut from ice cream lids as my follower, and coffee cans filled with sand and water as my weights. The cheese wasn't real pretty, but it was cheese. I didn't want to spend much money until I knew it was what I really wanted to do.
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I followed the following basic process:
read-->do-->rig
then
re-read-->redo-->re-rig
then
readmore-->domore-->rig more
By rig, I mean rig up devices and contraptions used for the various processes.
There is just no subsitution to actually getting your hands dirty and just doing it.
They will make more milk.
There is also no subsitution to reading up on what it is your are trying to accomplish. I would try to gain an understanding of why certain phases of cheesemaking exist. It will help you a lot in the long run.
To me, there is no more joy than making the vats/stirrers/knives/heating rigs needed for your cheese making efforts. This kind of puttering keeps my mind busy 20 hours a day.
My first attempts were very amateurishly rigged, they still kinda are, but there is some maturity to my riged up solutions.
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Hey welcome to the forum. You came to the right place to learn for sure. There are a lot of like minded individuals here making cheese. And everyone will share their knowledge. For my money i would probably start with the soft cheeses, then the pulled cheeses(mozzarella etc),and then go to the hard cheeses in that order. In that way you start with the easier cheeses that will give you an instant reward for your effort, as opposed a hard cheese that will have to age for weeks or months. Have a look in the recipe section of this web site for ideas on what to start with. Starters can actually be as easy as yogurt, or buttermilk. Also read through the posts in the library board section of the site for reading materials. Don't be scared to dive right in, it's only milk! :D
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OK. Thanks everyone. I will give it a go, and keep you posted.