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GENERAL BOARDS => DAIRY FACTORY - Butter, Cheese, Ice Cream Making => Topic started by: elkato on June 20, 2012, 03:05:23 PM

Title: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: elkato on June 20, 2012, 03:05:23 PM
Some photos of how the creamery is going. We began our sheep herd just last year, at the moment we are milking 40 head and plan to increase to around 200 over time, we also have unlimited access to fresh Holstein milk as we are surrounded by dairies  have not passed inspection yet, the brand name and logo are registered and we have begun the production of several blue cheeses.
the set up is: 150 Lt pasteurizer, 200 Lt vat both connected to a 2hp steam generator, working area, and a 130 sq ft cold room with 2 hp compressor diffuser
best wishes to all!
Luis.
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: H-K-J on June 20, 2012, 03:14:23 PM
Nice setup Luis,  ^-^
although I only make cheese 1 at a time, I get excited when I see someone do this and wonder to myself how cool it would be to do it
then I think of the work involved and fergettuhboutit ;)
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: elkato on June 20, 2012, 04:14:38 PM
Thanks H-K-J
before I was making one at a time in my stove top and it was harder. Now with the steam vats is really fun, we make very small batches so it is not  that much work.
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: Boofer on June 20, 2012, 07:25:53 PM
Looks great, Luis! Nice little creamery.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: Frotte La Tomme on June 20, 2012, 09:41:28 PM
congratulations.  Plan on making any half cow half sheep tommes?  a cheese fully merited
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: Sailor Con Queso on June 20, 2012, 09:59:20 PM
Luis,

I'm surprised that you started with a blue cheese. I have never encountered a blue cheese anywhere in Mexico.
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: Boofer on June 20, 2012, 11:55:25 PM
I have never encountered a blue cheese anywhere in Mexico.
Seems like he found a market niche.

-Boofer-
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: elkato on June 21, 2012, 01:24:36 AM
 Yes Sailor, there is no blue cheese traditional to Mexico, but it is well known and reaches good prices for the imported commercial blue, and very high price for anything artisan. From all my cheese making friends in my area none is making a blue (only one Italian who makes a really good Gorgonzola) so I think there is a good niche, now I just have to keep learning to improve mine and do it constantly. Since I'm working with sheep milk I was thinking something on the Roquefort side (Yoav was very kind to pass me a recipe, but what really interest me is to arrive at a blue cheese (probably by accident) that has a somewhat unique character any advice Sailor? since you are the stillton ace? I am planing on taking a course with Peter Dixon this fall! (looking forward to that!) meanwhile just experimenting on the variations.
thanks a lot for the words of encouragement
Luis.
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: smilingcalico on June 21, 2012, 05:45:23 AM
I envy your great little setup.  I hope it supports you well.  Congratulations on making your dream come true!
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: Sailor Con Queso on June 21, 2012, 01:04:21 PM
Luis,

I have start-up cheesemakers contact me pretty often and there is one piece of advice that I always give them. "Do your marketing FIRST." With a little time and motivation, most people can learn to make decent cheese, but very few have the ability or personality for good marketing.

A new artisan cheesemaker cannot expect to be successful making cheddar or Gouda, or Parmesan. There are thousands of companies making those cheeses and the market is flooded with inexpensive cheese. You have to develop your own styles and flavors to stand out.

The fact that there is little or no domestic blue in Mexico is great for you. There are many styles of blue from dry and crumbly to soft and creamy. Some with strong blue flavor. Some very mild. You need to quickly figure our what your customers want and then how to produce it consistently. How are you going to sell? Direct to consumers? Restaurants? Grocery stores? Farmers Markets?

Your setup looks great and you seem to have a good game plan. Good luck.
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: elkato on June 21, 2012, 02:29:13 PM
Sailor
I plan to market at first trough a couple of artisan and imported cheese brokers that I have contacted, one of them from Mexico City was the one that pointed out the existence of a niche in sheep milk blue cheese, and was very optimistic about moving the wheels(which are not so many) So on paper it sounds good, now we will see how it works out for real. I am also contacting directly speciality stores in my area  and in the future even a small retail space. In general the preference here is for milder flavor cheeses, and my cheese buddies have really liked the flavor of the first tryouts (with a couple of failures, as this type of cheese is way trickyer than I thought)

Smillingcalico thank you! I really like your blog, your video on what is an "artisan cheese" is great way to teach people the great difference between commercial mediocre cheese and a unique Artisan product

Boofer thank a lot!

Frotte la Tomme that is a very good idea, I have some pure sheep milk tomme that came out very decent
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: Tomer1 on June 21, 2012, 03:18:35 PM
You should try to design a cheese which features mexican vannila as I know mexicans are trying to rise awareness for the fact that vannila originates from mexico, not madagascar and save the local industry.
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: linuxboy on June 21, 2012, 03:34:50 PM
I've had some good results using the bean as fuel and cold smoking it for a savory cheese, or rubbing a vanilla/spice paste (almost like a mole) on a tomme. For sweet cheeses, it's easier.
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: Tomer1 on June 21, 2012, 08:18:43 PM
Perhaps washing with a dry Vannila mead.  Or injecting a creamy blue cheee with a sweet vannilla mead.
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: elkato on June 22, 2012, 01:27:48 AM
Tomer1    that is a great idea, even though vanilla doesn't grow in my area I can easily get fresh beans and as you point it can add a Mexican side to the flavor, I will look into the possibilities.

Thank you Linux the "vanilla mole" and the smoking sounds really good!
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: Shazah on June 22, 2012, 02:24:23 AM
I love the sound of a vanilla combination with your blue.

Having just tried my own blue farmhouse for the first time today, it is much improved with the addition of a sweet flavour, in our case a fig paste.

I look forward to following your experiments.

Congratulations on a fabulous looking Cheese factory.  It gives us all something to aspire to.

Cheers
Sharon
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: anyaga on June 22, 2012, 01:39:07 PM
Looks amazing!! Congratulations!
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: DeejayDebi on June 24, 2012, 12:08:09 AM
Luis I love your setup congrats and good luck to you!
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: elkato on June 24, 2012, 02:09:50 PM
Debi, Anyaga, Shazan thank you!
Yesterday in the annual Cheese wine and bread festival the owner of a very well known store tried our sheep blue and asked me for the exclusive to sell it in our town!
and during the festival the blue was by far the fastest one to finish.
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: DeejayDebi on June 24, 2012, 07:12:38 PM
Well congrats! That speaks well for your cheese and I will give you a cjeese for that!
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: Boofer on June 24, 2012, 09:47:29 PM
Well done, Luis!  :)

-Boofer-
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: iratherfly on June 28, 2012, 06:07:44 AM
Incredible Luis! Congrats. (Reminds me, I still awe you an email from the weekend).

Looks like I am next in line... putting together a proposal for an INCREDIBLE space. Already had the inspectors visiting and giving me green light to pursue it.  Stay tuned...

Congrats Luis!  Do you have a website yet?
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: elkato on June 28, 2012, 12:55:59 PM
Boofer, Johnmatyus  thank you!
Debi many thanks for the cheese!!
Yoav congratulations!! I know you must be super busy I am looking forward to seeing your place, don't have a web page yet- working on it. just a facebook page
facebook.com/quesoslafactoria
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: iratherfly on July 10, 2012, 10:18:27 PM
There, I 'liked' you on Facebook! I still awe you emails!
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: mtncheesemaker on July 11, 2012, 02:33:17 AM
Congrats, Luis! Sheep's milk is my favorite blue. Look forward to hearing of your successes!
Pam
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: Vina on July 11, 2012, 02:42:30 PM
Congrats Luis!

thanks for sharing your pictures! I wish you all the success in your business and hope we'll hear about you in news :) !
(well, ... I'm bit jealous also :) )
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: Althea on July 30, 2012, 11:32:11 PM
If you are taking the soft ripened and blue cheese class with Peter Dixon I'll be there too! I am looking at milking sheep in addition to my Jersey cows and am going to a sheep dairy this weekend where I will hopefully pick out a few ewes to add to my small flock after I help them milk! Your creamery is beautiful--congrats!
Althea
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: elkato on August 10, 2012, 07:12:38 PM
Pam,Vina.. thank you so much for your comment!!
Althea.. I am attending the Affinage course in Oct 18-20  the soft and blue course date didn't work for me (It would have been great to attend) anyhow I plan to ask many blue cheese questions while I'm there!
sorry for not answering sooner,
By the way I just bought up two beautiful Brown Swiss heifers so I will have cow milk blue cheese next year!
best regards!
Luis.
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: Farmsteader on August 20, 2012, 03:31:38 PM
Let me ask a silly question, why use a pasteurizer when we normally heat up the milk when adding starter ? We make raw milk cheeses and age them for 30-60-90days or longer for more flavor, no one sick so far . just wondering what the restrictions are in Mexico. We really are excited for you and your Family on your Cheese Biz, Wishing you Success in all ,when i read your post it gives us motivation to take more chances and make new flavors in our small kitchen. Next will add some Anaheim Chili powder that we got from a  New Mexico farmer . People are starting to line up for our regular Cheeses, can't wait to see what happens when we try some other Flavors.
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: Tiarella on August 20, 2012, 04:57:09 PM
Love seeing photos of your new heifers and the curious sheep.  The heifers are lovely looking!  I miss cows although I love my small goats and how little they eat.
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: elkato on August 21, 2012, 04:29:12 AM
Tiarella thank you very much and best wishes to you!
Farmsteader here in Mexico you have to pasteurize by law even if you age past 60 days,  but I make raw milk cheese for my family
best wishes!
Title: Re: New artisan cheese factory is born!
Post by: jacksonwalker on December 27, 2012, 11:10:56 AM
I have never seen this huge quantity of freshly made cheese. I am also making cheese at home but its for my family and friends only it lasts just a week. I have been making cheese since I was a kids and now my kids only love home made cheese. its easy to make cheese when you have proper equipments to make cheese.