Hello All,
I live in San Diego and am a big time homebrewer. However, the month of December will bring changes to which means my run of 30 plus (5 gallons/ea) batches a year is coming to an end. Which will leave me with plenty of free time. I've always been interested in cheese, but frankly, I don't know much about it. I'm the type that jumps in feet first and runs with it. I've also made wine from vine to bottle and am a big fan of real cider. I tried my hand at meads, but they're just not my thing.
So, shortly I'll be headed home for Christmas and my dad has a full 2,000 sq ft wood working shop. I'd LOVE to make my own press, and I'm looking for plans. If anyone can point me in the right direction to full sets of plans (will pay) I'd love to see them.
After that I'm interested in starter kits/books/recomendations of what to do. I just joined the site and will be reading many of the sections and posts to learn. I hope to start cheesemaking in January and have been kicking around the idea of the classes in San Luis Obisbo.
Thanks,
EW
G'Day Phischy,
Welcome to the forum and the wonderfull world of cheesemaking.
DeeJayDebi has a book (http://www.deejayssmokepit.net/CheeseDownloads_files/LetsMakeCheese.pdf) which has lots of plans in it.
I also uploaded one here (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,2438.0.html) with some basic info and recipes.
Of course forum is the best place to ask any sorts of questions.
Good Luck
Howdy Phischy, welcome to the forum and hope you get the cheese making bug, especially if you have lots of free time!
No need to wait until January, try making some American Style Neufchatel (http://www.cheeseforum.org/Recipes/Recipe_Neufchatel.htm) or Cream Cheese (http://www.cheeseforum.org/Recipes/Recipe_Cream_Cheese.htm) and taking them to your Dad at Christmas! You can use buttermilk (http://www.cheeseforum.org/Recipes/Recipe_Mesophilic_Culture.htm) as starter culture. The first tough ingredient you will need is rennet, I phoned 2 Whole Foods stores before I found some.
There are reviews of books in the Library - Books Board. On equipment and ingredients, there is a listing of supply stores here (http://www.cheeseforum.org/Links/Stores_Cheese_Making_Supplies.htm), I'd skip the starter kits, unpressed cheeses need less, have a read of these boards and you'll figure out your initial order.
Lots of presses in the Equipment - Forming Cheeses boards, I especially like these pictures (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,1198.0.html). But before you build something it's best to think about what type of cheeses and what size. If you are making washed curd cheeses you don't need much weight, member Debi uses big 1 gallon cans, I use a ladder (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,1814.msg13695.html#msg13695) :).
Have fun!
Good morning Phischy and welcome to the forum.
I'm a big DIY type of person, so building stuff is always fun and it gives me a chance to hangout with my dad in his shop. I'll build a fancy press if I can find the right info just because projects are fun. True I have no idea what I'md oing yet, but I want to make everything from cheddar to parmesian to blue cheese etc...start with the basics I'm familar with and then expand elsewhere as I discover new types.
I think a lever system w/ weights is the way to start but hell if I know.
The strongest presses are for cheddared type cheeses, the British type metal ones in the link above have triple action levered and therby develop incredible force, of course everything goes up with larger cheeses.
At this point, I really don't see myself doing anything larger than a 4" or 6" wheel. although I have no idea how tall these things are after being pressed.
I plan to start simple and work my way into it, collecting equipment as I go. Same thing I did with home brewing. I'm putting the cart before the horse in trying to design a press before I've even started, but I have no idea when it will be the next time I'm home to make one, so thus my questions.
Welcome to the forum. Let us know what you decide about a press. Lots of info on here about that. Good luck!
Welcome Phischy!
Do put some thought into the press. I think we all started small and quickly out grew most of our gear. The thing is it takes just about as much time to make a 10 pound wheel as it does to make a 1 pound wheel. After a while a 1 pound wheel gets to be a little bit like work and underwhelming I think.
Any idea on where to get fresh milk in San Diego County? 10lbs of cheese is something like 20 gallons of milk! that's a lot of cow juice!
There's a good thread on Raw Milk locations in USA in the Ingredients - Milks & Creams Board.
Me I always use store bought whole past & homogenized cow's milk.
That's a pretty low yield at 5%, even for a very fine curd cheese like Parm. You should be getting a 10-12% yield for most cheeses, which is 1 gal to 1 lb cheese.
http://www.realmilk.com/where1.html#ca (http://www.realmilk.com/where1.html#ca)
Check there for sources.
linuxboy, What are the variables that contribute to low yield? Obviously low solids in the milk, but I am referring to the process of cheese making. I guess it really comes down to moisture level, right? and moisture level is related to the curd size, cook temp and rate of temp increase and all the normal variables, right. Is there any thing else to it?
Quote from: FarmerJd on December 03, 2009, 11:57:24 PM
linuxboy, What are the variables that contribute to low yield? Obviously low solids in the milk, but I am referring to the process of cheese making. I guess it really comes down to moisture level, right? and moisture level is related to the curd size, cook temp and rate of temp increase and all the normal variables, right. Is there any thing else to it?
In the process, you're right, that if you get all the solids you can out of the milk, it's the water content that affects final yield. To get more water in the cheese, you need curds that have a high moisture content that still matt together. To get this, as you said, you keep temps low, cut the curd a tad bigger, and use a larger floc multiplier. Can do one or all of the three.
I want to come back to getting all the solids you can out of the milk, because that's more crucial. To do this, you want to trap as much fat+minerals in the curd as possible, and also ensure a good curd set. To trap solids in the curd, biggest difference is letting the curd heal, using the right floc multiplier and curd size, and stirring at a reasonable rate.
So yeah, you got it, but also keep in mind healing and stir rates. You want the smaller curd bits to firm up and trap solids, and don't want to shatter them as you stir.
That was really what I wanted to know: How to maximize the solid percentage. I probably have a high solid content in my whey if I am not getting a 10-12% yield, (if the moisture content is held constant, which is a big "if" for me) right? Would this mean a better ricotta yield if true? Thanks again.
Yield does depend on lactation cycle. Right in the beginning, you have an increase in casein, then a decrease for the long middle period, then toward the end, like in the fall and winter, the casein goes up. An 8% yield isn't terrible for mid summer milk for cows on all pasture.
Ricotta is a slightly different creature. With ricotta, you are trying to recover the leftover bits of casein, but more so, you are trying to coagulate the albumen in the milk. It's a different protein that's heat precipitated with the help of a little acid. So it depends. If you lost a lot of fat from the curd into the whey, that's not going to be recovered in the ricotta, same with the ultra small curd pieces. Fat molecules weight a lot, and slip through easily while the curd is fragile.
Got it. I'll probably forget it, but for now I have got it. :)
With regards to that ladder, John, how do you know how much pressure is actually being applied?
First time I used it I put bathroom scales underneath.
Welcome :)