hello all ,
just want to introduce myself .... i'm new to cheese making & interested enough to try just about any reciepe that i can get my hands on ... my wife & i have 2 jerseys in milk now .... we are getting about 5-6 gallons a day .... we have a hobby farm about 10 acres ... we live in central west virginia ... hey to you all ... ;D
"about 5-6 gallons a day"
That should give you a hefty amount of cheese :)
Welcome to the happy world of cheesemaking hobby John.
If you are getting that much of milk every day, I have some suggestions.
Get 2 good thermometers.
Start with fresh cheeses like feta, halloumi, ricotta etc till you get a cheese cave (a modified fridge where you are the master of temperature and humidity) or two.
Make your own starters with milk clabber, butter etc for cheesemaking.
Learn Flocculation Point technique; as you are dealing with fresh milk this is like a must.
Get a note book to record recipes and steps, also label each cheese you make.
Make yourself a cheese press for hard cheeses.
If you feel the necessity later on, get yourself a digital pH tester.
All of these things are discussed in detail in this forum. Have a look around, and you will get more info than you can digest. When in doubt; ask people here.
Good Luck
Welcome. It won't be long before you start helping others with their questions. There's a wealth of information here that you'll pick up quickly.
thank-you all for the welcome & start-up info i am looking forward to putting up some cheese for us , friends , & family .... (my wife thinks this should keep me out of trouble ) i have to agree ;D
Welcome and happy cheesemaking!
I would give a three year old Parmesan for the milk of Jersey's! Welcome, good luck and keep us posted!
Welcome, keep you out of trouble? Cheese making is more like getting into trouble ;D.
I agree with John, all you need to do is to find an even messier hoobie for your wife :P ;D ;D
ok , so far this week i have made neufchatel , mozzarella & a stirred curd cheddar ... how long must i wait for the results of the cheddar ??? the mozzarella came out very nice ... the neufchatel , not as spreadable as i would like ....
Do you vac pack, vax or use lard and cheesecloth to cover the rind of your cheddar? You can also go naked.
Depending on the aging time, it will be sharper on taste and crumbler on texture. How do you like your cheddar?
You can taste every month after an initial 3 months of aging in the cave. You can vac pack or vax the remaining cheese.
currently i'm waxing ... i read the post about oiling that looks like it has some possabilities ... any suggestions are always welcome ... i like my chedder w/ flavor regardless of texture , although bonnie (my wife) likes a more smooth texture ... how about oiling & waxing at the same time ???? :P this is why i got into it sooooo many cheeses so little time !!!!! O0
by the way what is vac packing ... is it new ??? how does the cheese age .... last but not least would you recomend wrapping and molding ???
vac pack is vacuum packing. A lot of people here are doing this. You need a vacuum packing machine and plastic bags for it.
Oiling and vaxing may not work together. I am using cheese vax and dip the cheeses into hot vax, half first and when it is dry, the other half. I like vaxing because it keeps the humidity in the vax constant and had a nice look. I even vaxed a swiss after the eyes formed and it was divine after 4 months (I couldn't wait another month). Vaxing may be a little messy though. I am using red vax, and it is everywhere.
I recommend vacuuming. Easy and hassle free. You can also watch the cheese from the transparent sheet in case any rogue mould growth.