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Hi , my name is pete and i live in the uk in birmingham.

I have just found a cheap source of milk so i have decided to get into cheese making. i wont be posting any more posts of yet as i shall far to busy reading and using the search button.

I had not realised how exspensive it was to get into, so i shall be trying to find a cheaper version of cheese making or i shall give the idea up. it has really made me sit up when i found out how expensive a pure form of bacteria is and how many there is to use,

but apart from that it looks like fun to do

Hi mate. Welcome!

I think for most of us, it's not so much a cost consideration as it is the joy of supporting local farms and crafting our own food. That said, there are many things you can do to minimize cost, such as use mother cultures, and focusing on making just a few cheese families to realize efficiencies associated with economies of scale.

Welcome to the Boards! I am finding that the cost per batch is comparable to the cost of buying a cheese pound for pound in my area.  This is after the equipment.  So really, the cost is quite minimal for the joy of crafting your own. Don't give up yet...

Is the cost of cultures that high in the UK? You can simply use cultured buttermilk, sour cream, or creme fraiche for mesophilic culture, and yogurt for thermophilic culture. Really, they work quite well. Search the forum for interesting improvised press ideas, and all you need is a pot and some cheesecloth. The milk is the biggest cost, and you say you've got a cheap source, so you should be golden. Try starting out with just a fromage blanc, you don't even need a press.

Hi Pete - it doesn't have to be expensive, you can make your onw molds and cultures and as far a presses go I've been making cheese to 30+ years and just got my first press a few months ago. I have always just stacked things on top like veggie cans and wedged it under the kitchen cabinets. The most expensive part is the milk!

Welcome, Pete. The early authentic cheese makers used something as simple as a large board to press on the cheesecloth filled with curd. On top of the board they placed rocks or bricks. Our webmaster, John, has used the weight of a stepladder to deliver the pressing power. Use your imagination and you'll conquer that problem.

Quote from: knipknup on April 20, 2012, 12:37:39 PM
I am finding that the cost per batch is comparable to the cost of buying a cheese pound for pound in my area. 

I like to discover different cheeses that I like and try to duplicate those cheese styles that might sell for unbelievably high prices ($24/pound, etc.). Also, I can produce cheeses with character rather than the industrial offerings I might find in the store.

You will find a lot of satisfaction in making, eating, and sharing cheese you have made. Good luck.

-Boofer-

Welcome wez/pete, there is no posts advertising type posts by members of their business allowed but member Jaap at Jongia posts on this board now and then and he has a supplies business in nearby Shirley/Solihull area. Here's an intro post of his business with contact details. That said as others have posted you can start very cheap, have fun!