I know this is not a cheese forum and that there is a cooking and gardening forum but I’m posting here because there is so little traffic over there. This gets the most traffic. Mods, feel free to move it later.
My question is can someone direct me to a good basic cheese making kit and website. There is so many out there and I know nothing about it but want to make hard cheeses. Like a newbie to home brewing this can be confusing at first. Thanks.
It is hard to find the right cheesemaking kit for hard cheeses. Most of them out there are for Fresh Mozz and Ricotta (because they are the easiest to make). I guess you will have to just read all the reviews and take a chance. I have been a licensed cheesemaker in wisconsin for 5 years and the most beneficial advice that I can give you is to enroll in the UW-Madison Cheese tech short course if you live in the Madison WI area. It is about 5 days long (8 hours a day) but you are taught by the TOP experts in the country! One of the best things I have done to further my career.
Any question feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer!
Good Luck!
I have been thinking that it would be pretty cool to make blue cheese…would love some direction here since we got a pro talkin. I’m not from the area so online sites would be cool.
Well basic cheesemaking is actually pretty simple. Hold your milk at 145F for 30 mins and you just achieved “low temp pasteurization”. It doesnt kill all the bacteria but also results in the best flavor profiles in my opinion. Bring the temp down for culture addition (temp will depend on which kind of culture - mesophilic or thermophilic) Let it maturate until you reach the desired pH. Add your rennet and cut into curd! From this point depending on what cheese you are making you can “cheddar the curd” or mould it and let gravity do the work.
Hey Norman,
I moved this to the cooking forum but left a shadow in general so you can get exposure in both. Making cheese sounds interesting BTW. I was just reading in BYO magazine how to make yogurt. I had no idea how easy it is.
Hmm, Cheese,
I need to do that!
I use lot’s of Mozzarella and Ricotta, I’d use allot more of it if not so danged expensive for the Ricotta.
I use lots of other cheeses also like Swiss, Cheddar, Colby, Provolone etc…
Man that class in Madison sounds great! My wife has wanted to give a fresh cheese kit a try for a while. i should get her one.
The family that ferments together, stays together.
