Cheese Making

[FiberLover]

I know many of us make our own yogurt, and kefir, anyone here make their own hard cheeses?

Not the soft type like cream cheese and paneer, but cheesecloth or waxed hard cheeses?

If so, would you mind sharing your resources for supplies, and books, equiptment needed?

I've taken a few classes on this, and now I have a local source for raw milk I'm ready to start!

Thanks,
Michelle.

[littlehawksmom]

I have just started! I have made two rounds of raw hard cheese. I did not wax or age it as I had planned, however, because I was too scared. I am still trying toget over the propaganda about the safety of raw milk. So I cut into the first one a few days after salting and drying it and the cheese had little irregular holes throughout. It smelled good and tasted good and we ate it and no one got sick, but I think I read somewhere that the irregular holes you don't want, but I can't remember the details...
I have been wanting to find someone who might know. Have you heard of this?
It is fun to make. Check out the recent 'growing cultures mindfully' thread.
Let's talk more about making cheese!

[newmom80]

I want to learn to make cheese too! I keep reading books on it and I'm just afraid hard cheeses are way too difficult for me - plus the equipment, like presses, seem real expensive.

I have a source of raw cow's milk and I would like to try to make mozzarella out of it, as I think that's pretty easy. Then in the summer I have a source of raw goat's milk which I want to make a soft, crumbly goat cheese out of.

Anybody with tips or resources, please share!

[NettleSongMama]

I make hard cheese.
You can get supplies from The New England Cheesemaking Supply Company (I think thats it), or Hoeggers.
I like really simple hard cheeses and so basically I only need rennet. I've been thru the stage of ordering different molds (like for blue or aged soft cheese etc) and thermophillic and mesophillic cultures, cheese wax and the like for specific authentic cheeses but I always come back to just making my simple farmstead cheese, mozzerella, and feta along with the soft cheeses (cottage and chevre mostly, sometimes ricotta). What can I say, I am busy. Maybe when the kids are older I will get back into some of the more complex cheeses.
Rikki Carrol's book Home Cheesemaking is great. It will explain the recipes and then you can tailor your supplies for what kind of cheese you want to make.
Almost all cheese requires a culture. I have had very good results with buttermilk, you can also use yogurt and now I just use whey, even easier. Mesophillic culture will give more uniform results but I think its more of a PITA.
As for cheese presses, there are lots of online plans to build one. I bought mine, its stainless steel and wood.

[krismarie]

like pp said, i find the cheesemaking.com (new england cheese making supply) to be great. i've started with the soft cheese and hard cheese kits...totally worth it!

[Tcarwyn]

I have been intrigued by making hard cheeses for a while...havent gotten any frther then dreaming though

I was wondering, how much milk turns into how much cheese?

Thanks

Tanya

[FiberLover]

Yay!

I know approx. 1 gal of cow or goat milk = 1 lb of hard cheese.

1 gal of sheep milk = about 1 and 1/3 lb of cheese.


I have that Home Cheesemaking book actually! That's where I plan to start. I took a workshop last year where we made some in the class too.

Now, I guess I'm asking for a cheese press for our anniversary!

Thanks for the info!