Intermediate Cheesemaking: Beyond chevre

[RockyToggRanch]

I have extra (about 25) pyrex cheesecloth. I got all of it that was left. It's 100% cotton, 9 square feet, 87.5x87.5.

It's great stuff. I've used the same piece over and over. I've only had one batch of chevre stick to it. Feta rolls right off.

If anyone wants some let me know. $2.50 including shipping (I think that should cover shipping.)

I have 46 of them...so I can afford to share

 

[freemotion]

Shoot, just got some....but you can never have too much cheesecloth, and it is so hard to find here! I'll take some if you pm me your address so I can pay you first.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

now that i have cheese on the brain.. here is my epic cheese fail.. twice.

first -- i tried to make neufchatel.. but i think the curds were waaaay too dry. they were a big crumbly mess when i put them in the molds. and no mold grew on them. didnt work at all.

neufchatel = F-

then i tried a whey cheese - shepherds mizithra.. totally didnt work at all. i might have heated it too much. allegedly you are supposed to heat the whey and milk, add lemon juice, and then let it ripen for a couple days.

i got a big grainy mess...

so got an F- on this one too

i keep thinking i'm doing something wrong with the whey part of it. i've never been able to get even one crumb from trying to make ricotta.

but

if i pour milk into whey and let it sit out.. the next morning i have a glorious cheese for the chickens. they go hog wild over it. so there has to be something about it thats working.

so. hum....thats my full cheese fail confession

but the gouda and the cheddars i'm making seem to look right.

Free - i think i read in the "200 cheese recipes" book that they get crumbly from too much rennet. did you read that too? or did i imagine it? i still have a couple weeks left for the gouda. but when i tried a new (not aged) one i really like it. i ate a big hunk with some bread and wine and really thought i had made the cheese scene!

 

[Henrietta23]

now that i have cheese on the brain.. here is my epic cheese fail.. twice.

first -- i tried to make neufchatel.. but i think the curds were waaaay too dry. they were a big crumbly mess when i put them in the molds. and no mold grew on them. didnt work at all.

neufchatel = F-

then i tried a whey cheese - shepherds mizithra.. totally didnt work at all. i might have heated it too much. allegedly you are supposed to heat the whey and milk, add lemon juice, and then let it ripen for a couple days.

i got a big grainy mess...

so got an F- on this one too

i keep thinking i'm doing something wrong with the whey part of it. i've never been able to get even one crumb from trying to make ricotta.

but

if i pour milk into whey and let it sit out.. the next morning i have a glorious cheese for the chickens. they go hog wild over it. so there has to be something about it thats working.

so. hum....thats my full cheese fail confession

but the gouda and the cheddars i'm making seem to look right.

Free - i think i read in the "200 cheese recipes" book that they get crumbly from too much rennet. did you read that too? or did i imagine it? i still have a couple weeks left for the gouda. but when i tried a new (not aged) one i really like it. i ate a big hunk with some bread and wine and really thought i had made the cheese scene!

Don't have any answers. I do have the book but don't know off the top of my head what it said about rennet. I can only add that I have never had any luck with getting anything ricotta like using whey.

 

[freemotion]

The goat cheeses will be dryer in texture anyways. Handling the curds too roughly will make it dryer, too much rennet, and the pH of the milk. I don't have a pH tester, not likely to get one anytime soon, either!

I had a big cheddar failure today/yesterday, but boy, is it ever YUMMY!!! I made the stirred curd cheddar from the 200 recipes book and had a little difficulty with the temperature. I've worked all spring and summer in a kitchen that was 90-100 F and yesterday worked in a kitchen that had a lovely, chilly breeze flowing through it. So I had some difficulty getting the temp up from 89-102 F over the 45 minute stirring time.

When I put the curds into the press, they didn't stick together at all. So I pressed and hoped. After an hour, I went to turn it and redress it, and it fell apart in my hands. That was a first! So I quickly grabbed a dinner plate to work on, and carefully picked all the curds off the cloth, lined the mold, scooped the curds into it again, and pressed overnight.

It sticks together somewhat, but I can easily pull handfuls of curds off it, and they are easily separated into individual curds! But they taste delicious! So what is left of it (I grab a handful every time I pass it ) is aging in a plastic tote on my counter, to develop a sharper taste for a couple of days....if it lasts that long!

YUMMMMMMMM !!!

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

hey! mine did kinda the same thing! after ALL THAT STIRRING it didnt clump together....

...so i heated the curds a bit and then it worked much better

after i pressed it (with the kitty litter cheese press!) it totally turned out and was a work of art.

so then i went to wax it.. and dropped it in the water! so i had to re-dry it so boo.

but at least i'm having fun!

 

[freemotion]

I'm chewing on more of that cheese as I type this....it is even yummier a few hours later. A lovely mistake, because I have to eat about four pounds of cheese quickly before it spoils! It IS gonna spoil fast, right?

 

[Henrietta23]

I'm chewing on more of that cheese as I type this....it is even yummier a few hours later. A lovely mistake, because I have to eat about four pounds of cheese quickly before it spoils! It IS gonna spoil fast, right?

Absolutely!! Send me your address and I'll come help you put it out of its misery.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

I'm chewing on more of that cheese as I type this....it is even yummier a few hours later. A lovely mistake, because I have to eat about four pounds of cheese quickly before it spoils! It IS gonna spoil fast, right?

Absolutely!! Send me your address and I'll come help you put it out of its misery.

Oh yes! Eat it quick! Pass some to your friends

I neeeeed more milk....

 

[flossy]

Now I hope that none of you find this rude, but we are hoping to be getting some goats in the next few months, so i went on a goat cheesemaking course. The lady had some feta, and it was, well, kinda musky almost. To be honest it was kinda gross.

What does the other goats cheeses taste like. I still will get goats because milk is REALLY expensive here. I'm talking $3.20 for two litres, which is half a gallon I think. So just for milk it is still worth it, but I do love cheese, and really enjoy making it.