Intermediate Cheesemaking: Beyond chevre

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I got a stainless steel five gallon stock pot with a glass lid at Target and I use it for cheesemaking and serious stock-making. I can't remember what I paid, but it was very reasonable....maybe $35?

 

[Wildsky]

I saw some nice big ones at walmart today - there was also like a set for steaming etc.. $51. Perhaps next time.


But look!

 

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Woohoo! Feta!!!

 

[Blackbird]

I'm back from my vacation!

There was a store in town there called 'Kesslers' and they were selling TWO different kinds of goat cheese, Montrachet and different seasoned chevre. I'm not sure which was which, but one was 7.99 and the other was 8.99, and they were in TINY packages!! It was crazy!

I first tried the chevre and ugh ehrm. It was COMPLETELY VILE! ACKKK. My homemade chevre is WAY better tasting in my opinion... I can't believe people even eat the storebought stuff.. I don't think it was the seasonings but I can't be sure... But WOWZERS that was gross.

The montrachet, on the other hand was quite subtle and actually pretty good... Is montrachet in the book??

 

[Henrietta23]

Happen to have the book right next to me! No, unfortunately it does not. :/

 

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But there are 200 to try!

 

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Oh, I forgot, I should be talking about what I learn! I am turning my Camembert over daily. I wash my hands and use a clean towel to turn all the doorknobs on the way from my sink to my cellar, and to open the box so my hands are still cleaner than clean.

The cheeses need to be very carefully moved, as they like to stick to the mat and if I lift straight up I can pull the rind off. So I lift the edge of the mat and carefully "push" the cheese slightly with a broad hand, just to unstick it. Then I lift it and turn it, replacing it VERY carefully. I remember reading that goat's milk mold-ripened cheeses can have a problem called "slip skin" when the rind slips right off, and the center is too runny and it all runs out.

Someone at The Dairy Connection suggested using both penecillium candidum with geotrichum candidum in the recipes to help with this problem. I did buy both, but wanted to just follow the recipe the first time. If I get slip skin, I will try again with both molds.

 

[Wildsky]

I got the book.


I must say I need a cheese press like yesterday. I absolutly LOVE the bleu stinky cheeses.... I just HAVE to try one on my own, and of course a nice regular cheddar or something like that.
I will probably have to use regular whole milk bought from the store, I just can't save up enough goats milk fast enough.
I actually bought two gallons of whole milk today, but I'm not sure what to do with it with what I've got on hand, I'll have to browse the book...

 

[freemotion]

You can mix the milk, but if using pasteurized, homongenized milk you MUST add calcium chloride. The molecular structure of the calcium in the milk is so altered that it won't make cheese, and your body also will not recognize or use it. Not that you shouldn't make some cheese with it, just know that you need to add calcium and that it won't be a good source of calcium in your diet.

 

[Wildsky]

Thanks Free thats on my next list ~

A question on the Tome mold, would it be possible instead of a fancy press, to just put a board on top and then a weight? I don't have the mold so I can't look at it and figure it out. It has a lid, and it looks like that would be possible but I'm not sure.

I was looking at the mold on the dairy connection website.

I saw some presses on ebay (to try get one rather than wait for hubby to make one for me) they have like a screw down clamp thingie, and I'm not sure if those require the mold to fit into the little cylinder or what?
So dang confusing when you can't touch and SEE the things with your own hands and eyes.