The Cheese Thread

[porky]

Wife went to a cheese making course two weeks ago.

Monday she had 34 liters of non homogenized milk delivered here to the house.
She has been making cheese every day this week.

Some pics

This is cheddar that was made in the class.



This is cheddar in the press at home




This is mozzarella for our pizza. We now make the sauce, base, sausage and the cheese.
I need to make peperoni some day.



Feta



Camembert



She has also made Ricotta, no pics.

We will make cheddar every month so we will have a supply once they are aged.
We will try them at three months and six months and a year. The longer they age the sharper they get.
Over a year is considered Vintage.

Cheers,
Bud

 

[porky]

Here is Ricotta,
a by product of making cheddar.

Heated in double boiler, vinegar added to form the curds.

 

[capretta]

some one has caught the bug!

 

[Lindsay Dive]

It's also very easy to lose the bug once you realise that that the milk you purchase can be fiddled with 'other' products, like fillers (how in the name of Christ does that work?) that are not conducive to making good cheese.

I'm having a spell and a good think.

I want a cow.

 

[capretta]

were you buying parmalat?

 

[porky]

We got the milk from Baffle Creek dairy. They are about 30k from us.

The freshest, purest milk we can get.

Able to buy it not homogenized as well.

Ordered on Sunday, production run on Monday morning, delivered to our door Monday afternoon.

Not quite ready to get a cow yet

bud

 

[wabster]

Yeah I dunno whether it is that supermarket milk is being treated with extra heat during pasteurisation to increase shelf life or if it is the use of Permeate to supposedly keep milk consistent in butter fat or whatever, but my success rate with my regular camembert making is dropping to near 1 in 5 batches.

The "unsuccessful" batches are nicely shaped and taste great, but are hard, and never achieve that unctuous sloppiness a good ripe camembert should have.

I have all but given up making my wonderful cheese, and am thinking of going to the Farmers Markets at Everleigh (Redfern) and tracking down the milk vendors there, and seeing if I can go out to their farm and buy milk directly. I don't care if they have to pasteurise it, but would prefer non homogenised. I'm sure there are places within a short drive out of Sydney metro where I can get fresh, unadulterated milk.

I watched or read about the TV show that "exposed" the use of permeate in commercial milk production, here is a link to a refutation http://www.non-sense.com.au/joomla/index.p...e&Itemid=37 but I still feel uncomfortable with the concept that milk has to be fiddled with to be commercially viable. Why the bloody hell can't I buy plain fresh pure pasteurised milk?

Cheerz Wabster.

 

[capretta]

i have done a few washed rinds that were aged for approx 2.5 months and they never went particularly gooey, soft but not runny. i always buy dairy farmers (not the supermarket brands) and do 50 /50 with parmalat. do you think that might be one of the problems? i just assumed i was messing up a procedure somewhere..

 

[Lindsay Dive]

That's the ****, Permeate, and the mongrels don't have to let you know if it is in the milk or not.

If you decide to use an organic milk, the cost of the milk blows the whole deal out of the water.

 

[Airgead]

Why the bloody hell can't I buy plain fresh pure pasteurised milk?

Cheerz Wabster.

You can. because I do. In Sydney anyway.

Look up Lettucedeliver.com.au and they will deliver un-homogenised milk to your door. Several diferent varieties thereof...

http://lettucedeliver.com.au/shop/Inventor...D5-04B4947798B1

Ok it is a bit pricey but it is available.

 

[capretta]

i think parmalat from the supermarket is cheaper than that, but yeah, there are a few options. just not "cheap" ones..

how much did you pick up your milk for budwiser?

 

[porky]

how much did you pick up your milk for budwiser?

We paid $1.70per litre delivered to the house.
We got wholesale price as long as we bought over 30L.

In the shops in town it sells for $2.05 per L.

Bud

 

[capretta]

nice! B) yeah i can get the parmalat for 2.25 on special..

 

[Lindsay Dive]

I note with interest that there are few brands of milk that now have the words "Natural and Additive Free" printed on the label. Looks as though the exposure of these mongrels adding Permeate to their milk has sunk in.

 

[wabster]

You can. because I do. In Sydney anyway.

Look up Lettucedeliver.com.au and they will deliver un-homogenised milk to your door. Several diferent varieties thereof...

http://lettucedeliver.com.au/shop/Inventor...D5-04B4947798B1

Ok it is a bit pricey but it is available.

Thanks for that post Airgead I have contacted them and they are over at Homebush, so I can have milk delivered when they do my area, Tuesdays from memory, or I can order and go and collect it which isn't too much of a hassle.

On the weblink http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=455784 to the article about the Permeate in milk, there are a number of milks listed as not containing it, viz
PERMEATE FREE MILK:



Paul's Parmalat Organic Milk (Available Australia-wide)<li>
<li> Pura Gold Brand (Available Australia-wide)<li>
<li> Country Valley Milk (stockists can be found at: www.countryvalley.com.au)<li>
<li> Norco milk (Available in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and northern NSW)<li>
<li> A2 milk (Available Australia-wide)
The Country Valley is the milk that is sold at Everleigh (Redfern) markets too. I have a friend who lives at Bowral and comes to visit a relative close by so could ask her to buy me 6 litres when she comes here.

However in the short term I am going to go to Woolies/Coles and see if they have the Pura and Parmalat milks and try them. I've missed my Xmas deadline now, so there is no hurry any more.

Cheerz to all, Wabster.

 

[Chad]

I ordered my first set of ingredients today, to make a Blue, Gouda and Cheddar.

How long can these be stored for? I haven't been able to find any exact information, but it would seem that as long as the rind isn't broken then it should keep for quite some time, 12+ months. It would also seem as though waxing or vacuum sealing will also help extend longevity.

 

[komodo]

Bloody hell 34 Litres! Did you just go upto the dairy and ask if you could buy direct? did you have to supply the container?

I made some camembert over the holidays about 3 weeks ago. They got a nice covering in white mould and then after the 10 days I wrapped them. How long should it take before they are ready to eat? At this stage they seem quite firm other than just aroudn the edges is a little soft but not like I would expect when ripe. I'm thinking about another 2 weeks minimum?

Seems I'm more impatient with my cheese than I ever have been with beer LOL

 

[porky]

Bloody hell 34 Litres! Did you just go upto the dairy and ask if you could buy direct? did you have to supply the container?

We did buy direct. Called them on the phone, just had to buy over 30 litres.
No, didn't have to supply the container. They are close to here so droped off on their way by.

I made some camembert over the holidays about 3 weeks ago. They got a nice covering in white mould and then after the 10 days I wrapped them. How long should it take before they are ready to eat?

Another month should be good.
45 to 60 days from when it was made.
Remove from fridge and get to room temp...feel it for softness. Cut a small wedge and if it's as "runny" as YOU want it...then eat it.
If you want more liquid centre then put the wedge back in and re wrap it... Leave for another week or two.
Like waiting on a good beer to age.

Cheers,
bud

 

[komodo]

Hrmmm In the fridge its rock hard.
Out of the fridge and let it warm to room temp and its really squishy...

 

[Chad]

I'm currently in the process of making my first blue cheese. Although I have a problem in that the curd doesn't seem to be setting.
I've got a small 5L batch, with 3L unhomogenised, and 2L homogenised. I raised it to 31deg and added the ingredients.

Could my thermometer be out and I didn't raise the temp enough?