The Cheese Thread

[Wolfy]

* I should point out that this is cheats ricotta.

It's also pretty much exactly how you make Paneer (which is usually strained/pressed a little more, but the process is the same).
Swiss voile is also a good alternative to cheese cloth (and I find it is easier to clean/maintain).

 

[benno1973]

It's also pretty much exactly how you make Paneer (which is usually strained/pressed a little more, but the process is the same).
Swiss voile is also a good alternative to cheese cloth (and I find it is easier to clean/maintain).

Yeah, paneer is vinegar, while farm cheese is lemon juice, isn't it? Or something like that. I read about it once, but my brain is small and unable to retain that sort of thing. Palak paneer is awesome.

 

[Wolfy]

Yeah, paneer is vinegar, while farm cheese is lemon juice, isn't it? Or something like that. I read about it once, but my brain is small and unable to retain that sort of thing. Palak paneer is awesome.

Wiki suggests that paneer is 'food acid' (lemon juice, vinegar or citric acid), think I did mine with lemon juice.

 

[Kai]

I must get back into cheesing.
(It looks a bit "hop backish" if you get my drift).

At 4 bucks from kmart, it's not gonna be the right sort of "stainless steel".

 

[Truman42]

Anyone know somewhere in Melbourne where I can by rennet? I threw out the bottle I received with my Mad millie cheese kit by mistake and dont want to pay $9.60 postage for a $6.30 bottle of rennet.

Failing that if someone lives near a shop that sells it such as Brewers choice, I could send you the money and a postbag (Can get them for free) if you would be so kind as to buy me some and send it my way.

 

[benno1973]

Cheeselinks is in Little River. I'm from WA, so not a clue whether that's close to Melb or not, but it looks close on a google map!

 

[Wolfy]

It's 'close' - directly across the bay - but will take a couple hours to drive there (likely cost the postage price in petrol).

 

[Truman42]

I have a company car so don't pay for fuel but still its a bit of a hike to get there. Time is money.
Oh well might have to just pay for the postage and let it be a lesson learnt. Thanks anyway.

 

[stillscottish]

At 4 bucks from kmart, it's not gonna be the right sort of "stainless steel".

Still Stainless, and its had a few batches through it.

 

[Wolfy]

I'm looking to put together some cheese making gear, and have some cheese/beer linked questions:

How accurate does the processing temperature control have to be?
I've seen a lot of mention of double boilers, sink immersion, adding boiling water water to step 1deg/5mins, so most indications suggest the temperature needs to be reached and maintained accurately.
If that's true, wouldn't putting the cheese-pot inside the mash-tun and using a pump/HERMS/PID be an easier and more accurate way to do it?
(My kettle and HLT have internal elements or I'd just shove the pot/temp probe in those).

I have calcium chloride (from CraftBrewer, to adjust brewing water) is there any reason why I can't mix up 10g of that in 100ml of water and then dose it at 1ml/L if I use homogonized milk?
The African-university Gouda-study (linked earlier in this thread) indicated a rate of 5-20g calcium chloride per 100L homogenized milk is appropriate.

 

[benno1973]

Hey Wolfy,

Temperature is pretty critical, slow ramp times ensure that the curds don't trap liquid, and correct temps for the starter/rennet are required. PID systems are definitely the go - check out some of the threads on cheeseforums for some ideas. Some people have just set up a sous vide in a slow cooker with a PID to ensure accurate temps. Double boilers are good as they maintain the temp with a larger thermal mass, and have accurate heat distribution, but they aren't critical, especially if you're working with a PID controlled system and you stir regularly and gently.

You can use the CaCl from Craftbrewer, that'd be fine.

 

[Wolfy]

Thanks Kaiser Soze, signed up and got a sense of Dj vu.
The first post I read was using a bath tub sized, eletreic element heater 'water bath' and the next was a video using 24Gallons of milk to make cheese!
... reminds me of joining AHB when I had nothing but a plastic bucket and spoon!

Knowing that I wanted to make some cheese, SWMBO brought these containers home from the supermarket:

The baskets are 100mm diameter and 85/130 high, which should (as far as I can tell) make them quite useful as cheese molds.
(On special at Coles, $2.29 and $2.49).

 

[benno1973]

They're also good for brining feta and the like! I have a bundle from op-shops around the place.

 

[bradsbrew]

Scored a mad millies specialty kit for christmas. Done a bit of research, then today i made some mozzerella for practise and now I have a double brie in the pot.

Going to big w tommorow to get a pot to fit in the 20L big w pot I already have, will then use my herms to keep constant temps in the bath pot. Can't wait to taste the results.

Cheers Brad

 

[bradsbrew]

Have had the double brie in the waeco at around 10-11 deg for 14 days now, I stopped turning after 7 days. Once i wrap it can I just put it in the food fridge to age or do i need to keep it at 10 deg?

Cheers

 

[Truman42]

Im going to use a 10 litre pot I have and put bolts through it so it looks like a hop spider setup. Then just sit this in my urn and control the water temp with an stc1000.

@Wolfy..those containers are awesome. I saw them at Coles the other day and didnt even think of cheese making. I was wearing the wrong cap..

 

[phoenixdigital]

Have had the double brie in the waeco at around 10-11 deg for 14 days now, I stopped turning after 7 days. Once i wrap it can I just put it in the food fridge to age or do i need to keep it at 10 deg?

You can put it in the fridge and they will just age a bit slower. I made the mistake of assuming that brie's would last ages so made 8 wheels when I first started cheese making. After the allotted 10-14 deg aging I wrapped them and put them in the fridge. I got around to eating them after a month or so and they were super super strong and almost runny. I ended up only eating one at that time and by the time I got around to eating the rest they were even stronger again. Ended up chucking them out.

So long story short. Put them in the fridge and eat them at week 1, 2, 3 etc.... then you will know how long they will need to age for perfection next time.

I will only be making 4 wheels next time and eating them sooner rather than later.

 

[bradsbrew]

Excellant. thanks

 

[benno1973]

Have had the double brie in the waeco at around 10-11 deg for 14 days now, I stopped turning after 7 days. Once i wrap it can I just put it in the food fridge to age or do i need to keep it at 10 deg?

Cheers

Aged at 3C, they will take forever to get to the right consistency. Maybe not forever, but anywhere up to a year. You're better off aging them at 10-12C for a couple of weeks to get the ball rolling, then when they start to feel a little soft, put them in the fridge to slow the aging process.

You can put it in the fridge and they will just age a bit slower. I made the mistake of assuming that brie's would last ages so made 8 wheels when I first started cheese making. After the allotted 10-14 deg aging I wrapped them and put them in the fridge. I got around to eating them after a month or so and they were super super strong and almost runny. I ended up only eating one at that time and by the time I got around to eating the rest they were even stronger again. Ended up chucking them out.

I've done that. Left them for too long in the cheese cave and they were so strong and runny. Strong aftertaste of ammonia, but still, I'm working my way through them! :unsure:

 

[Truman42]

Have had the double brie in the waeco at around 10-11 deg for 14 days now, I stopped turning after 7 days. Once i wrap it can I just put it in the food fridge to age or do i need to keep it at 10 deg?

Cheers

brad thats a bloody brilliant idea Ive got a large waeco just siting in the garage doing nothing. Couple of questions..

Do you use a hygrometer at all? Do you think the humidty level is ok in the waeco using a wet cloth in the bottom of the container? I assume so as there is no fan in there to dry out the air.

Do you use an STC1000 with the waeco and will it control the temps no problems? (I know with some of those digital thermostats on fridges they re-set to a higher temp when the power is switched off and back on again.)