Tips for Beginner Cheesemakers

Home hard cheese making is not the equivalent of whipping open a box of Betty Crocker Brownie mix and having results in 30 minutes. This is true of all hard cheeses. If you want quick results you can do a 30 minute mozzarella. This is because mozzarella is a soft cheese. If you want to make a hard cheese, be prepared for a successful batch to age at least a month and some for even a year or longer. It all depends on what cheese you decide to manufacture at home.

Soft cheeses, such as cream, fromage blanc or mozzarella can be made quickly and easily. These cheeses can be made from ready made store bought milk. Goats' milk, raw cows' milk and even sheep's milk can be used for a variety of soft cheeses. It is important to know your recipe and understand the ramifications of the different types of milk and the end product. When you become more experienced you may find a niche for a particular type of cheese from a specific animal's milk. A Jersey cow, for example, is a favorite for many types of cheddar. From what I have derived, the buttermilk content is higher; therefore the cheese is smoother and richer tasting.

Many soft cheeses can be made from usual kitchen items stocked in your kitchen. If you have a large stainless steel pot and steel ladle you will have a good start. You will want a pot that will fit two gallons of milk; the yield should be around 2 pounds of cheese. You will want some good quality cheesecloth for drainage; if you cannot find any locally many cheese supply places on the web have them (around 6.00 dollars). A good thermometer is a must however, soft or hard cheese alike.

There are many chemical changes, it all depends on what you add for a starter and when at what temperature. The starter is what you add (you can either make your own or purchase it from a supplier) that "starts" the process after your milk has reached the desired temperature. You can heat the milk in a water bath in the sink or on the stove. Differences of just one degree can affect the cheese as well as aging times, hygiene, and other different additives along the way.

If you are a beginning cheese maker I highly recommend the book "Home Cheese Making" by Riki Carroll. I bought it and studied it harder than any textbook I had in college. She offers videos, which I did not purchase (but probably should have), as well as recipes and many tips and resources. She also has a store; you can find everything you need there from starters to cheese presses. You can order kits for mozzarella and other soft cheeses at www. Cheesemaking.com. her prices are reasonable and she offers the book at 16.95. You can also check out Amazon.com to find the book.

There are a few videos on You Tube you may want to check out. Most are regarding soft cheeses; hard cheeses are few and far between with the emphasis on commercial cheese making. A huge help I have discovered is Cheeseforums.org. This is a forum with friendly folks who love cheese and is packed with useful information.

I am relatively new at cheese making but have discovered it is a real science that requires much attention to detail and patience. I have botched many batches but anticipate many successes with practice, the right tools, proper hygiene and a love of cheese.