Anyone here a cheese maker?

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I'm just getting into making cheese. So far I've make goat milk chèvre with herbs that was wonderful and queso fresco that taste similar to cottage cheese.
I got my mini fridge today and get it set up for a cheese cave so now I can make some proper aged cheese. My first will be butterkäse, I'll probably make it in a day or two. It only has to mature for a month, so I won't have to be patient for long.
The second will be gruyère. Its more complicated and take 4-6 months to mature. I've ever tasted it but its supposed to be good.
I'd like to make gouda, havarti, tilsit and brie in the future.
 
My daughter has been making cheese for a few years. She started with ricotta and mozzarella. She has made parmesan and cheddar, and she was talking about swiss but I can't remember if she made that or not. Gruyere is delicious :)
 
OMG That sounds so yummy! Is it difficult? I think cheese is my favorite food.

Can you explain the process?
 
Not terribly difficult but you have to really watch temps and time. The proccess is a bit too lomg to explain. This video shows a very simple cheese, its the first pressed cheese I made and it was yummy. Next time I think I'll add some cranberries.

 
I make cheese when my cow is milking. The New England Cheese Making Supply Co. is a good source for supplies and recipes. I got a recipe for lactic cheese from their newsletter.
 
My daughter has been making cheese for a few years. She started with ricotta and mozzarella. She has made parmesan and cheddar, and she was talking about swiss but I can't remember if she made that or not. Gruyere is delicious :)

Swiss is what my hubby wants but the bacteria is expensive and only comes in larger baggies. I only want enough for 1 or 2 wheels. Is gruyere like provolone? I personally don't like sharp cheese and am looking for milder varieties.


I make cheese when my cow is milking. The New England Cheese Making Supply Co. is a good source for supplies and recipes. I got a recipe for lactic cheese from their newsletter.

Some of my stuff is from New England. Lucky I found a small wine/beer brew supply store that also has cheese supplies. They had a mold that I could only find online in NZ that I'd been wanting, snagged it right up.

I'm making the butterkase today. Can't wait to try the new mold. All I really need now is a curd harp which I'll make myself once I get around to buying some maple.
 
Swiss is what my hubby wants but the bacteria is expensive and only comes in larger baggies. I only want enough for 1 or 2 wheels. Is gruyere like provolone? I personally don't like sharp cheese and am looking for milder varieties.
Gruyere is like a milder swiss, especially if it is young. I'd say more flavor than provolone, but similar to that or maybe fontina. It is really good in quiches or in a combination of a few cheeses for fancy mac and cheese - but I do like sharp cheeses, so I'd do that with a sharper cheddar too. Maybe buy a small piece of gruyere to see if you like it before investing the energy in making it. If you don't like it, your hubby will, so it won't go to waste.
 
Thanks. It sounds like it will be a acceptable alternative to swiss. My mom is the one who wanted it but she will never eat a whole wheel. I have plenty of people to share cheese with, my DD is a cheese freak so I have a feeling I'll be experimenting. Really want to make something with horseradish.
 
How exciting Obsidian! A cheese fridge! Off to look up butterkäse ... it sounds very German :)

I make mostly soft cheeses when I can get local milk (there used to be a butcher who sold raw milk, but I haven't seen him for a while). Mine is made without calcium chloride, so I have to rely on the milk to get a good curd.

I've been thinking about using clabbered milk to make the cheese curds next (my local beasties make a good sourdough, so I figure they might help me out with cheese as well).

(I also like Gruyere, but I haven't made it. I was taught to lay thin slices of it on the pie crust before pouring the mixture for a classic Quiche Lorraine - it's beautiful and creamy!)

SunRiseArts,
Here's another simple cheese (I like the idea of storing it in oil with herbs) ... .
 
Its nothing fancy, just a mini fridge with a thermostat to control the temperature. Of course I screwed up and ordered one with a little freezer so there is a different temp on each shelf. It will still work but I don't have as much room as I'd like.

Butterkase is german and supposedly as very good cheese, mild yet complex. Its in the press now and is looking good.

I'm having issues getting the curd cut proper. I think I have it cut but as soon as I start stirring, its turns into a mushy mess from the solid chunks being broken apart by the spoon. Doesn't seem like it affects anything but I like to follow recipes as close as possible and the video shows nice well formed curds.

Raw milk isn't easy to find here so calcium chloride is necessary unless I'm using goats milk. I can buy it raw at most all the local stores.

I've never eaten quiche, something about it always looked kinda gross to me. Its probably really good though.
 
Sounds so complicated. I am a cheese freak too. I like them all. Even the stinky ones, lol.

I will research it some, maybe I will be brave enough at some point.
 
Cheese is out of the press and in the brine for 9 hours.
 

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Oh my, I can't imagine my life without gruyere! You should definitely taste it, I think it's a very well balanced cheese that goes with a lot of different types of food.
If you decide to make Gouda cheese, try to make several wheels and let them age for different amounts of time. For me Gouda gets better as it gets older. In Holland they sell year-old cheese which is awesome and even some cheese that has aged for 2-3 years. It's so hard it starts to crumble when you cut it but it's so full of flavor by that time!
(I'm a cheese eater, not a maker. Not yet at least.. this thread is inspiring![emoji6])
 
I've not made cheese for awhile. I'm having issues with mold even when washing with brine like instructed.

I suspect my cheese fridge isn't air tight due to having a temperature probe ran inside.
I need to try again but this time, I'll vacuum pack the wheels after the initial dry time at room temp.

Anyone who is interested in making cheese, check this guy out
https://m.youtube.com/user/greeningofgavin/videos

I do still make the chevre. Even though I'm not a fan of goat products, this is really good with basil and garlic. My mom puts orange and cranberries in hers.
 
Thanks for the link! I did not look at the date of the post, saw it pass by on the timeline and replied. I'm sorry to hear your soapmaking experience wasn't as successful as you hoped, but it's nice that you have at least one recipe that you like! [emoji3526]
 
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