Phew - when I first saw the title I thought it said “Homebrewing Millstone” and I was like “aww damn… now we’re going to have a fight”
Until you get into hard/aged cheese your equipment needs are minimal. With some butter muslin, rennet and a few cultures you’re all set for soft cheeses.
Whatever works for you is perfect for me.
Sounds WAY too interesting! I’ve been interested in it since some neighbors took it up and the LHBS sells supplies…I was just looking at it yesterday. But right behind brewing is my love of baking bread. I’m afraid that if I took up another food related hobby my cardiologist would hunt me down and kill me himself!
;D
I’ll try not to weigh ya down! 
I wondered if maybe you hit 500 batches using your original blue cooler mashtun. ;D
I’m still using the batch sparge system that I consulted with you to build back in 2005, even if I have a few slight modifications or replacements. I always wonder if people put a bunch of money into a fancy system and then regret it. I just know that the cheap n’ easy system is easy to store, very easy to use and clean, and makes great beer when lined up behind a good recipe, technique, and execution.
Last night at a party I got a compliment that my beer was better than what they had found around town lately, and it’s not the first time. The forum has been a great help over the years. Merry Christmas to all (soon, soon).
If I could ask for one thing it would be more time…to brew! I made a half barrel - 3 cornies - in October for a party at a friend’s house last Friday. Vienna lager for a large group that included several folks who traveled to Germany regularly as part of their work. Blew through it all within an hour and a half. Very favorable comments and not one that was in the least negative (some refused to try it and stayed with their Bud light and Lite Beer from Miller to which I said “enjoy”). The genuine appreciation from those who tried it made it all worthwhile. So I guess I have all that I need, too, Denny.
Great story - really cool - bam, bam, gone! And I bet most of them won’t forget how EXCELLENT it was!
I had just shared a growler of my take on all-citra IPA I have been tweaking a few years, a la Zombie Dust, at a small party. Plus a cooler of a variety of Bridgeport beers I still had on hand.
I also took a few bottles of some 2012 wines I made: some red meritage (Bordeaux-style blend), a syrah, and an apricot port. I’ve been working pretty hard at winemaking (nearly all from grapes) increasingly especially the last few years.
And of course everybody had brought lots as their contribution – beers, wines, booze.
The next day definitely was the shortest day of the year. Mostly due to getting home at 2 am, and then sleeping in extra late due to a bit of a hangover, more so from mixing the fruit and the grain than from the amount I consumed. :