Anybody ever make cheese?

I made cheese in high school as part of a chemistry project. Just very basic farmer’s cheese (used lemon juice to coagulate the milk).  But, I’m sort of considering trying to make fresh mozzarella or something else.  I know several dairy farmers where I can trade beer for unpasteurized whole milk.
Anyway, anyone here make cheese on a regular (or semi-regular) basis?  Got any advice?

Tubercle makes all kinds of cheeses all the time. There is a post on here somewhere about it and the press I made.

Your best friend: http://cheeseforum.org

I’m an expert in cutting the cheese. Just ask my wife.

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=4154.0

If you can get unpasteurized milk you are golden. I have not been so lucky and more or less quit making cheese as a result. It is a time consuming process, but is all about temp control so it isn’t hard.

Thanks Tom.  I’ll abandon this thread and jump on the one you sent. 
Apparently making beer has lost it’s challenge so it’s time for a new obsession  :wink:

I’ve made ricotta and feta, with pretty good results. I’ve never tried a hard cheese, but would like too someday.

I will say that sometimes, even using the same procedure, I don’t develop good curds and I can’t understand why,

do you use different brands of milk? ultrapasteurized milk will often have issues coagulating. Also, if i remember correctly, the level of calcium has an effect on coagulation.

I used to make paneer and ricotta on a regular basis (usign lemon juice, not proper ricotta) but I don’t usually have time anymore. I used to make lasagna with homemade everything (noodles, cheese, sauce, veggies)

I was making a bunch of microwave mozzarella last year but haven’t in a while.  Here’s a tip: don’t even bother with rennet that’s past its expiration date.

Yes, same brand and I’d add about an eighth of a teaspoon of calcium carbonate. It was always pasteurized milk.

I originally used some out of date rennet, but replaced it with new stuff. I’m not sure that helped much. It was like 1 out of 4 batches I dumped.

huh, well that about exhausts my cheese making troubleshooting abilities  :smiley:

I thought this was an extension of the regional sayings thread.  I’m at work “making the cheese” right now.

My girlfriend has been eyeing the cheese making supplies as the LHBS last few times, I’m trying to be very encouraging but it’s gotta be her thing.

We make cheese quite a bit in my house. Just simple farmer’s cheese, that we usually put fresh on top of some Poutine, with a good helping of gravy. We use Mark Bittman’s method in his book How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. It is really, really easy. Just bring a pot of milk (doesn’t have to be unpasteurized or non-homogenized) to a simmer, once you see some bubbles coming up, cut the heat, and pour a quart of buttermilk into it, and stir it thoroughly. Then, pour it through some cheese cloth, and squeeze until you get the consistency you want (it will be hot). Bittman’s book is wonderful, so I would recommend looking it up. Simple, and delicious though.

-Kyle

You know Poutine in Illinois?  Wow, I’m seriously impressed.

Oh, man I love Poutine, but I’ve never been to Canada, or had the real thing (so I suppose I may be doing it wrong). My girlfriend and I wanted to make something for the last Winter Olympics, and thought Poutine was the perfect dish. It is really good, and what’s not to like? Fresh cheese, gravy, fries. Grab a beer, put some curling on, or hockey, and I’m in heaven.

Cheers,
Kyle

this actually highlights my one brush with non-vegetarian food. A place in Burlington VT, Nectars, does fries with gravy and/or cheese sauce and I would on occasion gorge myself on that. In my defense, I was usually under the influence of one or another substances. It was highschool after all. And Vermont is NEARLY Canada. ;D

Mmmmm poutine.  My friends are from outside Montreal and had talked about getting Poutine when we visited them.  I had no idea what it was but to me the name Poutine doesnt sound like it would be fries cheese and gravy.  Poutine is delicious.  We have something similar in Jersey called Disco Fries.  There have been many a drunken night in a diner eating Disco Fries.  I havent had either in such a long time…Im am so hungry for some now.

Cheese is definitely something I would like to make soon.  Add that to the long list of everything else I want to make myself.

I just bought the “Au Pied de Cochon: The Album” cookbook and will be trying my hand at the foie gras poutine soon-ish. Are there any recipes out there for JUST cheddar cheese curds, like what you would use in Poutine?

I think, for curds you just stop prior to the cheddering step (where you repeatedly cut the hardening curd into slabs and stack them)

after you get curds to form and you cut them into little chunks, just let it drain some, package and age a bit.

If anyone has a recipe to make Cotija cheese, please share. My wife and I love this stuff.