How do you make cheese? (Part One)

How do you make cheese?

When I introduce myself as a cheesemaker, this is the first question I get. And the problem is, that there's no short answer. 

What kind of cheese do you want to make? Soft? Creamy? Hard? Like, really hard?

Most of the cheeses that I make fall into two categories, hard and semi-hard. Hard cheeses are like cheddars, gloucesters, leicesters, jack cheeses. Semi-hard cheeses include gouda, colby, jarlesberg and edam. 

Why do I make these cheeses? I find them simpler to make and I can age them without a lot of fuss. Naturally I would like to branch out into softer cheeses but not now. Lemme finish school and crack open that dissertation cheddar, then we'll talk. Okay? Okay.

I have plans to do videos showing how I make cheese. We'll see if I ever get organized enough to do it, but for now, here's a rundown of what to do.

Step One

Find a recipe for the type of cheese you want to make. The internet is a wonderful place and google is your best friend. There are also full on cheesemaking websites and forums. 

Step Two

Read the recipe and make sure you have not only the materials needed to make the cheese, but the proper equipment in which to age it in. I stated earlier that I find semi-hard and hard cheeses easier to make; however, they have to be aged in a special refrigerator if you live in a hot humid place. Cheeses age at certain temperatures, about 12 degrees Celcius or 54 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a basement that stays cool year round, that could probably work but this is super important.

Also, some cheeses but not all cheeses require you to add a starter culture. You can buy such cultures online (heck, you can buy cheesemaking kits) or you can make a strategic decision to make a type of cheese that doesn't require a starter culture (these cheeses will be fresh cheeses that won't last as long). You will also need rennet for many cheeses. Rennet is what turns your milk into curds and whey. Again, not all recipes require rennet, but many do. You can purchase some here. 

Step Three

Carve out time to make your cheese. For me, on cheesemaking day, I start in the morning and I don't always finish until the evening. Not all of that time is active work, but I have to plan carefully if there is anything else that requires my time.

Step Four

Sterilize your equipment and make sure your workspace is suitable for making cheese. 

Sterilizing your equipment doesn't require anything fancy. For your pot that you will be placing the milk in, simply boil water in it for 15 minutes. For any other materials you will be using, measuring cups, measuring spoons, a whisk, a knife, a mat, cheesecloth. Put those into the pot before you set it to boil. The steam and boiling will kill any germs. Another handy piece of equipment to have is a squirty bottle full of vinegar. Spray it on your hands before you work (after you've washed them) just to make sure no lingering molds on your hand get onto or into the cheese.

However, sterilizing isn't the only thing you need to worry about as far as keeping your workplace a safe place for making cheese.

Confession time: I haven't made any cheese in a couple of months. Why? Because of this guy.

This is Hamilton. He has a lot of fur.

Don't trust that cute face. This guy is the reason there have been no new editions into my cheesecave and until he has stopped blowing his coat, no cheesemaking for me.

But now that your equipment is in order and your work place is sterilized and ready to go, you can finally start the making your cheese. Be on the look out for part two of this post coming soon.