Have rennet tablets, will make cheese but need a lot of help

14 years ago

I finally found some rennet tablets from a town some 50 miles away. Went to pick some up yesterday. The guy said it would be better for me to start with Feta cheese. So I bought a bag of Feta cheese cultures as well.

This morning, I read the package and began to feel very overwhelmed. The cheese cultures is Choozit Feta A LYO 100 DCU. That should allow me to use 1,000 liters of milk... a lot of Feta for just the three of us. When reading it more closely I realized the BEST BEFORE date was 28 APR 2010! How is it possible for me to use up that much of cultures in such a short time?

I read the back of the package and couldn't make any sense out of it. This is what it said "Freeze-dried starter cultures: Despatch at ambient temperature for max. 2 weeks does not influence best before date. After receipt store at My next question is about milk. It seems like most Feta cheese recipes call for goat milk. How big a difference will it be if I use cows milk?

The information sheet the guy gave me talks about keeping the pH balance between the cheese and the brine. Do I need a pH dipstick for that?

This is another part I don't understand. On the sheet it says "Rennet: 3 g Renco powder/100 kg milk add when pH start moving or liquid rennet". I have rennet tablets. Do I need to crush the tablets into powder to do this?

I am feeling a bit overwhelmed right now. Will check out a book "200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes From Cheddard & Brie to Butter & Yogurt" by Debra Amrein-Boyes from the local library. I hope the book will help me understand a bit more on cheese making basics.

Meanwhile, will someone please tell me cheese making is not that hard. I hate to feel discouraged at the start.

Comments (10)

skeip
14 years ago
Check out www.cheesemaking.com. She has lots of good, simple, clear instructions.

STeve
althetrainer
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks Steve! Al
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My pleasure - haven't done this in quite a while and it brings a smile just to think about it. We made a good bit of yogurt too. The yogurt makers are really cheap in Salvation Army stores and garage sales and they are so great. We have two. Cottage cheese (this is from the Stillroom Cookery book, and I made it a few times) 2 qts pasteurized milk (bring to 85 degrees in a double boiler 1/2 cup sour milk 1/2 dissolved rennet tablet Stir this together gently. Cover and hold at room tep for 12 hours. Cut curd into 1/2" cubes and heat in double boiler slowly to 110 degrees F, stirring gently Hold 10 minutes. Then increase heat to 120 for another ten mins. Line colander with cheesecloth (or an old tea towel or pillowcase) and pour through. Rinse bag of curd in cold water (rinsing VERY important) then drain 20 mins. or so. Salt and season as desired, or add a bit of cream or sour cream. Cream Cheese (made this too - as in THE cheesecake) Heat 2 qts whole milk and 1/2 cup sour milk starter slowly to 85 degrees in double boiler. Hold at 85 for 30 mins. Cover and set in oven overnight. The following morning warm again to 85, add 1/2 rennet tablet dissolved, stir briefly aqnd allow to stand until a firm curd forms -- couple of hours. Dip off most of whey with a cup. Heat in another pan an equal volume of water to 180 degrees. Pour in curd, stirring gently. As soon as mixture reaches 130, pour through cheesecloth. Hang to drain. (Hanging is SOO easy. We hung a wire clothes hanger upside down on a nail on a ceiling beam in the basement, then it was easy to hang the ties if the cheese bag - we used clean shoelaces to tie up - on the "hook" of the hanger ) DO NOT WASH. After about 20 mins, empty into bowl. Add 1/4 tsp salt. Form into a cube to refrigerate. Mock Sour cream Heat 2 qts whole milk to 85 degrees (see a pattern here?) Add 4 Tbsp sour cream and 1/2 cup sour milk. Cover and let stand 8 hrs. Heat oven to 400 and allow clabber to set in oven for 3 mins. Turn off oven and let stand to separate. Drain off whey by pouring through cheesecloth. Do not drain dry or wash. Put immediately in covered container and let stand at room temp for 4 days. Fine for cooking. Cheddar cheese Warm 2 qts milk indouble boiler to 85 degrees. Add 1/2 cup sourh milk. Hold at 85 for 1 hour, stirring sometimes. Mix in 1/2 dissolved rennet table tand let stand at room temp (covered) overnight to form curd. Cut into cubes and agitate with a slotted spoon. Heat slowly to 100. (take about 30 minutes it's so slow). Drain by pouring off whey. Curd will be packed on one side of te pan. Tilt the pan on a knife handle so rest of whey will drain away - take about 15 minutes. Remove curd with a cup and make a mound on the counter, turning to express the rest of whey. Chop curd to size of rice and mix in 1 tsp salt. Cover with a towel and allow to weep. Transfer to a cheesecloth-lined coffee can with holes in the bottom. Insert lid and weights (4 bricks do nicely) and stand overnight. The next day remove cheese and rub with 1 tsp salt and return to press. Press again overnight. Remove cheese, rub again surfaces with 1 tsp salt and ry for 4 days at 60 degrees. Dip in paraffin to seal. Cure sealed cheese in crisper drawer of fridge for 6 mos. Makes 1/2 lb. Whew! Try those. Have fun!
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"How long did you do the cure/aging Jim?" Hmm. That's a somewhat embarrassing question. Most of it was deemed inedible and was discarded at a young age, but in my fridge there is a rock hard small wheel that is several years old. "Did you purchase a press or cobble one together?" I bought a cylindrical stainless steel container from a cooking supply store and drilled a lot of holes in it with a 1/8" drill. I cut a circle from a polyethylene cutting board to fit inside the cylinder and apply pressure. I weighted this down on top of the cheese. I have a screw mechanism for building a real press, but haven't gotten around to it. Might have to build a wood fired, outdoor pizza oven first. :-) "I haven't checked the health food store to buy milk...but wished that I had a dairy available for sure." Cheese works out to be as expensive as the milk at retail price used to make it. I understand that using dehydrated milk will work and reduce the cost. Haven't done that yet. Best would be to buy milk at the farm if you can. It takes a lot of milk to make a little cheese. It's not surprising that Jessy and I cited the same source for supplies. That company dominates the cheese making hobby. They have lots of information and every supply you could want. Jim
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Just a note. Grainlady uses powdered milk as I was reminded doing a search. She has bulk storage and cycles through it all. I have powdered milk, goat and regular in the freezer. Not bulk. We do not use much milk at all so never purchase as it goes off quickly. Powdered is handy to have. (I buy fresh for cheese). Buying a gallon for cheese making?, just pour off a 1/2 pint or pint for your brothers use. The quantity needed for cheese making is not at all like baking. A missing cup or so from a gallon does not really mater. (in my experience) This reminds me I need to purge my fridge freezer. I have a half gallon I intended to make some queso fresca a couple weeks ago. Bummer I never got around to it. I like to purchase the day of or day before to not be wasteful. Alex is really good and entertaining. he has a few videos preceding and visited Italy learning from pro cheese makers. He did fail at first, then paid attention. I did not have good videos when I made my first. I like to see it made live, not just a recipe and photos. I failed at first, then was determined and did not give up.
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We're widely traveled in Europe and lived there for a number of years. Without a doubt, the consistently NICEST people we've encountered have been the French. I've heard other travelers' stories (including from many Brits) to the contrary. I attribute my always happy and pleasant experiences, including daily life conducted in French, to the fact that when I'm in practice, I speak French pretty well. I've done business meetings in French, have made presentations and ran employee meetings in French, and have had many political and philosophical discussions in social settings in French. I'm comfortable and always understood. Locals in any country appreciate the efforts any foreigner has made to learn their language enough to be competent and respond accordingly. This one experience, which was in Paris, is the only time I've encountered anything like that and it was cute and also gentle. I've always thought of Paris as France's New York. People are harried, harassed, stressed, and that sometimes affects their moods, but almost always good natured and friendly. This guy was having a bad day. We've been all over the country and elsewhere, most people are less stressed. Just like in the US, outside of crowded city centers.
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jimster
14 years ago
Making cheese, at least making hard cheese, is not easy. Previous threads here about making mozzarella, cottage cheese, paneer and other soft, non-aged cheeses said those were not difficult. I jumped right in over my head and tried making cheddar two or three times. It was not successful. I expect to try again.

You need the book. The instructions you have are not enough. Unfortunately, even the book may fall short of giving enough detail.

It's usual to keep cheese making cultures in the freezer.

Feta is made from sheep's milk as well as goat's milk, but sheep's milk would be even harder to find and more expensive. Cost of milk is a factor in cheese making. Most of the feta I buy is domestically made from cow's milk and I think it's fine. For economic reasons, I don't plan to refine my taste. Already I can't enjoy any lesser blue cheeses than Maytag.

The New England Cheese Making Supply Company has a good web site with lots of info and everything you would ever need for making cheese. They are a good company to do business with.

Have fun!

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: New England Cheese Making Supply Company
jimster
14 years ago
Ha! I linked the same site as Skeip!

I just thought of another site, linked below, that I think you will really like.

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Fankhauser's Cheese Page
althetrainer
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks Jim! This one seems like a very good one. It doesn't try to sell me something. Every time I went on Vicki's site I thought I saw Richard Simons! LOL

Al
fearlessem
14 years ago
Here's a site that looks helpful with some very step-by-step instructions for feta...

Here is a link that might be useful: Making Feta
althetrainer
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks fearlessem! Interesting and informative site. By the way, I have checked out the book "200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes From Cheddar & Brie to Butter & Yogurt" by Debra Amrein-Boyes from the local library. Read the first chapter and now I am not so sure about making hard cheese in the future. Seems like it's pretty difficult to make hard cheese at home. For now, I will settle for cottage cheese and Feta cheese. Al
annie1992
14 years ago
Al, I haven't found goat's milk that isn't ultra pasteurized, so my culture is still stored safely in the freezer, as the guy at the cheese making supply store told me to do.

I've only done cream cheese, mozzarella, yogurt cheese and ricotta so far, I don't have the climate controlled environment to make truly hard aged cheeses.

I like Rikki Carroll's book, I got it for Christmas and it has clear instructions and many recipes.

Annie
annie1992
14 years ago
Oh, and I use liquid rennet, but I was told at the cheese making class that tablets of rennet should be crushed and dissolved in a small amount of water before use.

Annie
althetrainer
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks Annie! Think I am going to use cows milk instead of goat's milk. We have goat's milk here that's is not ultra pasteurized but it cost twice as much as cows milk.

The more I read about cheese making the more I realize I don't have the right equipment/environment to make hard cheese. I couldn't find liquid rennet anywhere. The rennet I got from this guy is Microbial which is free of animal products. Not that I am a vegetarian but this is the only type of rennet tablets he carries. It's good enough to make soft cheese. Based on my reading (so far) this type of rennet is not best to use in making hard cheese. Yes, he told me to dissolve the rennet an hour before using it. I still can't figure out about the "best before date" of the Feta cultures. I consider using the Feta cultures to make cottage cheese. If it doesn't turn out so be it. I have only two months before the "best before" date so I really don't have anything to lose.

Al

Have rennet tablets, will make cheese but need a lot of help

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skeip

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Have rennet tablets, will make cheese but need a lot of help

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