Starter kits.

[The_blue]

Morning all!

I'm after starting making cheese. I spotted this kit. I also want to make brie styler cheses. Would the combined kit on here be a good stasrt (plus the brie culture)
http://www.cheesemaking.co.uk/cgi-bin/w ... 7323_19809

or

http://www.ascott.biz/acatalog/Cheeseamking_Kits.html


Or what would i need to start making hard cheeses and bries?


Thanks all

2nd thought...

I've just priced up the basics, mould, rennet, matting, culture and cloth and thats about £25. I can make a press with little effort.

Also, does £15.50 sound a lot for a brie mould? At 230mm it's quite big, has anyone seen a camembert sized one?

[Richierich]

Don't Ascott do a small soft cheese mould that you could use for Brie.

I had an attempt at Brie a few years ago, home made mould from a Coke bottle. Rather than buying the culture I used a small piece of brie chopped up and mixed with the buttermilk before adding to the milk, it fluffed up nicely when out of the mould, only I don't think I got it into a cool enough place quick enough, it seemed to go very rip very quick, stunk the place out, produced a lovely rind though, was just very very strong, to the point of being inedible.

[The_blue]

Not loked at ascotts moulds but a coke bottle is ideal!

lol@ the smell.

[Richierich]

If you want to perforate the bottle section I can recommend a panel pin, but push it from the inside out, otherwise you leave a burr which ruins your cheese when you slide it out. Can also recommend the suggestion of using pizza polystyrene bases as a follower and a mat for the mould, the wife hates me improvising, but it saves money you figure out you like making cheese. Also depending on what you are making and temperatures etc. I can also suggest n aquarium heater in the sink with your milk in a bucket, makes a perfect water bath, good to around 30C, otherwise it would start to cook the fish.

[The_blue]

Thanks!

Have you any ideas where i can get simple step by step recipes for a starter hard cheese and a brie?

I've seen the Riks recipes but they aren't easy reading...

[mitchamus]

Someone said that PVC water pipe makes a good cheese mold for brie/camembert

Make sure you get the type that's used for drinking water!

You'll need to drill holes in it, and give it a sand.

[saucisson]

I've seen the Riks recipes but they aren't easy reading...

I've mostly used Rik's, here's another link for you to read though:

http://www.foodsci.uoguelph.ca/dairyedu/cheese2.html

Dave

[djrpowell]

Hi guys I am looking at having a crack at this as well now.

However, I want to do it on the cheapo!

I seem to gather that bascially all I need is milk & rennet. Then I can take a mould from a normal cheese from supermarket i.e brie or blue mould.

Do the steps with the milk get the mold into it.

Stick it in a mould.

Give it some time and off you go.

My question is looking at the kits, what do you REALLY need just to have a crack first time?

Also could I make wooden cheese moulds or simply take a plastic tub used for take away food, drill some holes and use that to start off?

Any ideas?

My list so far is...

1) starter mould
2) tub with holes
3) some type of cloth with holes in
4) blue mould etc.. from cheese from shop to "clone"


Thanks

Daniel