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Just did my first two cheeses last night. One a Lancashire, and one as a Stilton as per Riks recipes (forgot to put my starter Stilton in tho, so now have two Lancashire.. ...that's what happens when you are still at it at 1:30am )

Have been pressing them overnight to expel any whey, and they are looking good..and tasting like Lancashire as well. I'll give them a couple more days in the press/mould (read that as a large Tesco New Potato tin ) and I'll leave for another 5 days in the 'cave' before trying again.

I'm excited that I've got cheese....just about to brew some lager....more excitment than I can handle in this house for a sunday morning!


Mike.

I couldn't wait and removed one of the cheeses from its mould.

As this is my first time I'm keeping the other in it mould for a couple more days, just to compare texture so I can get a feel for it.

Here it is in it's glory!





I'll get around to doing a Stilton this week, after I have created space in my cellar for the beer, wines and cheeses. I'm at risk of becoming fat alchoholic

Well done...looks the business

Well it certainly wouldn't look amiss if it said Heinz around the edge !

You can clearly tell what the mould was

Here are a few more images....I tasted it today, and is far, far better than any supermarket cheese I have bought, and, it is only 3 days old. Why didn't I do this years ago??

Cut Cheese close up for texture




Cheese Mould & Follower




Cheese Mould & Follower "Extension" to get Weights Pressing On Follower




Full "Heath Robinson - (B&Q, Le Crueset)" Cheese Press

Note: Water in pans for additional weight

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All the whey just runs into bottom of bucket and it is easy enought to take the pans...ahem, Cheese Press Weights off and pour the whey into sink.

I apologise for the overly large pictures, I'll reduce the camera resolution next time

Now for some Stilton.


Mike

Mike

You can resize and optimise your pictures online at http://webresizer.com

Hope this helps

Phil

Thanks Phil,

I should have checked beforehand....looks like the Attack of the Monster Cheese on my laptop screen.

I did reduce the camera resolution, but obviously not enough.

Looks very good. Be warned, cheese making is addictive! If you go to France the very large tins of confit make excellent cheese moulds for larger cheeses.

Jen

Hi Jen,

You are right, this cheeemaking is addictive...I'm getting a couple of Stiltons done tomorrow, and probably a couple more Lancashires at weekend. Looking into Parmesan as well.

Cheesemaking Addict - sounds like something from a Wallace & Gromit film....Cheesemakers Anonymous meetings etc..


Mike.

Thanks for the fantastic pics
LOL, main problem is running out of room for the cheese, unless one eats them fast

Look awesome, surprised u got it out of the tin in one piece (the ridges).

Here is as good as anywhere.

My first go at (a fermented) cheese yesterday. A blue - generic? As it was a recipe from the mob that sent me the culture and mould spores. No specific type.

It is non-compressed, just it's own weight. I also had to use three different shaped hoops, as well as one other being 'free-form', so it will be interesting to see how the differing sizes and shapes effect maturing time and taste.

Slarti wrote:It is non-compressed, just it's own weight. I also had to use three different shaped hoops, as well as one other being 'free-form', so it will be interesting to see how the differing sizes and shapes effect maturing time and taste.

It's in good company: Stilton isn't pressed either.

Phil