Free Making Artisan Cheese by Tim Smith

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Mini Fan
    This optional aid will discourage the formation of mold in the refrigerator, and will evenly distribute humidity. Set it in an area away from the cheese, close the door on the cord, and plug it into an outlet.



Cheese makers guard their cheese trier as if it were made of precious metal, and for good reason. This simple stainless-steel tool is used to extract a small sample of cheese from the center of the wheel, so that the maker can taste it to judge its ripeness.

Intermediate Cheese-Making Techniques

Culturing the Milk
    This is the first stage in the cheese-making process. Also known as acidifying, the procedure entails adding the starter to the milk at the proper temperature and letting the culture grow. It is important that the milk is at the proper temperature and that this temperature is maintained throughout the process. The best way to assure this is to heat the milk in a hot-water bath (the kitchen sink works best). In general, the water needs to be ten degrees higher than your target temperature.



Additives to the Milk
    After culturing your milk, it is time to add any of the additives required. Typically these include calcium chloride, annatto coloring, or lipase. When adding these to your milk, they need to be diluted in ¼ cup (60 ml) cool water so that they are distributed evenly throughout the milk. Make sure that you stir the milk for a minute after adding them.

TOOLS
Cooking pan, or double boiler
Cheese thermometer
Stainless-steel stirring spoon
Colander
Cheese cloth
Catch bowl
Cheese press
Curd knife
Cheese board
pH testing strips, or electronic reader
Ripening cave (dedicated refrigerator)
Refrigerator thermostat
Humidistat
Cheese mold
Cheese follower
Cheese wax or butter muslin for banding
Two drying mats
(plastic or bamboo sushi mats)
Ripening box (a plastic food-grade box with
sealing lid, or a large zip-close plastic bag)
Catch pan
Cheese film
8" x 8" (20 x 20 cm) baking pan
Molds

Renneting
    No matter what type of rennet you use (dry or liquid), it needs to be diluted for even distribution throughout the milk. Use ¼ cup (60 ml) cool, unchlorinated water. (Read the labels of bottled water to be sure it is unchlorinated.) If you are using rennet tablets, let them sit in the water for forty minutes before use.
    The milk must be at the temperature stated in your recipe before adding the rennet. Rennet is effective between 68°F and 122°F (20°C–50°C). When adding the rennet to the milk, gently stir in circles and from top to bottom, for about one minute. If you are using raw milk or non-homogenized milk, you will need to top-stir as well. This method entails using your spoon and stirring the top half of the pot. In these types of milk, the cream rises to the top, and top-stirring assures an even distribution of rennet. Cover and wait the recommended time—in most cases thirty to forty minutes.

Checking for a Clean Break
    After you have allowed the rennet to work on the ripened milk, you must check if your curds have reached the right consistency before you cut them. Too soon, and they will be mushy, and will lack the body necessary to successfully make cheese. Too late, and they won’t cut cleanly. The best way to gauge curd development is to look for a clean break. This is done by placing your finger (make sure it’s clean!) into the curds at about a 45 degree angle and pulling upward. If the curds lift, and break around your finger, then the curds are ready to cut. If they do not break, wait a few minutes and try again. Instead of your finger, you can use a knife, but you won’t get the feel of the curds.

Artisan Advice
It is important to cut cheese curds as close as possible to the size that the recipe calls for. If you have different-sized curds, some will turn out drier and others moister, which can lead to problems with the acidity of your cheese as well as its texture. Take your time when cutting curds: You only get one chance