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Author Topic: Cheese and Cheese making  (Read 28261 times)

Offline MrNate

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Re: Cheese and Cheese making
« Reply #135 on: November 19, 2010, 02:37:38 pm »
Yes... It's a little inaccurate because the horizontal dowel on top that pushes down on the follower would actually go through the center of the CF springs, and you might actually need 2 or more such dowels to get enough springs on to provide the needed force.

Or bigger springs, I guess.
« Last Edit: November 19, 2010, 02:40:38 pm by MrNate »
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Offline tubercle

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Re: Cheese and Cheese making
« Reply #136 on: November 19, 2010, 03:19:09 pm »
Sweet Caroline where the Sun rises over the deep blue sea and sets somewhere beyond Tennessee

Offline MrNate

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Re: Cheese and Cheese making
« Reply #137 on: November 19, 2010, 05:12:34 pm »
I doubt I'm the first to think of it. Besides, if I patent anything now it's just one more thing for the attorneys to fight over.
“If one's actions are honest, one does not need the predated confidence of others, only their rational perception.”

Offline euge

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Re: Cheese and Cheese making
« Reply #138 on: November 20, 2010, 11:56:08 am »
Bluesman- when you get your copy of Home Cheese Making would you describe the illustrations? I'm wondering if it has any photos.

I downloaded a sample to my Kindle and it looks OK. The illustrations look fine, but in my experience photos do not.

The other problem with the ebook is that I like to thumb through this type of instructional, and that experience is a bit different on a KIndle. But the device is pretty versatile so maybe I ought to just "jump in". ;D
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Offline bluesman

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Re: Cheese and Cheese making
« Reply #139 on: November 20, 2010, 06:20:10 pm »
Bluesman- when you get your copy of Home Cheese Making would you describe the illustrations? I'm wondering if it has any photos.

I downloaded a sample to my Kindle and it looks OK. The illustrations look fine, but in my experience photos do not.

The other problem with the ebook is that I like to thumb through this type of instructional, and that experience is a bit different on a KIndle. But the device is pretty versatile so maybe I ought to just "jump in". ;D

Here ya go...it's the whole book on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Home-Cheese-Making-Recipes-Delicious/dp/1580174647/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290302302&sr=8-1#reader_1580174647
Ron Price

Offline MrNate

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Re: Cheese and Cheese making
« Reply #140 on: November 20, 2010, 11:21:34 pm »
Doing my first mozzarella tomorrow!

Pizza is on the menu. Now if only I made my own pepperoni...
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Offline tubercle

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Re: Cheese and Cheese making
« Reply #141 on: November 23, 2010, 08:16:46 pm »
Doing my first mozzarella tomorrow!

Pizza is on the menu. Now if only I made my own pepperoni...

 Well? ??? ??? ???
Sweet Caroline where the Sun rises over the deep blue sea and sets somewhere beyond Tennessee

Offline MrNate

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Re: Cheese and Cheese making
« Reply #142 on: November 23, 2010, 09:42:25 pm »
Well, it turned out pretty good. Hard to pull when it's so hot, and I had to keep dunking it in hot water and pulling a lot. All in all, and this is kind of hard to admit, but it was completely not worth it for mozzarella. I suppose mostly because I have to bootleg raw milk across the border, and it ain't cheap to start with. I was also surprised by how little cheese you get out of a gallon, although I guess it makes sense. Anyway, I can see myself making aged cheeses, but as it stands I probably paid about $20 and a couple hours of time for something that retails for $2.50. And honestly, I couldn't really tell the difference.

Also, I discovered that we don't have a cheese grater with big holes, so I ended up pulling it apart like string cheese.

The crust turned out pretty well this time. I got some tossing tips from a friend who used to work in a pizza shop. So the crust turned out really thin, but I let it rise, so it ended up like a thin crust on bottom but with a big, puffy outer crust.
“If one's actions are honest, one does not need the predated confidence of others, only their rational perception.”

Offline tubercle

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Re: Cheese and Cheese making
« Reply #143 on: November 23, 2010, 10:13:51 pm »
  I started with mozzarella and feel about the same way. A lot of effort and hot hands! It is fun to see the process though. My 9 year old grandson was simply amazed and I got to impress on him that shredded mozzarella does not come from the grocery store in a plastic bag, someone actually makes it. Try explaining that a chicken tender from McDonalds was once a living creature and check out the open mouth and blank stare.

   The aged cheese is what I enjoy also. Wanting to do a big Parmesan if I can hide it for a year or two ::)

To me its just like beer. The process is most of the fun plus I can make what can't be bought. All the spices and peppers and such can be included to make something truly unique.

 I've made a gouda style several times with garlic powder and a dash of liquid smoke. I love it when I give out a small sample and the taster's eyes get big and exclaim "What the Hell is that?". Priceless.  ;D

 Goes good with crackers too. 8)

 Glad your crust turned out OK. Been struggling with that.
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Offline MDixon

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Re: Cheese and Cheese making
« Reply #144 on: November 24, 2010, 06:37:19 am »
I got hot and heavy into cheesemaking a few years ago. It's not as easy as it would seem and you do sink quite a bit of money into it per pound and a chunk of time. In the end I've shelved the equipment and just buy what I want.

FWIW - you can do the easy mozz recipe (surely it can be pulled up on the web) in about a half hour IIRC. Ahh, found it...
http://www.cheesemaking.com/store/pg/21.html
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Offline ryang

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Re: Cheese and Cheese making
« Reply #145 on: December 01, 2010, 09:12:56 am »
Smoked some cheeses for thanksgiving a week prior and then smoked some more on thanksgiving day to serve with dinner.

Extra-sharp vermont cheddar (week-old was better received -- had more complex smoke character.  freshly smoked was intense)
Whole Milk Mozz (my favorite.  didn't have any week old.  the fresh was amazingly smokey)
Mahon (again, the week-old had the majority vote.  very good cheese.  2nd favorite)
Raw milk manchego (didn't absorb as much smoke as others -- hypothesis nearly proven about smoking hard cheeses versus soft cheeses. still a very good cheese)
Provolone (week-old nabbed the majority vote.  good cheese, nothing spectacular.  we had the most of this left over.)
3-yr aged Gouda (darn fine cheese to begin with.  smoking didn't do too much - again on the hard vs soft cheese smoking hypothesis.  this cheese went quick.  subtle smoke.)

Should have taken some pictures.  Week old smoked cheeses were smoked in my grill at about 55F.  Thanksgiving day cheeses were smoked in my parents garage at about 15F (it was -13F outside and didn't really want to smoke in the barn or house).  Not the purest of experiments, but it was neat to see the differences in the week-old vs freshly smoked cheeses.

I got my father-in-law hooked too.  He smoked his first the other night, some muenster.

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Re: Cheese and Cheese making
« Reply #146 on: December 04, 2010, 09:24:29 pm »
What kind of wood did you smoke with? 

Offline beerocd

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Re: Cheese and Cheese making
« Reply #147 on: December 05, 2010, 06:29:04 am »
I got hot and heavy into cheesemaking a few years ago. It's not as easy as it would seem and you do sink quite a bit of money into it per pound and a chunk of time. In the end I've shelved the equipment and just buy what I want.

Good learning experience though. First you know more about the cheeses, probably appreciate them more this way. And the prices probably seem a lot more reasonable to you now, knowing what goes into making it in terms of time, ingredients and equipment.
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Offline ryang

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Re: Cheese and Cheese making
« Reply #148 on: December 07, 2010, 07:49:56 am »
What kind of wood did you smoke with? 
A "supermix" - blend of maple, hickory, apple, cherry, and oak.

Offline euge

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Re: Cheese and Cheese making
« Reply #149 on: December 27, 2010, 08:04:51 pm »
Think I'll skip dinner and go right to dessert. Got apples and dried fruit, some jam etc. Oughta be nice on water crackers.

The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis