# Fresh Cheese making



## Von Helman (Oct 31, 2009)

Here is our fresh cow cheese process that we make almost daily. There are many different types of cheese that can be made; here is one of the easiest and fastest ones to make that we use regularly to trade with and to sell.

First start with the fresh cow's milk, this is fresh from the daily milking within the hour. We take the milk from the small buckets and pour it into these larger 5 gallon buckets, with the dairy cows we have after giving away some of the milk we are still left with 2 ½ of these five gallons buckets each day. Then we place this in the refrigerator and let sit one day.

The milk we use each day when making cheese is milk from the previous day and we pull it out and begin the process










We remove the milk from the refrigerator and sit it next to the wood stove where the heat from the stove gently warms the milk. At this time rennet is added and the milk begins curdling, this is when you have to gently mix it a little by hand to be able to feel the consistency of the curd.










After you're assured of the consistency and you have stirred the curd off the bottom by mixing it you begin straining the liquid whey




























After you have separated as much liquid as possible this is what the curd look like



















What we have done to make it easier is was to sew a small bag of fabric that in the shape of pouch and when used will act as a filter


















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By hanging the pouch over the rim of the bucket and using the handle to hold it in place you can easily begin putting the curd in the pouch



















Once the curd is in the bag you use the actual bag as a strainer.


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## Von Helman (Oct 31, 2009)

Then you mash the bag and extract the excess liquid



















When the mashing is complete you simply drain the excess liquid (whey) into a bucket


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## Von Helman (Oct 31, 2009)

Once the whey is completely strained out you simply place the curd mix on the grinder plate



















Here is s close up shot










This is our "Modern" electric grinder that makes things easy, and these models are very affordable.










Ok, Ok I know what you're thinking; what if there isn't any electricity&#8230;

When there is no electricity you will have to have the "Back up" manual hand grinder, which we have two. Believe it or not this particular hang grinder is only about 5 years old, but is in rough shape from almost daily use.



















Here the cheese is in on the loading plate ready for the grinder










The simply load it into the hopper and begin grinding away





































Once you have run through the grinder you add a couple of tablespoons of salt

I am often asked why we put the cheese though a grinder and this is because when it's grinded into small evenly sized pieces it tends to mold more evenly when compacting into a mold. This is just something over the years we discovered and do.










Then you mash together the mix again mixing the salt into it evenly



















Now here is where ingenuity comes into play. Needing a round mold to shape the cheese we cut a piece of new PVC pipe. Wash it really well before using it and after each use and it makes for a great mold that the cheese doesn't adhere to.










Then using the mold push the mix into the mold and in a circular motion continue to pack it in tightly until you can't pack any more.


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## Von Helman (Oct 31, 2009)

Then after the mold is full and compacted place it on a table where you then take a piece of fabric and press over the top to give it one last press. This is done to make the top really smooth and make it more presentable.



















Then remove the cheese from the PVC mold and place it on a plastic tray. When the tray is full cover it with a cloth and place it in the refrigerator










Presto you're finished for today!

This cheese below was made the day before so this is what one day old fresh cheese looks like.










Your family will probably not consume this much cheese on daily basis so you can sell the remaining cheese to neighbors and others and make some money on the side, or use the cheese to barter with.

I posted the actual cheese making process itself but here is additional information .

We have 17 dairy cows, and as I mentioned they produce on average 10 gallons of fresh milk per day.

We have to keep the calves separated and away from their mothers or we won't have any milk in the AM. We trade and sell some of the raw milk and only use and process only one of the 5 gallon buckets per day.

When the milk arrives to the kitchen we strain and clean it, because during the milking process there is always some foreign object that gets into the milk like some straw dust or something of that nature.

I attached a picture of the simple strainer we use and we simply pour all the milk through this a little at a time to get it all cleaned. There are Nat's, dirt, and other debris that unavoidably get into the milk.










Once the milk is strained and cleaned then we put it inside the refrigerator where we have removed the lower shelf so a large bucket can fit inside.

We let it sit over night and let the cream come to the top. In the morning we then separate the cream leaving the milk.

Taking the milk we them warm it up on the stove and stir. At this time you add the rennet chemical.

After it has been warmed we simply set it in the chair next to the wood burning stove where the warm temperature of the room allows it to curdle within an hour.

From there this is where this picture process begins that I have posted above.

As for salt, only a couple of tablespoons

This yields about eight (8) cheeses this size

Your other question was what is done with all the Whey after separating it out.

We simply put it in another 5 gallon bucket and that bucket along with all the table scraps or anything else from the day that a pig will eat is then taken each morning to the pig pen where we have a slop trough and pour it in and feed it to the pigs.

This is instant FREE food that we use for the pigs, when the pigs are fattened we sell them for money or have a BBQ.


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## PrepN4Good (Dec 23, 2011)

Thanks for all the pix!! 

This is almost exactly what I do, only with store-bought milk (no cows here). But, it's pretty tasteless on its own, so I have to add something beside the salt, like garlic, chives, etc. Do you eat yours as-is...?


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## neldarez (Apr 10, 2011)

I sure do enjoy all of the pics. I've never made cheese and probably won't but I sure like reading how to do it!! Appreciate all of your effort and sharing with us.:2thumb:


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

Looks like a good process - moved to the recipe-share section as it is a little more fitting in here

Some day I will try my hand at making cheese, for now, I will just enjoy eating it!


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Hang on a minute now dont go ...... Just joking,, I have had an interest in making cheese ever since I saw Parmesan being made while stationed in Italy. The oldest DD works one day a week at a goat dairy and makes "Goat Soap" and several kinds of "Fresh" cheese and It is pretty good. 

Question, do you only eat the cheese fresh or it be aged into a storable product. I understand that the local yeasts, molds and bacteria are primary flavor components of aged cheese, unless you add a culture, so it can be unique to your region. 

I am pretty fond of the stronger types of cheese(Limburger included) and would very much like to pick the brain of someone who has made that kind of "Stuff".


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## Von Helman (Oct 31, 2009)

yes we eat this cheese as is. This cheese is a fresh cheese so its not like an aged cheese that can be stored for a long period of time. 

There is a cheese forum website dedicated to cheese making so if you're really interested then I suggest you read up on cheese making as its fun and you get to eat what you make.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Von Helman said:


> yes we eat this cheese as is. This cheese is a fresh cheese so its not like an aged cheese that can be stored for a long period of time.
> 
> There is a cheese forum website dedicated to cheese making so if you're really interested then I suggest you read up on cheese making as its fun and you get to eat what you make.


The cheese making is definitely on my list of things I need to "get smart" on. I do like the fresh cheeses and am going to add your process to my archive, great way to use surplus milk.

You cleared up one of the problems I always had when making the fresh, I didn't grind the curd and as a result, it didn't mold very well and the "cakes" tended to fall apart. Thanks

I have visited different sites on cheese making but was so overwhelmed with all the info, I just experiment on my own every now and then to see what I can come up with.


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## PrepN4Good (Dec 23, 2011)

Davarm said:


> You cleared up one of the problems I always had when making the fresh, I didn't grind the curd and as a result, it didn't mold very well and the "cakes" tended to fall apart. Thanks


Yes, that was part of my problem, too. It was impossible to spread or cut because it was too crumbly. The last time, I experimented with kneading in a little olive oil to give it some "body", which did help. :ignore:


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## md1911 (Feb 9, 2012)

Stupid question. Is it possible to use store bought whole milk to make cheese? I remember when I was a kid helping grandma make it but she always used milk straight from the cow. I do not have a milk cow but would like to try making cheese.


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## horseman09 (Mar 2, 2010)

Davarm said:


> The cheese making is definitely on my list of things I need to "get smart" on. I do like the fresh cheeses and am going to add your process to my archive, great way to use surplus milk.
> 
> You cleared up one of the problems I always had when making the fresh, I didn't grind the curd and as a result, it didn't mold very well and the "cakes" tended to fall apart. Thanks
> 
> I have visited different sites on cheese making but was so overwhelmed with all the info, I just experiment on my own every now and then to see what I can come up with.


Me too, Dave. I'd like to learn to make a good sharp cheddar if I could find the time.

Von, I don't know anything about cheese making, but I wonder if your cheese was put in a press for a few days then wrapped and refrigerated if it would store longterm like cheddar? I don't know any of this from experience -- just from what I've read. Thanks for sharing your cheesey wisdom!


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## mdprepper (Jan 22, 2010)

Could you dip it in wax to get a longer shelf life? What type/kind of cheese does yours resemble/taste like? 

I have only made mozzarella and we (meaning teenage son) ate it so fast I could never find out how long it would last


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## catsraven (Jan 25, 2010)

This thread will help with a lot of questions http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f78/cheese-making-101-a-6752/


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