[Kevin67]

Since when did Mrs Bee ever need permission? 

Besides - it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.... 

[Beetroot Queen]

As a non cheese eater I really enjoyed it too. Thanks Kate

[Kate and her Ducks]

Thanks for the comments

This morning before work I removed it from the muslin and press and put it into a vat of heavy brine. For some reason those pics wouldn't load and I now can't find them but will try and find where they went. This evening it will come out of the brine and then dry at room temperature overnight.

From start to finish (eating) will take a couple of months but most of that is ageing which is just flipping it over in the fridge every couple of days. In terms of actual work making it it is done over 2 days and most of the attention is on the first day. Some cheeses are pretty quick and easy. Some take more attention and this is a bit more involved than most of the ones I do.

As to the goat Mrs Bee, just remember you need at least 2!

[Annen]

How do you make your starter culture?

Bumping this just in case you missed it!

[Kate and her Ducks]

Oops sorry I knew there would be something I forgot!.

I buy my starter cultures but the main one I use for most of my cheese you buy, add to milk and incubate. I then pour it into ice cube trays and then you can just take out what you need when you need it. When you get to the end of them you just add one to more milk, incubate and repeat. Eventually you will get impurities etc and will have to start again. Not all cultures can be incubated on so some I buy as I need, especially things like the mould for making blue cheese etc.

[sunshineband]

Thanks for all this Kate. It is incredibly interesting and you set it all out so clearly 

I can see parallels with making paneer, but your product must last much longer

[Annen]

Thanks Kate.  I used sour milk, and I would imagine it would be quite easy to get stray cultures developing in milk left to go sour on the back of the bench at home.

[Kate and her Ducks]

Yes, there are also lots of bacteria in raw milk that can be both beneficial and harmful but generally unpredictable.

And I have to separate cheese making and bread baking by at least a day as the yeasts can contaminate the milk, make it holey and affect the flavour. I don't bake very often since I started cheese making but the bread thread is making me really miss making my own!

[Kate and her Ducks]

I can see parallels with making paneer, but your product must last much longer

I did make paneer when I first started, it was one of my first cheeses. It didn't turn out too well and the OH congratulated me on making the goat version of tofu! Think I am getting gradually better. I started with a great book called Making Artisan Cheese at Home by Mary Karlin. It starts with nice easy recipes and moves through to intermediate and more advanced cheeses.

[Kate and her Ducks]

Here's the missing pictures.

Undressing the cheese.



Brining the cheese.

[Beetroot Queen]

Amazing
Brilliant job, I have to ask will you be sharing that huge block of cheese or will you eat all of that. 

I am used to cheese in a tiny block for the older kids

[RJR_38]

It's fascinsting! And has made me think about yet another area of food I could one day experiment with (along with sausage making and smoking). How long would a huge cheese like that last?

[Kate and her Ducks]

It's one of those funny things. Kept complete it will keep and mature for months but once broken into it starts going off, well at least stops improving very quickly so needs eating up.

If my family and neighbours don't eat it, it lasts about 3 minutes in the coffee room at work.

[snowdrops]

Do you or are you able to sell it Kate? I should imagine there are a whole raft of legislations if you do sell. It looks lovely, how long will you refrigerate it in your wine cooler before cutting in to it?

[Mrs Bee]

Since when did Mrs Bee ever need permission? 

Besides - it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.... 

Correct, I don't need permission, but ours is a relationship in which we discuss everything and both have to be happy with our decisions.

I have only just got him to come round to the idea of chickens for meat.

Kate, I think 2 goats would be too much for our garden. My great grandmother got one goat for the milk but love her the she turned out to be a he.  So they kept it as a pet.

However, you have started a truly inspiring thread here. And I am becoming more motivated to have another go.

Especially as I have the smoking well under my belt.  Got some brisket in the fridge for salt beef and pastrami and am considering trying some air drying.

Now my own homemade cheese popped in the smoker.......... Mr Bee wouldn't be upset about that so long as I buy the milk.

Your cheese looks simply amazing.