So you want to make cheese?

Some basics:  

Cheese making depends on bacteria to do its job, so it's necessary to make sure everything your cheese could potentially touch is squeaky clean. If it's not you could end up with bad bacteria multiplying and making your cheese smell bad and you sick. 

So with this is mind, all counters needs to be wiped with antibacterial spray, wipes whatever. 

All utensils; measuring cups, cheese molds, spoons, knives, pots... Need to be washed in hot soapy water. Some things you will want douse with hot water before use. To make extra sure it's sanitary. 

You will dip the cheese cloth in boiling water right before you use it. 

Cheese pots should never have had meat cooked in it. Just another random fact for your viewing pleasure. 

Unpasteurized non-homogenized milk is best. Now how legal it is to obtain this stuff will depend on your country of residence. Or just become real good friends with a farmer down the street. ;). If you're having trouble most grocery stores now carry low heat milk. This is pasteurized, but not to death. It also has not been homogenized (chemically altered to give the milk equally dispersed protein and fat molecules). 

The mesophilic culture is good for feta. This culture is good to 37 degrees Celsius. buttermilk is mesophistic and sometimes can be used to replace a culture. 

Thermophilic is in yogurt and can withstand hotter temperatures of 40+.  You can make your own culture, like in yogurt. 

Use left over whey for baking. Replace liquids in breads. Also all whey can make ricotta, just heat and add vinegar. It also can be used in the garden as fertilizer and chook food. For this add whey to grain and heat for a long period of time. 

What you need:

Double boiler

Measuring cup (with liters)

Spatula

Slotted spoon

Quick read thermometer

Cheese mold

Cheese cloth

Bowl

Spoons (mozzarella)

Extra pot (mozzarella) 

Lots of milk; like 10 liters

Rennet

Citric acid (mozzarella)

Salt (mozzarella) no iodized salt please 

Culture

Feta:

1- Sanitize counters and all utensils. 

2- Start the double boiler. Shake to milk mix well. Put 5 liters raw milk on double boiler. Continuously stir with thermometer. Add 1/8-1/4 tsp culture once milk is warm, but not up to temperature. Desired temperature is 32-34 degrees. At 31 turn off heat. 

4. Mix 1/2 tsp rennet mixed with a TBS room temperature water. 

5. Add rennet water mixture while stirring. Mix in well, quickly. Then stop movement of milk. Put lid on culture and let rest for 90 minutes. 

6. Check curd to see if it's set properly. It needs to have a clean cut.  So get your knife and test it. If it's firm cut away. If it's crumbling and has a raggedy edge let it set for a little while longer.  

Cut curd straight and side ways. Fold and cut for 15 minutes until small size and most of whey is forced out. 

7. Strain with cheese cloth over bowl. Save that whey goodness. Then place in cheese mold to strain for a little bit longer. Put weight on top and let stand for 24 hours. 

8. Cut, salt. Refrigerate for 24 hours. 

9. Brine, refrigerate for 2-3 days. Then eat as you want. Add oil or herbs as you like. 

Mozzarella:

Mozzarella doesn't require culture, just rennet. You can add lipase to give more flavor. 

1. Sanitize utensils and counter area. 

2- Start the double boiler. Shake to milk mix well. Put 2-3 liters raw milk on double boiler. Add 1/4 tsp lipase to the milk and mix well. Add a tsp salt and a tsp of citric acid. Salt adds flavor and citric acid adds ph. This is also what makes mozzarella stretch. 

Stir and occasionally check temperature. Desired temperature is still the same, 32-34 degrees Celsius. At 31 turn off heat.

3. Add rennet, same as feta, stir rapidly and well for a short period.  Set for 15-20 minutes. 

4. Cut curds sideways and top down. Heat on low to 40 degrees Celsius. While heating, gently break curds then applying pressure with slotted spoon to squeeze out whey and form one giant curd. Use hands to squeeze into shape after a time. 

Make an ice water bath to set mozzarella in for later.  

Mozzerlla can look different every time. Hard sometimes soft others. If the temperature of the water isn't high enough it won't stretch. 

5. Boil a separate pot of water to 60-70 c.  Put golf ball size piece in water. Move around with spoons until it starts to melt. Put on one spoon until it is heated through.

6. When heated through grab top of ball and stretch. This part hurts, I switched hands back and forth a lot. 

Continue heating and stretching, occasionally folding in half. Make sure you are constantly dipping cheese in the hot water, no matter how much your fingers hurt. Stretch and fold until smooth and elastic. Fold down and make ball into the palm of your hand. Place the ball in ice bath. Continue with all cheese curd. 

7. Eat within a day or two, or freeze them.