Cheese Making: equipment from the vat to the ripening room

Cheese Making: from the vat to the ripening room

Cheese comes together in clear steps: acidify the milk, set it with rennet, cut the curd, let it drain, mould it, press it and ripen it. Every one of those steps has a tool that makes the work clean and repeatable. We carry the equipment from Milky, along with the matching cultures, moulds and ripening products in the four subcategories.

Tools for cutting, draining and pressing

Once the milk has set, the gel is cut. The finer you cut the curd, the more whey runs off and the firmer the finished wheel turns out. For that there is the stainless steel curd knife for the vat and a lighter plastic one at 38 cm for smaller batches. After that the whey has to go: the cotton cheesecloth in a pack of three filters the curd, while the draining mats as a 2-piece set in 20x20 cm or by the metre make sure the wheel drains all round instead of sitting in its own liquid. Firm varieties need pressure on top of that. The cheese press drives out the last of the whey and gives the cheese a closed, even body.

Getting started, ripening, staying with it

For a first cheese of your own, a ready-made set is the easiest route. The hobby cheese making set with press brings the basics for cheese and yoghurt together, so nothing has to be hunted down piece by piece. After that, ripening decides the flavour and the keeping quality. A sponge for cheese coating helps you lay the protective layer on thinly and evenly, with no runs and no bare patches. Everything else sits in the subcategories: cultures and rennet for the start, moulds for the format, wax and coating for the ripening time, knives for the finished wheel.

Frequently asked questions

What do I need for my first cheese?
Milk, a culture, rennet, a thermometer, a curd knife, a cloth and a mould. A hobby set covers most of that in one package.

Why does my cheese turn out too soft?
Usually the curd was cut too coarsely or pressed for too short a time. A finer curd and more pressure give a drier, firmer body.

How do I clean knives, cloths and mats?
Rinse plastic parts in hot water, wash cloths and mats without fabric softener and dry them fully before putting them away.