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FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
 All your common questions about making cheese at home are answered here...
Why should I make cheese?
Increasingly people make cheese because of the real cost benefit to them and the fact that they are in charge of their food making process. Public awareness on product ingredients and a desire for quality organic food has catapulted cheesemaking back into popularity.
Is cheesemaking easy?
Cheesemaking is not difficult to learn and providing you have the correct ingredients you will make good cheese.
What is the main ingredient for making cheese?
Milk of course! You can use any milk type, cow; goat; sheep; buffalo etc. What you must be aware of is the difference in fat content of each milk type as this does affect the formation of the cheese.
If you would like to use raw milk then check out
http://www.facebook.com/FindRawMilk. Or you can contact the Weston A
Price Foundation at www.frot.co.nz/wapf/wellington.htm. Weston A Price
maintains eleven chapters in NZ and through one of their local chapters
it is quite possible that you will find a local source of milk. This
keeps your costs down and the milk is delicious
What are the other ingredients required for cheesemaking?
- Culture which is the cheesemaking bacteria that is added to milk to assist in making the cheese. We are conscious of the needs of home cheesemakers and you can start off cheesemaking using the small 1Unit sachet which covers up to 100 litres milk. Then as a more experienced cheesemaker you can purchase the larger sachet sizes which give greater milk coverage
- Dairy free Culture is available for the cheesemaker who wants to use a non-animal based milk such as Soy milk
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Rennet or renin which is used to coagulate and set milk. Rennet
can either be plant based vegetarian rennet or a liquid rennet
extracted from calf enzymes.
What equipment is needed to make cheese?
Our advice is always start simple and if you like your cheesemaking come back and purchase what you want. You will need:
- Double boiler - which is one pot placed inside another
pot. Use what you have in the kitchen but please be sure to have a
stainless steel inner pot. If you place your pot directly on the stove
you will scald the milk.
- Long handled knife to cut the curd
- Draining cloth which can be muslin or chux cloth
- Thermometer for temperature control
- Sieve and stirrer.
- Cheese molds - again improvise with what you have in the
kitchen to start with but it is definitely easier nd more satisfying to
have a couple of cheese molds on hand.
If I do not have farm milk what do I purchase?
Your own farm milk is the best. If you live in the country you may be able to source milk and purchase to the legal limit permitted.
We maintain a contact list of raw milk producers and if you want to source a local supplier please contact us
When purchasing milk from a supermarket buy full cream non-homogenized milk to obtain a richer, creamier cheese.
Homogenized milk, UHT long life milk and soy milk can make cheese that does not require rennet but tends towards a low fat cheese. Dried milk can also be used but you may have to add in cream to improve the ability of the milk to produce a better cheese.
How much milk do I use to make cheese?
- An average amount of ten litres milk produces approx 1kg hard cheese, four good sized camembert or four feta cheeses
- 5 litres milk would equate to approx 0.5kg hard cheese and 500gms feta or fresh mozzarella
- 2 litres milk will produce approx 500gms cream cheese
- Do not forget that you can obtain fresh ricotta from the whey produced when making your main cheese
Should I pasteurise milk?
If you are using raw milk then it is sensible to pasteurise for health safety reasons. Recent legislation in NZ does permit raw unpasteurised cheesemaking.
Can I experiment with different types of milk?
If you feel confident with your cheesemaking then it is possible to mix milk types and increasingly calf, goat and sheep milk is being mixed to produce interesting and unusual new cheeses
What is whey?
Whey is the watery substance which separates from milk as cheese is
being made. You can make ricotta cheese from whey. It is also
excellent for baking, soup making and even nurturing roses -
Elizabethans used it as a skin cream but perhaps this type of
application is not so popular these days!
How long will it take to make cheese?
This depends on the complexity of the cheese you are making. The cheesemaking process should take 3 - 6 hours. It takes time for curd to drain but you can go off and do something else while this is happening but remember to sterilise your hands before you start again.
Why should I use calcium chloride?
If you are using milk that has been pasteurised or homogenized then the calcium content may have been adulterated. Calcium chloride assists in "firming" curd.
What do I do about unwanted mold on cheese?
If you have unwanted mold growing on the surface of the cheese you can either wash with a cloth that has been soaked in boiled, salted water or white vinegar or you an cut out the offending mold and mold regrowth should occur.
I'm having problems with brine salting, what should I do?
If a cheese, eg feta is too salty you can place it in some milk which will help draw out the salt. If you have a slimy cheese surface you can add a little vinegar to the brine to counteract this problem.
Why is there a cracking rind on the cheese?
This may have been caused by brining in excessively salted warm brine.
How do I manage temperature control when ageing or ripening cheese?
You can use a wine fridge with temperature control. A simple method is a chilly bin with a rack on the bottom. Or you can make yourself a simple cheese safe using untreated timber.
When can I eat my cheese?
This depends on the type of cheese that you have made. Ricotta, feta, mozzarella, fresh goat cheese can be eaten the following day. Brie and camembert take about four to seven weeks to mature and semi/hard and hard cheese takes several months to mature
What happens when I get stuck?
We all know what that means! Curds & Whey is here to help you with your cheesemaking and are always delighted to help with any queries that you may have.
The most important thing is to enjoy and feel comfortable with your cheesemaking so please contact us if you would like some further advice.
Do we want Home Cheesemakers participation?
Yes we do. If you have problems, queries or want to pass on general advice and tips to other cheesemakers please contact us and we will make sure that this information is added to this FAQs page for everyone's benefit.
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