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Difficulty Heating Milk for Cheesemaking?

16/08/2022 By Gavin Webber Leave a Comment

Previously I’ve used a double boiler method for heating milk during the cheese-making process. It was hard work maintaining the correct temperature and there was always some drift up or down the scale which is not ideal. Additionally, it does not induce the state of calmness that one needs to maintain during a session.

Although I’ve been making cheese at home since 2009, I cannot honestly say that I’d perfected a method of heating milk during cheese-making and keeping it at a constant temperature during the entire process using a double boiler until now. Well, now I believe I’ve cracked the code. I use a precision cooker!

Precision Cooker is a Useful Tool!

I recently discovered an easy method of heating the milk using my kitchen sink and a precision cooker (aka Sous Vide cooker). I was so excited that I made a video about the entire process. https://youtu.be/uDCTTJjVjyQ

Perfect, maybe?

Now, is it perfect? Well, as perfect as it can be for the home cheesemaker without costing the earth. I tend to set the temperature one or two degrees celsius higher than required. This is due to the heat loss from the metal sink and convection lag between the water bath and the milk. It’s not an issue and is easy to account for during the process.

Also, the divider between the two sinks is just narrow enough to screw the precision cooker to without it moving. Our sink only holds my 15 Litre / 4 gallons stockpot with enough water flow to surround it. If I need to make a larger batch of cheese, I would get a bigger pot and use a large plastic tub to hold the water. To aid in water flow underneath, I sit the pot on a trivet.

Recommendations

Originally I purchased an Anova brand precision cooker. It worked okay but emitted a high-pitched whine that was irritating beyond words. It also came across in the audio of my videos, so it was a show stopper for me and I had to stop using it.

However, I then found the Inkbird ISV-200W Wi-Fi Precision Cooker. No noise and about 2 times cheaper than the Anova precision cooker. It has all the same features and works as expected without any fuss. I also control mine via the Android/iOS app that you can download for free.

It can be set to Celcius or Fahrenheit and you can get the Australian/New Zealand ISV-200W version here or the US/Canada ISV-200W version here.

I’ve used mine for about two years now without issues and highly recommend it to anyone wanting to take home cheese making to the next level with this set-and-forget heating tool!

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DISCLAIMER: Links included in this post may be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my work.

Filed Under: Hardware, Milk Tagged With: Heating milk, Precision cooker

What is the Best Cow’s Milk to use for Cheese Making?

28/08/2017 By Gavin Webber 5 Comments

Cow’s milk is processed in many ways, so what is the best cow’s milk to use for cheese making at home?  I get asked this question all the time on Ask the Cheeseman, my YouTube Q&A show.

No Access to a Farm?

Well, because many don’t have access to the farm gate for the ultimate in raw milk, I have produced a video tutorial explaining what cow’s milk is easily obtainable from major supermarkets and is okay for cheese making.


When in Doubt, Add Calcium Chloride

Don’t forget that if you know the milk has been pasteurised then please remember to add the equivalent amount of Calcium Chloride as you do Rennet to the milk.  This will encourage better coagulation of the milk into curds and whey.

So just to recap for cow’s milk;

  • Pasteurised/Homogenised milk with a fat content of at least 3.25% is okay.
  • Pasteurised/Unhomogenised milk is much better with a fat content of at least 3.25% or higher.
  • UHT or Ultra-pasteurised milk will not set a curd, and
  • Skimmed milk is useless for making cheese.
  • Lite milk Pasteurised/Homogenised with a fat content of about 1.5 to 2% fat is okay to augment your milk if your recipe calls for lower fat e.g. Parmesan.
  • Half and Half, which is usually about 10% fat is too high for cheese making.

For cream;

  • Thickened cream contains thickeners or gelatine which affects curd set
  • Double cream with ~51% fat is too thick and difficult to incorporate back into the milk
  • Single Pure cream that has about 45% fat and is pourable, should be perfect for cheese making if your recipe calls for additional cream.

I Can Get Access to Farm Milk!

Well, that’s fantastic.  Just make sure that you can trust the quality of the milk and that you can transport it home at 4°C/39.2°F.  Use it within 2 days from milking for the best result.  If you are not sure about the milk quality then be sure to pasteurise your own raw milk using the Low Temperature/Long Hold method which you can learn about at Dairy Technologist.

What do you think?

Let me know what you think is the best cow’s milk to use for cheese making at home.

Do you have a favourite brand or dairy that you source your milk from?

Filed Under: Ingredients, Milk, Video Tutorial Tagged With: Raw Milk

LGC058 – Starter Culture Substitutes

02/03/2017 By Gavin Webber Leave a Comment

In this week’s episode, I answer a question from Phoenix about substituting different types and brands of mesophilic starter cultures.

Listen to the episode below... (00:21:48)
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  • LGC058 – Starter Culture Substitutes
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OTHER QUESTIONS ANSWERED DURING THE SHOW ARE;

  • Tom asks why he has bubbles in his cheese just after pressing
  • Bob has issues with his Jarlsberg and collapsing eyes,
  • Fadion has problems with raw milk and curd set, and
  • John wants to know if you need to use Calcium Chloride after Low Temp, Long Hold Pasteurisation.

ASK A QUESTION FOR THE PODCAST

Don’t forget that you can leave a voicemail message that I will answer and feature on the show.  Just remember that I cannot answer them straight away, so please don’t expect an instant reply.

This podcast is sponsored by Little Green Workshops where you can pick up cheese making kits and supplies.  We stock a large range of cheese making gear and ship to Australia and most countries throughout of the world.lgw-email-header

Until next time Curd Nerds, Keep Calm and Make Cheese!

Filed Under: Milk, Podcast Tagged With: Podcast, Sanitisation, Starter Cultures

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Podcast Reviews

  • Love it. Keep it up!
    February 12, 2022 by Corknip from Denmark

    Excellent podcast. Started the home making adventure last month and have been catching up on all the past episodes and YouTube videos. it is a gold mine of shared knowledge. Thank you!

  • So funny!!!!
    June 15, 2020 by purple quaqamale from United States

    Little green cheese is so funny

  • Great podcasts
    June 14, 2020 by Chrissy Curd Nurd from Australia

    I’ve just started cheese making at home,Gavin ‘s podcasts are so informative. I also watch his you tube tutorials. Thanks for your great work!!

  • An excellent guide to artisan cheese!
    January 14, 2020 by N.K.13 from Australia

    I recently became aware of Gavin’s lovely YouTube channel and podcast and it’s been incredible. His competence and comprehensive explanations leave you craving more. Much like a good cheese! Cheers Gavin!

  • Perfect for Cheesemakers of all levels!
    December 3, 2018 by Viki Leeasa from Thailand

    I love that this podcast does not just have helpful tips and tricks on cheese making, but also stories and news from the cheese world, as well as nice little anecdotes from the host. A big fan from Thailand!

  • If you think you want to make cheese, listen to this!
    November 30, 2018 by paulsaw from United States

    Gavin Webber’s Little Green Cheese is By Far the best podcast I have ever heard! A truly informative and quality production!

  • Great program
    October 9, 2018 by p37dg9q14 from United States

    Very informative and enjoyable podcast. I started at episode 1 and currently listening to 25. I’ll be giving cheesemaking a go in the next week. Mike J from Oceanside CA

  • Great podcast
    September 13, 2018 by nicole_elias from Australia

    I have a long commute to and from work and have worked my way through the back catalogue of these podcasts. Enjoyed every one of them and hope for many more to come. Thanks Gavin! Keep up the great work. Cheers, Nicole

  • Excellent!
    September 3, 2018 by emeldridge from United States

    Looking to take up cheesemaking sometime soon and this channel has provided all the information necessary to get started!

  • Great Resource!
    August 28, 2018 by olivestones from United States

    I have been learning to make cheese for the past year. Gavin's podcast and video series has been a tremendous resource for me. His love for the cheese-making craft is evident in the amount of research he will perform in order to answer a listener's cheese question. All thumbs up for the amount of time and energy he puts into his quality podcast! ...And he cracks me up with his attempts at pronunciation!

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