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LGC055 – Brining Time and Raw Milk Issues

09/02/2017 By Gavin Webber 1 Comment

This week’s show is full of questions from you the listener!

The main questions this week are about Brining times for Parmesan and Cheddar yield from 10 litres (2.6 gals) of milk.

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  • LGC055 – Brining Time and Raw Milk Issues
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OTHER QUESTIONS ANSWERED DURING THE SHOW ARE;

  • Randy asks how much yield do you get from 10 L of milk when making Cheddar
  • Carl asks if 12 hours is enough brining time for my Parmesan recipe?
  • Amanda asks many questions 😉 mainly about raw cow’s milk.
  • Rob asks if you can use an Aluminium post when making cheese.
  • Heidi wants to ask how to rescue a failed Butterkase (butter cheese).

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.

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

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Brine, Cream Cheese, Podcast, Whey Ricotta

Brine for Cheese Making

27/05/2016 By Gavin Webber 23 Comments

Salt is an essential ingredient in cheese.  It expels whey, slows the conversion of lactose to lactic acid and preserves the cheese.  It also adds flavour and helps form a rind.  The oft quoted “Cheese is milk’s leap towards immortality” would not be so, if it was not for salt.  Brine for cheese making is an essential ingredient in many cheese recipes.

There are two ways to add salt to the curds before maturing a cheese.  One method is to add salt directly to the curds during milling, and the other method is to soak the pressed cheese in a brine solution.  Cheese like Parmesan, Romano, Feta and Edam are soaked in brine so that the salt is absorbed and it preserves the cheese.  Others like to brine Caerphilly or Camembert.

So how do you go about making brine for cheese?  Well it is pretty simple.

Here are the ingredients;

Brine for Cheese Making

  • 1 Raw Egg (for testing density)
  • 2 Litres (2 qt) water
  • 450 gm (1 lbs) non-iodised Salt
  • 2 Tablespoons White Vinegar
  • 1 Teaspoon Calcium Chloride solution

This makes an 18% brine solution, which you will know is ready when the raw egg floats in it.

Warm the water to about 25°C (77°F) so that it absorbs the salt more readily.  When all the salt is added, stir until it is all dissolved.  Check for saturation by floating a whole raw egg in the brine and it should float.  If it doesn’t, then add a tablespoon of salt until it does float.  Here is a video tutorial that I created so you can see it in action;


I find that this is just enough salt, and the vinegar and calcium chloride stops the cheese from leaching calcium back into the brine.  I then reuse the brine as a washing solution on other hard cheeses to help inhibit mould growth.

Parmesan waiting for the brine to cool.

Just make sure that you cool to room temperature before adding finished cheese.  In fact it is best if both brine and cheese are at the same temperature.  13°C (55°F) is the best temperature at which to brine your cheeses.  I just place the container in the cheese fridge for the duration of brining.

How long do you leave it in the brine?  Well it depends on the density of the cheese.  A nice hard cheese like Parmesan needs at least 24 hours, however a 1.2 kg Gouda only needs 12 hours.  Ricki Carol’s cheesemaking.com site recommends the following:

“Cheeses of different densities and shapes will require varying times in the brine. A general rule is 1 hour per lb (450 gm). per each 1 inch (2.5cm) thickness of cheese. A very dense low moisture cheese such as Parma will need more time than a moist open texture cheese.”

If you like you can store the brine for future use in the cheese fridge and you can reuse it over and over again until it gets too cloudy.  Just before you brine another cheese, add another tablespoon of salt to replace that which was absorbed by the last cheese.

I hope this answers the well asked question of how to make brine for cheese making.

If you have a cheese question, I am more than happy to see if I can answer it.

Filed Under: Recipes, Video Tutorial Tagged With: Brine

LGC 037 – 7 Mistakes Everyone Makes With Cheese

09/02/2015 By Gavin Webber Leave a Comment

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During the show I talk about 7 mistakes everyone makes with cheese, and article in Business Insider Australia which I expanded upon.  I believe that my version is much better.

You can find the orginal article here; http://www.businessinsider.com.au/storing-and-serving-cheese-2015-2

I also promote the Canadian Amateur Cheesemaking Competition coordinated by Ian Treuer from www.muchtodoaboutcheese.com. Here are the details;

Competition in works for amateur cheesemakers

The cheese lovers who organize The Great Canadian Cheese Festival every June are planning to host the first-ever Canadian Amateur Cheesemaking Competition—possibly expanding the contest to include homecheesemakers in the U.S.The mission is to recognize and honour the best in amateur cheesemaking and to provide encouragement and feedback to home cheesemakers.

Would you be interested in entering your cheese for judging? You won’t personally have to be present to participate as you can safely ship cheese in a cooled box. Please indicate your interest by emailing Ian Treuer at competition@cheesefestival.ca. Ian, who blogs about his adventures as a home cheesemaker, is acting as Competition Co-ordinator. Check out Much To Do About Cheese at www.muchtodoaboutcheese.com.

Awards will be presented for best in each cheese division. Judging reports will be issued for each cheese entered.

The first amateur competition will take place this June 6-7 in conjunction with the fifth anniversary Great Canadian Cheese Festival in Picton, Ontario, two hours east of Toronto, three hours north of Syracuse, New York. Festival website: www.cheesefestival.ca.

I also answer voicemail questions about Rennet strength, Mixing Ricotta with curd from another batch, Cream cheese ingredients, Brining Feta without the sloppiness, and Basement humidity.

One of Ian’s many cheese creations.
Don’t forget that you can leave a question via voicemail using this link; https://www.speakpipe.com/Gavin_Webber

Don’t be shy, I love answering your questions, and without them there isn’t a show to record.

Until next time curd nerds, Keep Calm & Make Cheese!

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Brine, Podcast, Rennet, Ricotta, Storage

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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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