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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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00:21:48
  • 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

How to Sanitize Your Cheese Making Equipment

21/01/2016 By Gavin Webber 1 Comment

Cleanliness and sanitization go hand in hand before you start your cheese making session.  But how do you ensure that you sanitize without using harmful ingredients?  In this post, I am going to show you a greener way to sanitize your cheese making equipment.

Make sure that you clean every item in hot soapy water first, then rinse off with clean tap water.  Make sure there isn’t any oils or cheese stone on the surfaces of your equipment.

Once all your cheese making equipment is clean, then it is on to the sanitizing stage.  For that, all you need is boiling water and white vinegar!  Check out the YouTube video for full details.

 

Pretty simple and all without the use of bleach or iodophor.  For all your plastic molds and baskets, just spray with white vinegar and allow to dry.  That will take care of most bacteria or yeasts.

All it takes is a bit of common sense.  If or when you are unsure whether a piece of equipment is not clean enough, then go through the process again to make sure it’s okay to use.

I’ve been using this method for years, with no issues, or contaminated cheese.  I have also not had any cross contamination when using different starter cultures and moulds between cheese making sessions.

Sanitzing your cheese making equipment

There’s just one caveat.  If you intend on selling your cheese, then to ensure compliance with any regulations, you will need to take your cleaning and sanitization to the next level.  There are different rules and regulations in each country or state, so make sure you contact the relevant regulatory body for more information if you want to take the next step towards the commercialisation of your cheese making operations.

However, for the home cheese maker, my simple process to sanitize your cheese making equipment is fine for home consumption.

For more tips about cleanliness and sanitization check out this post titled 4 Sanitization Secrets Every Home Cheesemaker Should Know.

Filed Under: Hardware, Video Tutorial, Workshops Tagged With: Sanitisation, Technique

4 Sanitization Secrets Every Home Cheesemaker Should Know

05/10/2013 By Gavin Webber 8 Comments

Cheese making at home is fun and a rewarding hobby, so why would you want to spoil things by being lax with hygiene?  Have you ever asked yourself these three questions?

  1. Why is my cheese looking bad?
  2. Why does my cheese have an off smell?
  3. Why do I felt sick after eating my cheese?

Well if you have ever thought this, then chances are that you need to be more diligent with your sanitisation techniques before and during your cheese making process.

Let me share four simple rules that I use to sanitize my cheesemaking equipment before every session.

4 Sanitization Secrets Every Home Cheesemaker Should Know

1.  Wash your hands! – Often we touch the milk, curds, and whey during the cheesemaking process, so we must ensure that our hands are thoroughly clean. Soap and water is one of the easiest way to remove bacteria from our hands.  Just make sure you get under your nails, clean under any rings that you cannot remove, and wash the back of your hands as well.  You would be surprised to find that many people don’t remember this simple step.

2.  Boiling – Boiling is a great way to kill bacteria that may be lurking on some of your equipment.  At the start of each session I fill my cheese making pot with roughly 1 litre (1 qt) of water, place in my large stirring spoon, whisk, curd knife, sushi mats, dairy thermometer, and cheesecloth.  Then I bring the water to a boil and keep boiling for 15 minutes, not a minutes less.

3.  Sanitizing – A weak bleach (sodium hypochlorite) solution is the preferred method of sanitization for things that cannot be boiled.  Other plastic items and your colander can either be soaked in a Milton solution made up in accordance with the instructions on the bottle, or in a weak household bleach solution.
Mix up 40 ml (2 Tablespoons) of liquid household bleach (4% to 6% available chlorine) to four litres (1 gal) of potable tap water and soak all your equipment for 5 minutes. Remove and rinse well with cold potable water. You can also wipe down any work surfaces and your sink with this solution to ensure a clean environment.

4.  White Vinegar (5% acetic acid) – Alternatively, for a more eco friendly method, you can fill a trigger bottle with white vinegar to spray your work surfaces and sinks if you do not wish to use bleach. You can also spray your hands with vinegar before handling any curd or pressed cheese to avoid mould and yeast contamination.  Just be aware that vinegar is not as effective at killing anti-biotic resistant bacteria as a bleach solution is.  Which is okay, because most antibiotic resistant bacteria are found in hospitals, and not your kitchen!

So when you start your cheese making session with a clean area, hands, and tools, you stand a better chance of producing a superior cheese.  The last thing you want to do is risking the health of your friends or family.

Following these 4 sanitization secrets will put you one step closer to that perfect cheese!

Warning: Do NOT mix bleach and vinegar as it creates chlorine gas.  Use them in separate bottles as per Dawn’s advice in the comments below.

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: Sanitisation

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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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