Our Fabulous Moosletter
April, 2016
Recipe
Recipe of The Month
Esrom Cheese from Denmark
Esrom cheese
Right now is the perfect time to make Esrom cheese! Jim chose it for the month of April because it's the perfect picnic cheese and it can be aged from 2 weeks to several months.

It used to be known as Danish Port Salut, because it's a semi-soft cheese with a wide range of flavor- from mild to pungent depending on how long you age it, how much you wash it and how moist you keep it.

This is a fun cheese to make because it undergoes a lot of changes as the surface molds develop during the aging process. In the end, you will decide what level of pungency you prefer- mild or "whoooeee!"  

Winner for March is Robert Edwards in Harrison, Michigan! Congratulations!

Want to Enter? It's Easy...
Anytime you place an order with us you'll be automatically entered to win one pound of cave-aged cheese from Murray's in NYC. The lucky winner will be announced May 1st.

If you don't win this month, there's still hope! We'll keep your name in our end-of-year Grand Prize Drawing for an extra special cheese basket!

Cheese of the Month for April:
Marc Freshman, our official cheesemonger (from Murray's) selects a fabulous cheese for the prize winner. This month he chose Bandaged Cheddar from Bleu Mont Dairy, in Wisconsin.

Bandaged Cheddar
Marc's Review:   
The man who makes it, Willi Lehner, is a personal cheese hero of mine, a cheese genius of epic proportions! He's a rebel who does things his own way and makes one of my all-time favorite cheeses - Bandaged Cheddar.

What makes his cheddar so good? It just fits my personal vision of what a sublime cheddar should be. Some cheddars turn creamy and melt in your mouth, which many people enjoy, but personally I don't want cheddar melting in my mouth - I want my cheddar super crunchy - I want to put some jaw into it.

I don't want my cheddar smooth and mild either, I want my cheddar rocky, jagged, crumbly, strong. When I say strong, I want to taste some earth, some soil. I want that rustic vibe that great cheddars have, the kind that transports you to the country.

Remember, I live in Manhattan, so when I taste good cheese, I want the flavor to whisk me away to another place, to the farm or to the creamery. I don't want to feel like I'm eating cheese on 6th Avenue, because I'm always eating cheese on 6th Avenue! I want to feel like I'm in the country, surrounded by animals and fresh milk. I want to taste where the cheese came from.

When you taste Willi's cheese, you can taste every step of that cheese's existence just from the flavor profile. On a scale of 1 to 10, this cheese is a clear 10. It's perfection.  
Beginner
Beginner Cheese Maker
Cheese Making 1,2,3
Learn all about the ingredients, equipment and process for making cheese at home. This beginner's guide will walk you through the process from start to finish.

Click Here to Start Learning

Beginner FAQ's
Learn all about the ingredients, equipment and process for making cheese at home. This beginner's guide will walk you through the process from start to finish.

Click Here to Start Learning

Cheese Making How-To's
Learn how to wax cheese, make a brine solution or even your own cheese cave plus much, much more. Please let us know if you'd like to see a new tutorial.

Click Here to Start Learning

Questions and Answers Questions
 Q    Holes in wax - I waxed some cheese for the first time this weekend. Unfortunately, pinholes within the wax are leaking oil/butter fat. Is this a problem? 

 A   Second coating - The pinhole problem is quite common and can easily be resolved by doing two coats of wax. The small holes are caused by air bubbles during the waxing process and when you apply the second coat, they get covered. The best way is to coat when the wax is at about 125 to 130° and then apply the second coat after the wax has cooled to about 100 to 110°F.

Your real problem may be what is leaking through the wax. Unless you have the cheese sitting in a warm area and it truly is butterfat, the problem is most likely that the cheese is leaking moisture caused by a late fermentation. This is normally caused by excessive whey containing lactose being left behind in the curds when molding. This can be corrected in future batches by stirring longer, increasing the temperature by a few degrees, and making sure you have added enough culture to the milk and ripened long enough to convert the lactose to lactic acid.

 Q   Using goat milkCan you give me more info on making mozzarella, with fresh goat milk?

 A   Tweaking the recipeThere are some changes you can make to the 30 Minute Mozzarella recipe. Whether that's necessary depends on the specifics of your milk. Some folks claim they have fabulous success and others say they have a hard time getting the stretch. A lot depends on the particular herd so it is hard to generalize, but here are some considerations:

Goat milk commonly takes less rennet, about 25-50% less.  

Raw milk is far more active, of course, and so it needs less culture. (This will be true of both raw goat and raw cow milk.)

Goat milk may require a lower temperature than cow milk in many cases.

Our mozzarella kit recipe is based on using standardized and pasteurized cow milk of normal butterfat %, usually from the store shelf because this is what most of our customers have access to. In using fresh raw milk, you will find that the requirements are different and this will largely depend on the protein/fat balance and calcium of your specific milk. You should note that this WILL change during the seasons.
 
The way to produce the best mozzarella using this fresh milk is to drop temperatures back to 86-88F before adding the rennet. This will form a curd that will retain more moisture. Minimal heating of this should be needed and you may find that 90-98F is sufficient.  You may even find that really good milk is almost ready to stretch at this low temp.
 
The point where the curds began to stick and get stringy is the time when the curds are almost ready to stretch.
 

 Q    Reculturing yogurt - I don't understand why I can't make yogurt with any of your cultures and keep reculturing from that yogurt.

 A   Not the same -  In terms of reculturing yogurt, the success depends on a few things:

The freshness of the made up batch of yogurt.  Any new batches should be made within a week of the yogurt making, otherwise the cultures begin to change in balance and begin dying back. I always advise folks to inoculate the next batch as soon as you open the jar of yogurt. Or, at least always do it from a fresh unopened jar (good idea to make one small jar for just this, but use within 7days).
   
The complexity of the culture used.  The Y3/Y5 cultures are more complex with more culture strains and it is difficult to get the same results from successive batches. The Y1 Bulgarian is a simple 2 strain mix (50:50) and I find it to be the easiest to re-culture with the same results.

The number of batches you can make with repeatable results depends primarily on your ability to use fresh yogurt and keep it at the correct temperature throughout fermentation, chilling ASAP following fermentation.  If you ferment too long, the yogurt becomes too acid and the culture becomes weak and less viable.
Do you have a question about cheese making?
Send it to info@cheesemaking.com 
Spotlight
In the Spotlight
Roller Derby Queen
Miranda Bradley
Toledo, Washington
Just when you thought you had seen everything, you found this - a roller derby queen who makes cheese!

By day, Miranda is known as Kizzma, Queen of the Rainy City Roller Derby Dolls, but by night, she drains curds to make cheese for her family.  (And they say you can't have it all!)

It was hard to get Miranda to sit still long enough for an interview, but her aunt (Cateland White of Las Vegas) managed to do it. She's a writer, so you won't want to miss her fabulous story about Kizzma, the Queen of the Roller Derby Cheese Makers!   
News
Cheese Making News
Bonjour from Pakistan

A couple of years ago, Imran Saleh (second from left in the photo at right) decided to take his cheese making hobby to the market in Lahore. (You will find several articles about Imran at our fabulous blog - A Better Whey.)

I'm sorry I was so busy that I could not be in touch. Many new developments happened during these months. A German friend (Claus) who is married to a Pakistani lady and living in Islamabad for 19 years, makes sourdough breads which are as unique in Pakistan as my cheese. He is my partner in sales for Islamabad where he organizes regular farmer's organic markets and now I am a part of it, too.

The best thing that has happened was when I was approached by a French diplomat who, in his words, was seduced by my cheeses. And, I was invited to lunch at a French club where many French (and an Italian) diplomats were gathered to meet me and to discuss cheese. (I guess when a Frenchman likes a cheese, it's a seal of quality.)

Now they are organizing a wine and cheese festival at the French embassy with my cheese stall! (Not to mention that the cafe and the other guests placed orders, too.)

Imran and his employees testin cheese curds
I remember your advice - I kept myself apart from giants and today I am gaining genuine popularity.   (He is referring to a time when a large corporation wanted to buy him out and we advised him to keep his business.)

I am on the go to change the eating habits of the people in Pakistan. On a small scale, I am already successful - even my kids are now more on bread and cheese than the heavy cholesterol meals.   
    
One thing more - I acquired a food license, my employees have medical certificates and my company is paying taxes now.

The first two pictures above are with the diplomats from the French embassy. The Italian ambassador was supposed to come but she had a sudden meeting, so she sent her secretary. I sent some cheese gifts to both the French and Italian ambassadors. Cheese is bringing such honor - it has changed my entire life.



It Takes a Village
From Ricki:
Baker Muwonge is trying to keep the cheese making tradition alive in his rural area of Baale, Uganda. He has worked very hard for many years helping the villagers sell their milk to have a small income for school and medicine. This has been a long hard, ingenious and selfless road.

In order to increase the sanitation of the area's milk supply, Baker invested his life's savings along with bank loans at 26% interest into a new milk processing and cheese making plant. Unfortunately, this was more than the small operation could afford at the time and the bank now wants to auction the equipment and foreclose on the dairy.

Sometimes ideas are more for humanity and less for profit. There are hundreds of families counting on the sales of their milk and I think we can help them. During my 38 years in business I have created a world wide community, a Village of sorts, and we have helped each other in many ways. If we as a Village can help this project, the lives of many would be greatly improved.

To find out more information about Baker and Seasons Dairy and to help in any way you can with his project - click here. When we offer help, it comes back to us in so many ways. Thank you for your heartfelt spirit.
Many Blessings, Ricki Carroll   
We'd love to hear from you!
Please send news & photos to moosletter@cheesemaking.com 
Ricki
Fun with Ricki
Ricki's Hospital Humor!
Our Cheese Queen loves creating events and changing the way people look at things. So, when her friend went into the hospital for colon cancer surgery a few weeks ago, she decorated his hospital room for the stay.

Everything was just a bit poopy there that day: poop pens and whoopee pies for the nurses and doctors, holy crap mugs filled with candy, a shoot the $hi# dart board for the door and a poo poo platter for the entire staff.

It changed the atmosphere for everyone involved, from caregivers to patients to visitors.  (Big belly laughter and joy equals a lot less pain for all.)

If you ever decide to lighten up the hospital experience for yourself or a loved one, send Ricki your photos. Or, if you want help, write to her at ricki@cheesemaking.com.  (She's been creating "hospital humor" for over 20 years and it all started with her own personal experience.)
Blog
Visit Our Blog
Classifieds
Cheese Classifieds
Place Free Ads Here! Send copy to ads@cheesemaking.com Your ad will be promptly placed in the classified section of our website. If received by the 15th it will also appear in the following month's Moos-Letter (like the ads below). To see full classifieds - click here
Announcements
Beginner and advanced cheese making workshops (and singing workshops) at the cheese queen's palace in Ashfield, MA, Sarah Carroll's home in Williamsburg, MA and Jim Wallace's home in Shelburne Falls, MA - (click here) 

Check out our fabulous blog with 466 posts (so far). Includes recipes, tutorials, interviews and all kinds of useful cheese making information (click here) 
For Sale
Entire cheeseroom for sale! Including MicroDairy vat pasteurizer 35/15 gallon liners; chiller; peristaltic tube pump; chart recorder; drain table; work table; display refrigerator, sinks; shelving; 5-10gal. milk cans, large freezer. $16,225. Over 150 cheese moulds available for additional $1500. Contact Kim at willowmoonfarm@gmail.com 

Home yogurt incubator, Carrefour HYM801W-12, comes with 8 glass jars, lids have dial to indicate date. Bought in France, uses 220 V, so an adapter/inverter is needed. $20. Home hard cheese press. Similar style as "Cheesy press" with PVC followers. Up to 50 lbs pressure. $50. Email dmhfsitems@gmail.com for pictures

Milky brand cream separator - 32 gallons per hour.
I didn't use it more than a dozen times. It just didn't make sense for the scale of my operation, but could be perfect for someone else. Asking $1250. springdalejerseys@gmail.com or call 207-342-5446

Brand new 150 gallon Groen steam kettle.
Located in Pulaski, New York. Email or call for more information or pictures. 315-408-8855 or michelleshirley66@gmail.com

Cheese cave temperature controller: A Penn brand/Johnson Controllers electric refrigerator/freezer thermostatic controller for cheese caves. Works very well. Purchased new last year for $80 plus shipping. Selling for $50 plus shipping. gadamsdvm@gmail.com

Full cheese making setup for sale: Includes: 150 gallon pasteurizer, 450 gallon cheese vat, 140,000 BTU boiler, cheese press, 3 bay sink, many cheese molds, walk in cooler, commercial fridge, various cheese tools/knives, too much to list. Asking $65,000 all included. Brandon: 301-697-8835

EQUIPMENT WANTED

Wanted: used home pasteurizer -  2-3 gallon capacity. gIllian.hadley@gmail.com 
  
Events
Cheese Events
Click on one of the event names below for more information
 
 4/16   Florida Cheese Festival / DeLand, Florida

 4/23   Dairy State Cheese & Beer Festival / Kenosha, Wisconsin

 4/24   Carolina Mountain Cheese Fest / Asheville, North Carolina

 4/30-5/2   South African Cheese Festival / Sandringham, South Africa

 6/2-5   Pine Island Cheese Fest / Pine Island, Minnesota

 6/3-5   Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival / Little Chute, Wisconsin

 6/11   Beer Cheese Festival / Winchester, Kentucky

 6/11   Virginia Cheese Festival / Blacksburg, Virginia

 6/11-12   Cheese & Chilli Cheese Festival / Christchurch, England

 6/17-18   Pinconning Cheese Town Festival / Pinconning, Minnesota

 6/25   Canton Wine & Cheese Festival / Canton, Pennsylvania

 7/2-3   Cheese & Chilli Festival / Basingstoke, England

 7/9   Little Falls Cheese Festival / Little Falls, New York

 7/9   Cheddar Cheese Festival / Adams, New York

 7/23   Finger Lakes Cheese Festival / Odessa, New York

 7/23-24   Cheese & Chilli Festival / Guildford, England

 7/27-30   American Cheese Society Conference / Des Moines, Iowa

 8/20-21   Cheese & Chilli Festival / Winchester, England

Good Milk List Milk
New England Cheese Making Supply
(413) 397-2012
info@cheesemaking.com
www.CheeseMaking.com

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