Make a variety of cheeses in the comfort of your own home.
Cheese making can often be a labor intensive, yet rewarding, process. The simple steps of all cheese making are complicated by additions that radically alter the flavor of the cheese These additions include aging, allowing molds to form and allowing a rind to develop. Rind beer cheeses are basic cheeses that are washed in beer during the aging process, allowing edible mold to take root in the cheese, imparting powerful aromas and giving the rind a unique red or orange color.
Instructions
1. Heat a gallon of whole milk in a nonreactive pot. This brings the milk to the optimal temperature for forming curds. Frequently stir the milk to prevent it from scorching. Take the milk off the heat when it reaches 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Dissolve one tablet of rennet in a quarter cup of water. Use one tablet of rennet for up to every 5 gallons of milk used. Stir the mixture into the milk to separate the curds from the whey. Rennet can be obtained in most specialty cheese stores or can be ordered online.
3. Filter out the curds from the whey. Using a slotted spoon, scoop up the curds from the watery whey. Place the curds into bowl lined with cheesecloth. Wrap the curds in the cheesecloth and hang the package over a bowl or sink overnight. This will further separate the curds.
4. The next day, remove the cheese from the cloth and press it into the shape you desire using a cheese press. The press gives the cheese more solidity while filtering out any moisture. It also makes the cheese easier to cut after the process is complete.
5. Wipe the outside of the cheese regularly with a towel soaked in beer. Start out by wiping the cheese three times a day while turning it over. After a few weeks, bacteria will have set into the cheese and you can wipe down the cheese once a day or a few times a week, depending on how much bacteria you want on the cheese. Continue aging the cheese in this manner until you are satisfied with the taste.
Tags: curds from, curds from whey, from whey, separate curds, tablet rennet
