Little Green Cheese | Cheese Making At Home

Prompted by a voicemail from Wayne, I talk about how to add herbs and spices in cheese.  From chilli, sage, red and green peppercorns, to cumin and caraway seeds, you can add a lot of variety to your cheese above and beyond the traditional recipes.Today we cover for following questions;Denis asks about thermostats and whether you can use them for cooling and heating.Brian asks how much salt to add to the Farmhouse Cheddar recipe.Richard thanks me for providing all the free cheesemaking information on this site.Christie asks how to combat a wet cheese fridgePoppy asks if a cheese fridge needs to be so stinky that the cheese smell sticks to your clothes!Celine asks what to do with her Stilton after the four days of turning is over.ASK A QUESTION FOR THE PODCASTDon’t forget that you can leave a voicemail message that I will answer and feature during the show.  Just remember that I cannot answer them straight away, so please don’t expect an instant reply.Support the show! If you would like to support the podcast

Did you know that there are ways to ripen your cheese depending on the type of cheese you make?  During this episode, I cover the four main ripening process classifications and describe them in detail.They are;Bloomy-rind & interior mould-ripened cheeseWashed rind cheeseNatural rind cheeseWaxed rind cheeseCheese news centres on the global oversupply of dairy products and the Cricketer Farm in the UK.Q&A this week is about;Saganaki cheeseMaturing CaerphillyIssues Ripening CamembertASK A QUESTION FOR THE PODCASTDon’t forget that you can leave a voicemail message that I will answer and feature during the show.  Just remember that I cannot answer them straight away, so please don’t expect an instant reply.Support the show! If you would like to support the podcast and YouTube channel so I can make new and interesting cheeses and cheese related content, then please support me via Patreon.SPONSORED BY…This podcast is sponsored by Little Green Workshops where you can pick up your cheese making kits and suppli

Today I step through the six different cheese classifications.  I sourced this information from the very good cheesemaking resource titled The Cheesemaker’s Manual – Margaret Peters-Morris.  It’s more technical than I usually read for home cheesemaking but it has many hard-to-find recipes within its pages.The cheese classifications that I step through are;Fresh unripened cheeseRennet coagulated fresh cheeseSoft ripened cheeseSemi-hard washed cheeseHard cheese, andWhey cheese.You can watch how I make whey ricotta in this video tutorial.The cheese news is about FireFly Farm converting to renewable energy to power their cheese making operations.  Dear to my heart as I am the proud owner of a 2.8 kilowatt solar PV systems, so you could say that my cheese making is also powered by renewable energy!The Q&A is about curd temperature during making Caerphilly, Pot types, and issues making 30-minute Mozzarella.ASK A QUESTION FOR THE PODCASTDon’t forget that you can leave a voicemail message that I will answer and f

Colin Giddy is a home cheesemaker from Morrinsville, New Zealand. He describes his inspiration for making cheese, how he has made many different types of cheese, and some of the challenges that he has encountered along the way.Here is a little bit about him in his own words;“A Little History of UsLinda and I started making cheese after watching a program called Country Calendar on TV. A Lady called Biddy Fraser-Davies was showing us how she makes cheese everyday from just a couple of jersey cows.I thought WE CAN DO THAT. We have the milk. In fact we tip out more milk each day on the farm than we can use. I work on my 1 of my sons share-milked farms. We have 2 farms side by side where we milked about 400 cows. I was milking in one cowshed and he in another.So I looked for someone to teach me how and found a lady called Jean Mansfield who held cheese making classes from time to time in a small town called Katikati. So off I went and did a 1 day introduction to cheese. That was about 6 years ago. I started to co

This week I have an interview with home cheese enthusiast, Darren Aldridge from Box Hill in Melbourne. He has been making cheese since 2013 and has a few different types under his belt.ASK A QUESTION FOR THE PODCASTDon’t forget that you can leave a voicemail message that I will answer and feature during the show.  Just remember that I cannot answer them straight away, so please don’t expect an instant reply.Support the show! If you would like to support the podcast and YouTube channel so I can make new and interesting cheeses and cheese related content, then please support me via Patreon.SPONSORED BY…This podcast is sponsored by Little Green Workshops where you can pick up your cheese making kits and supplies.  We stock a large range of cheese making gear and ship to Australia and most countries throughout the world.Until next time Curd Nerds, Keep Calm and Make Cheese!Support the show

The food standards are changing here in Australia, and commercial cheese makers will be able to make a wider range of raw milk cheese.  I play an interview with Tom Ross from the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture who explains the changes to the regulations.You can read the original article here; http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-03/raw-milk-cheese-regulation-changes/6066280I also talk about two new cheese making products that I have developed namely a DVD and an External Cheese Fridge Thermostat.  These two products have consumed most of my spare time in the last two weeks.  I never thought that making a DVD, with menu structure, would be so time-consuming!For those of you in Australia, here are the links to those two products;Keep Calm & Make Cheese DVD – Volume 1External Cheese Fridge ThermostatDuring the latter half of the episode, I answer listener questions about camembert, cheese making in Thailand, Traditional Mozzarella, and an innovative way to heat your milk. ASK A QUESTION FOR THE PODCASTDon’

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-2015-2I also promote the Canadian Amateur Cheesemaking Competition coordinated by Ian Treuer from www.muchtodoaboutcheese.com. Here are the details;COMPETITION IN WORKS FOR AMATEUR CHEESEMAKERSThe 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

Welcome back to Season 2 of the Little Green Cheese Podcast.I hope you had a great holiday break and are ready for another season of podcast episodes about cheese making at home. During this episode, I talk about what I was doing over the summer break, which included making zero cheese due to the heat here Down Under, but I did manage to build an eCommerce store that now sells cheese making kits, supplies, and equipment for Australian customers.  You can find it at www.littlegreenworkshops.com.au/shop/Also during the show, I answer four voice mails and thirteen email questions! ASK A QUESTION FOR THE PODCASTDon’t forget that you can leave a voicemail message that I will answer and feature during the show.  Just remember that I cannot answer them straight away, so please don’t expect an instant reply.Support the show! If you would like to support the podcast and YouTube channel so I can make new and interesting cheeses and cheese related content, then please support me via Patreon.SPONSORED BY…This podcast is

A choc-o-block episode for you this time around.I talk about how my cheese fridge is holding up after about a year of use, and how I have found the stability of the temperature and the relative humidity.I also introduce my new line of Cheese Making Kits, equipment, and ingredients that I have on www.littlegreenworkshops.com.au.  This is the main reason that I have not been podcasting very much over the last month.  My apologies, but it takes a lot of man-hours to develop and create an e-commerce website.The news spot is about Shepherds Purse Cheese in the UK winning an award.  You can find all their cheeses at https://www.shepherdspurse.co.uk/Questions this week cover ripening boxes, why do you need to add Lipase to Italian cheese, and brown/orange mould on Caerphilly.ASK A QUESTION FOR THE PODCASTDon’t forget that you can leave a voicemail message that I will answer and feature during the show.  Just remember that I cannot answer them straight away, so please don’t expect an instant reply.Support the show! I

Did you know that there are three types of coagulation in the cheesemaking process?  Well let me enlighten you in the episode that covers the basics of coagulation and tips for getting your curd to set just right.This weeks news is a cheese-making resource that I recently stumbled upon.  ChannelCheese.tv is a television show that airs on TVS44 in Sydney.  Hosted by Alison Brien, the show travels around the world to look at different artisan cheesemakers and how they make traditional and not so traditional cheese on a small scale.  Worth having a look at.I played a part in an episode that featured Justin Teller from Bangalow Cheese Co, Byron Bay NSW, which has since changed names to the Byron Bay Cheese Co.  He made a very interesting and gold medal-winning washed rind cheese.We also have a voicemail from Søren in Denmark whose question was featured in Episode 32.  He has been experimenting with iodised salt in his cheese making.  He has produced some interesting results.  Below are some of the cheeses that he

This week I have a special guest, my daughter Amy who talks about her experience during my very first Mozzarella workshop many years ago. I also answer questions about waxing, humidity, moulds, aging of camembert, and leaf-wrapped cheese.Also, a call out to Ian Treuer who’s cheese-making blog “Much to do About Cheese” is quickly becoming a knowledge base for the home cheesemaker.I also announce that the second edition of Keep Calm and Make Cheese has been published and is now available at my eBookstore.  It contains four new recipes and three additional video tutorials for you to enjoy.ASK A QUESTION FOR THE PODCASTDon’t forget that you can leave a voicemail message that I will answer and feature during the show.  Just remember that I cannot answer them straight away, so please don’t expect an instant reply.Support the show! If you would like to support the podcast and YouTube channel so I can make new and interesting cheeses and cheese related content, then please support me via Patreon.SPONSORED BY…This pod

This week's topics are Cheese body defects such as mechanical holes, dryness, or too much moisture in your cheese.  I offer solutions on how to remedy these common issues.The news comes from Madison, Wisconsin, USA.  One artisan cheesemaker has decided to stop the production of one of his raw milk cheeses due to unclear FDA regulations.You can read the transcript at this link; http://www.channel3000.com/news/cheese-production-suspended-over-fda-regulation-concerns/27647370Listener questions include one from a mother/daughter (5-year-old) cheese making team of which I am very impressed!  There are other questions about iodine in salt, ageing of smaller cheese, automated curd stirrers, pressing anomalies, and turning frequency.ASK A QUESTION FOR THE PODCASTDon’t forget that you can leave a voicemail message that I will answer and feature during the show.  Just remember that I cannot answer them straight away, so please don’t expect an instant reply.Support the show! If you would like to support the podcast

This weeks feature is a review of the podcast that appeared in episode 90 of the Reaction Podcast by a couple of non curd nerds!  Just be forewarned that there is swearing during that 5 minute segment, but if you can handle it, then it is well worth a listen just for the laughs.The news clip is from ABC Rural News and is about Lyndall Dykes who is the owner of The Cheesemaking Workshop.  She teaches mainly around the north coast of NSW.Listener questions this week are about the target temperature of the milk during cheese making, how to set the external thermostat from heat to cold mode, whether a normal small bar fridge will suffice as a cheese cave, and a couple of replies to YouTube comments.Links mentioned in the show;My cheese making kits (only delivered to Australian customer)Reaction Podcast by Matt and BeauLyndall Dyke’s The CheeseMaking WorkshopLGC Cheesemaking Video Tutorials on YouTube.ASK A QUESTION FOR THE PODCASTDon’t forget that you can leave a voicemail message that I will answer and feature d

During the show I talk about the importance of sticking to the recipe.Please forgive me if I sound a little harsh, but it is very important to not vary too much from the recipe.  Otherwise, how are you going to repeat that amazing taste four months down the track especially if you deviated too much and didn’t record your changes?This weeks new is from Tasmania.  Ian Fowler comes from a very long line of cheesemakers and is making cheddar style cheeses in the Bay of Fires on the east coast.  I play an audio clip from an interview he gave on the ABC. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-22/bay-of-fires-tasmanias-smallest-cheese-company/5572612I also answer questions about using the correct milk for the right cheese method, why you should wax your parmesan, and talk about butterfat yield from different types of cow.ASK A QUESTION FOR THE PODCASTDon’t forget that you can leave a voicemail message that I will answer and feature during the show.  Just remember that I cannot answer them straight away, so please don’t

SSo where do rennet and lipase come from and how are they sourced?  I think you may be surprised at the answer.During this episode, I cover the types of rennet and lipase, and how they are manufactured for cheese making.  Yes, before you ask, there is a vegetarian option for both enzymes!ASK A QUESTION FOR THE PODCASTDon’t forget that you can leave a voicemail message that I will answer and feature during the show.  Just remember that I cannot answer them straight away, so please don’t expect an instant reply.Support the show! If you would like to support the podcast and YouTube channel so I can make new and interesting cheeses and cheese related content, then please support me via Patreon.SPONSORED BY…This podcast is sponsored by Little Green Workshops where you can pick up your cheese making kits and supplies.  We stock a large range of cheese making gear and ship to Australia and most countries throughout the world.Until next time Curd Nerds, Keep Calm and Make Cheese!Support the show

Salts function in cheese making is this weeks topic.  I also talk about types of salt and what is the best to use in cheese making at home.This week’s news feature is from ABC Radio National titled “The push to use raw milk in cheese production”.  It is an audio clip that features Will Studd of Cheese Slices fame talking about the benefits of raw milk cheese.The rest of the clip can be found here; http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/bushtelegraph/raw-milk-cheese/5601944Listener questions featured during this show were about when to add calcium chloride to your milk, Penicillium Roqueforti cross contamination, how to mature your Colby and stop blue cheese from going runny, and can you use goat milk with the recipes in Keep Calm & Make Cheese eBook.I also apologise to Trausti who I called a woman in Episode 26.  He is all that is man, and took it all in good humour (thankfully!)  How embarrassed did I feel when I received his email the day after the episode was released.  Podcasting is such fun ASK

Today we learn about Kosher cheese from Dovid Wheeler in Israel.  I first started corresponding with Dovid about a year or so ago, and he sent through the Tzafatit recipe that I posted back in January this year.During the episode, Dovid describes the cheeses that he makes at home, successes, challenges, and some issues that he has had with the milk that he sources.If you want more information about Kosher cheese making, the great news is that Dovid blogs over at Koshercurds.com where you can find a wealth of information on the topic.Links mentioned during this episode;Dovid’s blog Koshercurds.comTzafatit recipeHalloumi recipe and video tutorialAlso, a big shout out to Sami for the kind words of thanks and encouragement at the end of the episode.So curd nerds, if you think you have a cheese making story to tell, drop me an email. I would love to have you on the show as my next guest.ASK A QUESTION FOR THE PODCASTDon’t forget that you can leave a voicemail message that I will answer and feature during the show.

During today’s show, we talk about milk to cheese yield.Listener questions covered were about the fat content in cheese, cheese fridges, using blue cheese as a starter for new blue cheese, seepage during aging, and mixing non-homogenised milk before making cheese.Links mentioned during the show;Milk to Cheese YieldThe fat content of popular cheesesI also mention a new eBook by Liz Beavis who was my guest on LGC podcast episode 2.  Her book is called “Our Experience with House Cows”.  You can find it for sale at this link; http://www.scribd.com/doc/230229811/Our-Experience-With-House-CowsASK A QUESTION FOR THE PODCASTDon’t forget that you can leave a voicemail message that I will answer and feature during the show.  Just remember that I cannot answer them straight away, so please don’t expect an instant reply.Support the show! If you would like to support the podcast and YouTube channel so I can make new and interesting cheeses and cheese related content, then please support me via Patreon.SPONSORED BY…This po

Something I haven’t talked about on the podcast before has been pasteurization of milk, so this week I broach this subject in depth.I step through the main reasons for pasteurization, how to pasteurize milk at home using the home pasteurization method, and the three main commercial methods for heat treating milk for consumption.If you want to learn about ultra-pasteurization and ultra heat treatment and these treatments effect upon milk for home cheesemaking, then this episode is for you.Other links mentioned during the show;F.D.A. Issues Clarification, but Cheese Makers Are WaryHow to make a brine for home cheese making.Goat’s milk pasteurization (Nimbin Valley Dairy)ASK A QUESTION FOR THE PODCASTDon’t forget that you can leave a voicemail message that I will answer and feature during the show.  Just remember that I cannot answer them straight away, so please don’t expect an instant reply.Support the show! If you would like to support the podcast and YouTube channel so I can make new and interesting cheeses

Welcome back curd nerds!I recently had a birthday party, and we purchased quite a few samples of cheese for our cheese board.  I talk about some of the varieties; which were good and which were passable.  It is an episode about my cheese tasting notes.The news segment was an article from Hospitality Magazine Australia titled Specialty cheese venues on the rise.  It is pleasing to hear that we are now starting to get some well stocked cheesemonger here down under.The links mentioned during the listener questions were;Late blowingCamembertMozzarellaMy YouTube Channel for online cheese making tutorialsASK A QUESTION FOR THE PODCASTDon’t forget that you can leave a voicemail message that I will answer and feature during the show.  Just remember that I cannot answer them straight away, so please don’t expect an instant reply.Support the show! If you would like to support the podcast and YouTube channel so I can make new and interesting cheeses and cheese related content, then please support me via Patreon.SPONSORE