Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking The Ultimate Guide for Home-Scale and Market Producers

527 Pages·2013·22.12 MB·English

by  Patricia Stone

Praise for Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking
“I am truly knocked out by this wonderful book. Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking is simply superb,
and well-nigh flawless. Caldwell’s voice comes through so clear, friendly, and free of clinicality. I
have learned so much that I didn’t realize I didn’t know. In fact, the book is so good I’m a little
embarrassed that I didn’t even know how badly I needed it, and feel I am a vastly improved master
cheesemonger for having been blessed with reading it.”
—STEVEN JENKINS, author of Cheese Primer
“Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking is the one book that tells you everything you need to know to
become an award-winning cheesemaker. Caldwell’s practical and straightforward explanations make
this entire book (along with its amusing anecdotes) a great pleasure to read. She makes it clear that
artisan cheesemaking is a serious endeavor; but her light-hearted approach will remove the fear
factor and inspire you to make a go of it anyway. And for everyone who just loves to eat fine artisan
cheeses, this book will elevate your respect for all that goes into their creation. Among the recent
bounty of books on cheese, this one is a must-have.”
—MAX MCCALMAN, author of Mastering Cheese
“Easy to understand and fun to read, Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking provides valuable information
on every aspect of cheesemaking—an excellent resource for both cheese makers and cheese lovers.”
—SALLY FALLON MORELL, president, The Weston A. Price Foundation, and cheesemaker
“I am in awe! For anyone who has ever written a book or sweated over a cheese vat, know that both
require artistry, focus a≠nd discipline, dedication, time and more time, and perhaps a bit of creative
insanity. In her new book, Gianaclis Caldwell argues eloquently for the strong relationship between
art and science, for deeper understanding and appreciation of milk, and the chemistry and alchemy of
a cheese vat. As the landscape of American artisan cheese heads toward 1,000 small-scale
producers, she offers new insights, essential knowledge, and encouragement to experiment and
succeed.”
—JEFFREY P. ROBERTS, author of The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese
“Gianaclis Caldwell has combined her extensive knowledge as an award-winning cheesemaker with
complementary information from a variety of sources to create a practical guide that will delight both
aspiring and seasoned home-scale cheesemakers. Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking will be a valuable
addition to any home cheesemaker’s library.”
—PAUL KINDSTEDT, author of Cheese and Culture and American Farmstead Cheese
“Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking is a beautiful book, rich in theory and practice. Whether you want
to deepen your appreciation and understanding for cheese, produce for your family, or bring artisanal
cheeses to market, you won’t be disappointed.”
—SHANNON HAYES, author of Radical Homemakers and Long Way on a Little
“If only Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking had been available a decade or so ago, my cheesemaking
adventures would have been a lot less stressful. Already I see this as the new go-to book for my
workshop attendees. Gianaclis Caldwell presents her method of making cheese as an intuitive
process, and broaches the truly formidable task of the science of cheesemaking in an understandable
way that only someone who has learned in the classroom and worked in the cheese room can. The
section on surface-ripened cheese is especially good since these cheeses are more difficult to ripen.
Go out and get this book, if you haven’t already.”
—JIM WALLACE, New England Cheesemaking Supply Company
“Gianaclis Caldwell, a farmstead cheesemaker of famously delicious cheeses, has—amazingly—
revealed all her hard-earned secrets in this wonderful new book. Reading Mastering Artisan
Cheesemaking is like taking an advanced cheesemaking class—not only do we learn how to make
cheese at home, we learn the science behind the process, from flocculation to affinage. A must-read
for anyone who wants to make cheeses at home.”
—NOVELLA CARPENTER, author of Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer
“I have been waiting for a book like Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking for years. Gianaclis
Caldwell’s detailed, thorough, and accurate guide is a godsend for both home cheesemakers just
starting out and experienced professionals. Gianaclis has answered all of my tough questions in this
remarkable tome; my only regret is that I needed this guide years ago when I was just starting out.”
—KURT TIMMERMEISTER, author of Growing a Farmer and commercial cheesemaker
“Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking is a must-have book for the aspiring cheesemaker or
cheesemonger. Not only is it amazingly easy to use as a reference book—laying out cheese science in
as clear and jargon-free a way as possible—it’s also a fun time for the cheese-obsessed reader. Why
does that rind look like that? How does that cheese get that amazing flavor? I’ll admit, this book
helped clear up some misperceptions I have held for twenty years about the way certain cheeses are
made. I’ve read this once, but I know I will be referring to it over and over again.”
—GORDON EDGAR, author of Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge
“Gianaclis Caldwell has poured her generous mind and heart into this book and reveals the secret life
of one of humanity’s most delicious foods. Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking is a wealth of in-depth
information won by first-hand experience, yet it’s friendly and reassuring, and skillfully unpacks the
science and craft of cheesemaking for the interested hobbyist and the artisan alike. After reading it,
I’m more fascinated by cheese than ever! My next project may well be a few little bloomy rinds. . . .”
—MARGO TRUE, food editor, Sunset magazine

Copyright © 2012 by Gianaclis Caldwell
All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise noted, all photographs copyright © 2012 by Gianaclis Caldwell.
No part of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form by any means without permission in writing from the publisher.
Project Manager: Patricia Stone
Editor: Makenna Goodman
Copy Editor: Eileen M. Clawson
Proofreader: Eric Raetz
Indexer: Linda Hallinger
Designer: Melissa Jacobson
Printed in the United States of America
First printing August, 2012
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 12 13 14 15 16
Our Commitment to Green Publishing
Chelsea Green sees publishing as a tool for cultural change and ecological stewardship. We strive to align our book manufacturing
practices with our editorial mission and to reduce the impact of our business enterprise in the environment. We print our books and
catalogs on chlorine-free recycled paper, using vegetable-based inks whenever possible. This book may cost slightly more because it was
printed on paper that contains recycled fiber, and we hope you’ll agree that it’s worth it. Chelsea Green is a member of the Green Press
Initiative (www.greenpressinitiative.org), a nonprofit coalition of publishers, manufacturers, and authors working to protect the world’s
endangered forests and conserve natural resources. Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking was printed on FSC®-certified paper supplied
by QuadGraphics that contains at least 10% postconsumer recycled fiber.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Caldwell, Gianaclis, 1961–
Mastering artisan cheesemaking : the ultimate guide for home-
scale and market producers / Gianaclis Caldwell ; foreword by Ricki Carroll, author of Home cheese making.
pages cm
ISBN 978-1-60358-332-9 (pbk.)—ISBN 978-1-60358-333-6 (ebook)
1. Cheesemaking. I. Title.
SF271.C354 2012
637’.3—dc23
2012023148
Chelsea Green Publishing
85 North Main Street, Suite 120
White River Junction, VT 05001
[phone]
www.chelseagreen.com

CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES
FOREWORD
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INTRODUCTION
PART I: THE ART AND SCIENCE OF MAKING CHEESE
1: INGREDIENTS FOR ALL CHEESES
Understanding the Beauty and Complexity of Milk • Milk Sugar—Sweet Secrets • Milk Fat—Filling Out the Flavor • Milk
Protein—The Building Blocks for Cheese • Minerals—Keeping It All Together • Vitamins—For That Healthy Glow • Enzymes—
The Action Heroes of Cheesemaking • Nuances and Knowledge about Culture • Starter Culture • Native Culture • Ripening
Culture • Classifying and Defining Cultures • Lipase—For Extra Flavor • Calcium Chloride—Keeping Things in Balance •
Choosing Your Coagulant: Animal, Vegetable, or Microbial • The Process of Coagulation • Beyond Coagulation—The Role
of Rennet during Aging • Salt—The Final Key Ingredient
2: CONCEPTS AND PROCESSES FOR SUCCESSFUL CHEESEMAKING
Choosing and Preparing Milk • Culturing and Ripening • Additional Ingredients • The Process of Coagulation • Cutting the
Curd • Cooking and Stirring • Washing the Curds • Checking Curd for Readiness • Pitching the Curd • Draining and
Pressing • Draining and Pressing in Forms • The Essentials of Salting
3: THE FUNDAMENTALS OF ACID DEVELOPMENT AND MONITORING DURING CHEESEMAKING
The Essentials of Acidity and pH • Buffering Capacity Explained • More on Acid Development during Cheese-making •
Mastering Measuring Acid Development
4: AGING CHEESE GRACEFULLY—THE ART OF AFFINAGE
The Home Cheese Cellar • The Ins and Outs of Monitoring Humidity • Cheese with Special Needs • Selecting Shelving •
Aging-Space Housekeeping • Using a Cheese Trier/Iron • Options for Protecting and Finishing a Cheese • Affinage
Troubleshooting
5: SPICING IT UP: ADDING FLAVORS TO CHEESE
Adding Seeds and Spices • Using Herbs and Infusions • Working with Ale, Wine, and Spirits • Wrapping a Cheese in Leaves •
Smoking Cheese • Using Ash or Charcoal • Marinades for Flavor and Preservation
6: DESIGNING, EQUIPPING, AND MAINTAINING YOUR HOME CHEESEMAKING SPACE
Choosing Equipment • Creating Your Cheesemaking Space • Keeping Things Clean • The Six Steps to Sparkling Clean
PART II: RECIPES FOR SUCCESS
7: GETTING TO KNOW THE FAMILY
The Myriad Ways to Categorize Cheese • Working with the Recipes • Exercises for Building Intuition—“Thinking Outside the
Vat”
8: FRESH, ACID-COAGULATED CHEESE
The Fundamentals of Acid Coagulation • A Deeper Look at the Science of Curdling Milk • Tips for Making Fresh, Acid-
Coagulated Cheese RECIPE: Quick and Easy—An Added-Acid and Heat-Coagulated Cheese • RECIPE: Soft, Fresh,
Crumbly, or Pressed—A Developed-Acid and Heat-Coagulated Cheese • RECIPE: Soft, Fresh, and Creamy—A Developed-
Acid Drained Soft Cheese • RECIPE: American-Style Cottage Cheese
9: BRINED CHEESES, FRESH AND AGED
Tips for Aging, Storing, and Using Brined Cheeses • RECIPE: Firm and Crumbly Greek Feta-Style Brined Cheese • RECIPE:
Smooth and Creamy Bulgarian-Style Brined Cheese • RECIPE: Soft and Salty Domiati-Style Brined Cheese • RECIPE: Firm
and Salty Greek-Style Grilling Cheese
10: WHITE MOLD, SURFACE-RIPENED CHEESES
The Fundamental Science of White Mold–Ripened Cheeses • A Deeper Look at the Science of Bloomy Rinds • The Secrets of
Making Bloomy Rind Cheeses • Using Starter and Ripening Cultures for White Mold–Ripened Cheeses • Creating Interesting
Shapes • Achieving Successful Draining • Salting • Aging and Storing RECIPE: Lactic-Set Bloomy Rind Cheese • RECIPE:
Rennet Curd Bloomy Rind Cheese • RECIPE: Washed Curd, Stabilized Paste Bloomy Rind Cheese
11: WASHED RIND SURFACE-RIPENED CHEESES
The Fundamentals of Stinky Cheese • Looking Deeper at the Science of Bacterial Surface-Ripened Cheeses • All about
Making Washed Rind Cheeses • Choosing Yeast Ripening Cultures and Coagulant RECIPE: Jos Vulto’s Ouleout—A Washed
Rind Cheese • RECIPE: Reblochon-Style Washed Rind Cheese • RECIPE: Pholia Farm’s Washed Rind Cheese
12: BLUE CHEESES
The Fundamental Concepts behind Blue Cheese • A Deeper Look at the Science of Making Blue Cheese • Tips for Making
Blues RECIPE: Rindless Blue Cheese • RECIPE: Pablo Battro’s Flor Azul—Natural Rind Blue Cheese • RECIPE: Milled
Curd Stilton-Style Blue Cheese • RECIPE: Ann Hansen’s Blue-Brie Cheese
13: STRETCHED AND KNEADED PASTA FILATA CHEESES
The Basics of Stretched Curd Cheeses • A Deeper Look at the Science of Stretching and Melting • Making Stretched Curd
Cheeses RECIPE: Christy Harris’s Hybrid Mozzarella-Type Cheese • RECIPE: Long-Method, Traditional Mozzarella-Style
Cheese • RECIPE: Semihard to Hard Aged Pasta Filata Cheese • RECIPE: Greek-Style Aged Stretched Curd Cheese
14: SEMIHARD TO HARD CHEESES
General Tips for Making Semihard and Hard Cheeses • The Fundamentals of Simple-Process Pressed Cheeses RECIPE: A
Basic Tomme-Style Cheese • RECIPE: A Simple, Piquant Pressed Cheese • The Fundamentals of Making Washed Curd
Cheeses RECIPE: Cool-Water Washed Curd Cheese • RECIPE: Same-Temperature Light-Brine Washed Curd Cheese •
RECIPE: Hot-Water Washed Curd Cheese • The Fundamentals of Making Textured and Milled Curd Cheese • RECIPE:
Stirred Curd Cheese • RECIPE: Milled Curd Cheese with Crumbly Texture and Mold-Ripened Rind • RECIPE: Classic Milled
Curd, English Cheddar–Style Cheese • The Fundamentals of Making Cheese with Eyes • RECIPE: Hard Cheese with Small
Eyes • RECIPE: Semihard to Hard Cheese with Large Eyes
15: EXTRA-HARD GRATING CHEESES
The Fundamental Science of Making Extra-Hard Cheese RECIPE: Classic Italian-Style Extra-Hard Cheese • RECIPE:
Extra-Hard Washed Curd Cheese • RECIPE: Extra-Hard Piquant Cheese • RECIPE: Extra-Hard Cheese with Eyes
APPENDIX A: TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
APPENDIX B: RESOURCES FOR EDUCATION, SOURCING, AND ENJOYMENT
APPENDIX C: QUICK REFERENCE TABLES
APPENDIX D: SAMPLE MAKE SHEETS
GLOSSARY
NOTES AND REFERENCES
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LIST OF TABLES
1-1. Mesophilic Bacteria Cultures
1-2. Thermophilic Bacteria Cultures
2-1. Milk Heat-Treatment Temperatures
2-2. Comparison of Coagulation and Cutting Factors
2-3. Washed Curd Cheese Examples
2-4. Average Ideal Salt Levels in Cheese
2-5. Average Brining Times Based on Cheese Type
3-1. Familiar Substances and Their Place on the pH Scale
5-1. Popular Herbs and Spices Used in Cheeses
5-2. Popular Herb Blends Used in Cheeses
5-3. Examples of Cheeses Wrapped in Natural Plant Material
6-1. Guide for Cleaning and Sanitizing Products for the Home Cheesemaker
6-2. Guide for Cleaning and Sanitizing Products for the Market Producer
7-1. Moisture Content of the Major Cheese Types
8-1. How Time, Temperature, and pH Influence Coagulation Times
8-2. Culture Choices for Fresh Cheeses
8-3. Drops and Dilutions: Dosing Small Amounts of Rennet
9-1. Culture Choices for Feta Types
10-1. Starter and Aroma Cultures for Surface-Ripened Cheeses
10-2. Penicillium candidum (camemberti) Mold Cultures for Bloomy Rind Cheeses
10-3. Geotrichum candidum Mold Cultures for Bloomy Rind Cheeses
10-4. Yeast Cultures for Bloomy Rind Cheeses
11-1. Starter Culture Choices for Washed Rind Cheeses
11-2. Surface-Ripening Bacterial Cultures for Washed Rind Cheeses
11-3. Yeast Cultures for Washed Rind Cheeses
11-4. Surface-Ripening Blends of Yeasts and Bacteria for Washed Rind Cheeses
11-5. Suggested Brining Times for Washed Rind Cheeses
12-1. Starter Culture Choices for Blue Cheese
12-2. Penicillium roqueforti Mold Culture Choices for Blue Cheeses
13-1. Culture Choices for Stretched Curd Cheeses
14-1. Starter Culture Choices for Semihard and Hard Cheeses
14-2. Ripening and Mold Cultures for Semihard and Hard Cheeses
14-3. Culture Choices for Cheeses with Eyes
14-4. Propionic Acid Bacteria Culture Choices for Cheese with Eyes
15-1. Culture Choices for Extra-Hard Cheeses
A-1. Problems Common to All Cheese Types
A-2. Problems with Fresh Acid-and Heat-Coagulated Cheeses
A-3. Problems with White Mold Surface-Ripened Cheeses
A-4. Problems with Washed Rind Surface-Ripened Cheeses
A-5. Problems with Blue Cheeses
A-6. Problems with Stretched Curd Cheeses
A-7. Problems with Semihard to Extra-Hard Cheeses
C-1. Common Brine Solutions: Gallons
C-2. Common Brine Solutions: Liters
C-3. Calcium Chloride Solution Dosage Rates
C-4. Calcium Chloride Crystals Dosage Rates (0.02%)
C-5. Culture Abbreviations and Names
C-6. Sample Measurements for Direct-Set Culture
C-7. Milk and Water
C-8. Curd-Size Equivalents
C-9. Dry Weights: Coarse Kosher Salt
C-10. Fluid Measurements: Rennet, Calcium Chloride
C-11. Comparison of “Tiny” Teaspoons and Other Extra-Small Measurements