Hi everyone,

Thanks Rick for accepting me to the group.

Here’s a bit about me, I’m from South Africa and received a cheese making kit for Christmas from my fiance. (a gift that I hinted at for a while)
So I’m going to start my first cheese this week. I’m thinking of doing a mascarpone, mainly because the recipe doesn’t seem to take too long, and I am hoping for a quick success initially.  I have been trying to read up as much as I can, realising that this is an art and I have a LOT to learn. I’m hoping I can pick up tips and advice from everyone’s experience on the forum, so please feel free to pop some advice down and point me in the right direction.  I’m very eager to learn, currently I know very little. 

This is the starter kit that I received.

Thanks so much for any replys.
To excited to get going.

Thank you
Pauline

Hi Pauline,

Its a good thing to start out with soft cheeses, such as your kit will allow you to make.  I’m thinking, though, that once you get a few of them under your belt, you’re going to want to move on to hard cheese.  These require a bit more equipment - namely a press, which you can have your husband build for you.  No need to buy an expensive unit.

A couple things to keep in mind.  First, start a journal and keep a record of each cheese you make.  Put as much detail in it as you can think of.  In this way, you’ll be able to look back and see what produced each cheese.  Over time, you’ll want to experiment, and the journal is a good way to compare results without relying on memory.

Second, be careful to follow directions very carefully, especially when you’re starting out.

Third, watch your temperatures very closely.  Little temp differences can make big differences in the finished cheese.

Fourth, it would be great if you could post pictures of your products.

Welcome Pauline to the world of Cheese !!
Get your feet wet and get comportable before moving on, if you like Bloomed cheeses that would be the next easiest ones, then the hards

Thanks very much Rich and Neil.

I’ll definitely post pics

Thanks Rich for the great advice. I’ll definitely keep some good notes.

Hoping to get started today.

OK, I’m pullin’ for ya’. 

BTW, what is your source milk?  Do you have the luxury of using raw milk?