FAQs
DO NOT
USE ULTRA-PASTEURIZED MILK (UP)! It does not have
the enzymes, etc., needed for
curding. It is not always labeled as UP. If you
followed the cheese
making directions and curds did not form then you most
likely used UP
milk.
PDF on
choosing the best milk
All customers who purchase
products from this site agree to the Wind Dance
Vineyard Terms
and conditions.
Powdered milk
for cheese making: Mix per
the directions on a box of name brand, non-fat
powdered milk. Add one
pint whipping cream and 1/2 tsp calcium chloride per
gallon. Let it sit
for at least a couple hours, overnight is fine. Make
cheese per the
recipe.
How do I know
when the curds are ready? First, when the
curds are ready the whey will look like
lemonade. Second, there is room for a lot of error
with curds. You
should be able to take a knife and draw a line through
them that does
not immediately seal up like if it was cream. If you
are not sure if
they are done let them sit another 5 minutes. Then
treat them like they
are done.
I think I may
have heated up my milk too fast? If you didn't
burn it you didn't heat it too fast. It is
still usable, but do add the ingredients if the temp
is warmer than
your instructions state.
My milk is
too warm! Help!
Don't worry, put some ice cubes in a baggie and let it
cool off your
milk. Do not add starter or rennet unless the temp is
back down to that
stated in the directions!
I am not
getting solid curds.
You may have used ultra-pasteurized milk. In some
areas dairies do not
need to label it. You cannot make cheese from
ultra-pasteurized milk.
Call your dairy and find another source!! I have had
good results with
Walmart milk. But you need to call the dairy. Also,
some milk is less
acidic than others so this may happen even if you do
everything right.
It is often caused by diluting rennet in warm and not
cold water or too
low of acidity in the milk. To save your cheese it is
too late to add
more starter - Starter increases the acidity but dies
off when heated.
To try and save your cheese add 1 tsp of citric acid
or 1tblsp of lemon
juice to increase the acidity. Let it sit again per
the instructions.
My cheese is
watery. The milk
has too low acidity. See 'not getting solid curds'
above. You can't fix
it at this stage. If you age this cheese properly it
will mold. Age it
in the refrigerator.
I
forgot about my curds and let them sit for about an
hour, will my
cheese be ok? They
should be fine. Press it, etc., as normal.
I do not have
a 55 degree area to age my cheese. What can I do? You can age it
in the
refrigerator, it will just take twice as long. Try
aging it in the
coolest room you have. If that room is warmer than 55
check the cheese
for mold and rub it with olive oil twice as often. The
easiest way to
age cheese is to buy a used wine refrigerator of
Craigslist for $10-$20.
I am in the
middle of making my cheese and something went terribly
wrong. Can I
call someone? Yes.
Call us at 612-205-2420. This number forwards to Bob's
cell phone when
we are closed. If no-one answers leave a message with
what happened and
we will get back to you ASAP.
My cheese is
too hard! Too much
weight in the final pressing, insufficient rennet, and
too much
agitation of the curds, will cause hard your cheese to
be too hard.
Also, too dry of an environment and failure to seal
the cheese properly
will also make your cheese hard (plastic wrap or wax
for cheddar and
gouda, salt and olive oil for parmesan and Romano).
I am missing
an ingredient! As
with everything, please check the ingredient list
before using. all or
email us for a replacement.
Can I reuse
the cheese cloth?
Yes, but you will need to wash it thoroughly.
Can I eat my
cheese before it is done aging? Yes. But, it
will not have it's full taste until it is
done aging.
I spilled
some of my ingredients or didn't get it all out of the
bag. Will my
cheese be ok? Yes.
You have enough ingredients to do as much as 30% to
50% more than your
package is rated for.
The milk
coagulated instantly when I added the rennet. You milk has
too high of
acidity. Use less starter next time.
My cheese is
moldy. Cheese is
alive and will mold under the perfect conditions - Too
warm, too humid,
not turned enough, etc. Check your cheese every few
days when aging and
wipe off any mold. You can use olive oil or a paper
towel with a little
vinegar on it. If you have a lot of mold, cut it off.
Do I really
need to register with PayPal to buy online with a
credit card? No. Simply click towards the
bottom of the PayPal screen where it says 'Pay with a
credit card and
you can pay without creating a PayPal account.
The
site won't let me register. Be sure to fill
in all the fields marked with the red
asterisk. If it still won't let you register put data
in all the other
fields.
I lost my
password! I hate it
when this happens to me! Simply email us. We will
delete your account
and then you can open a new one.
Where can I see the cheese making kit recipe or
directions? Click on one of the links below.
Do I need a
cheese press? The
press makes it easier to make cheese. But, you can put
your curds in a
mold and put weights, per instructions, to 'press' the
cheese. An
alternative is using large clamps - But you will need
to retighten them
occasionally.
Do I need a
mold? Not with
Mozzarella. But with all the other cheeses you need
some sort of mold
to properly press the curds. You can also use a very
sturdy colander.
Do
I need to use a mold with a cheese press? No.
Contact
us below with other questions and we will add them to
the site. Thanks!
Email us with problems/concerns/cheese
making questions
Wind
Dance Vineyard and
Cheese
Making Supplies
PO Box 257
Delano MN 55328
Phone: 612-205-2420
