Dr. Fankhauser’s Videos of the Cheese-Making Process

Note that you will need either RealPlayer or QuickTime to view these files. The QuickTime files clearly show details, but are larger and take longer to download, while the RealPlayer files are smaller but show far less detail. The size of each file will display in the status bar as you put the mouse over each picture, below.

The whole cheese-making process is now available as two RealPlayer videos.

Or, to see a specific segment, click on a picture to view the corresponding movie (no audio).

QuickTime			RealPlayer
	Stirring in the yogurt starter
	Fresh yogurt should be used to inoculate the milk.
	Dissolving the rennet
	Rennet is an enzyme used to help turn milk into cheese.
	Stirring in the rennet
	The dissolved rennet should be stirred into the warm milk-yogurt mixture.
	Demonstrating a clean break	0:14
	When a clean break is obtained, the curd is ready to be cut.
	Cutting the curd	0:15
	The curd is cut from several directions in order to obtain small pieces.
	Letting the curd shrink
	The curds should be gently stirred by hand as they shrink and release whey.
	Decanting the whey	0:15
	As much whey as feasible should be decanted from the curds before pressing the curds.
	Separating the curds from the whey	0:19
	The curds should be gently stirred to release more of the trapped whey.
	Salting the curd
	Salt is added both for flavor and because it is a preservative.
	Setting up the press	0:16
	A home-made cheese press is constructed.
	Loading the salted curd into the press	0:34
	The salted curd is gently placed into the press, while carefully avoiding folds in the cheesecloth that would mar the surface of the finished cheese.
	Putting a board on top of the press	0:20
	A board is added to the top to serve as a place on which to press and to give the cheese a flat top surface.
	Putting a rubber band on the press	0:20
	The pressure in this press comes from a giant rubber band made from an old innertube.
	Applying pressure with a canning jar	0:20
	In this press, a canning jar is used to transfer the pressure from the rubber band to the cheese. While canning jars are fairly sturdy, care should be taken so the glass jar does not break and injure you. Other suitable objects could be substituted.
	Disassembling the press	0:20
	After the cheese is pressed, it can be removed from the press.
	Removing the cheese from the can	0:20
	The cheese is then removed from the can and the cheesecloth.
	Trimming the cheese	0:20
	Any uneven edges are trimmed off to make the surface as smooth as possible.
	Rubbing the surface with salt
	Salting not only acts as a preservative, but helps the rind to form.
	Wrapping the cheese for curing
	The “green” cheese is wrapped and placed in a cool place to form a rind.
	Waxing the cheese	0:20
	After the rind is formed, the cheese is waxed for longer storage and aging.

Further Information Relating to Yogurt and Cheese

Dr. Fankhauser’s Cheese Page