# Making Brick Cheese Today



## busymomof7 (May 11, 2010)

I'm trying a new cheese recipe today. Brick cheese, it's called. I was planning to try cheddar, but since I don't have a cheese press yet, I couldn't do it. Brick cheese was the recipe across the page, and you actually press it using bricks for weights. I suppose that's where the name comes from. Anyway, I'm excited about it. I've wanted to get into cheesemaking for a long time. Anybody make brick cheese before? This recipe is out of the Goats Produce Too cookbook.

~Julie~


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## busymomof7 (May 11, 2010)

My cheese is done. Great flavor!! I am going to adjust the rennet amount, though. The curds were a little too firm to stick together 'smoothly' (hope that makes sense). My double-strength rennet seems more like triple-strength. I usually have to cut the amount of rennet called for significantly.

Anyway, we are eating the brick cheese with spaghetti for lunch today. 

~Julie~


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## PamB (Jan 15, 2008)

did you use goat milk?? it sounds good, I will have to look for a recipe for it. Pam


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

FWIW, you can use bricks to press cheddar too. 

As long as you know the weight, you can use about anything that weighs the correct amount. I borrow the lifting weights from the benchpress for mine. 

My press looks a lot like this one:
http://www.cheesepress.net/

This is a different style, looks like it would work too.
http://www.slideshare.net/tammyhulse/homemade-cheese-press

Then there is this one, though it looks kinda top heavy to me. 
http://chickensintheroad.com/blog/2009/10/27/how-to-build-a-cheese-press/

I always reduce the rennet amount significantly too. Every critters milk is different.


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## busymomof7 (May 11, 2010)

PamB: I used cow milk. I do milk goats, but I mostly use cow milk for all but chevre in cheesemaking. I have a lot of extra cow milk to play with.

gone-a-milkin: thanks for the info! I really want to make cheddar...I didn't realize that weights would work! My hubby is planning to build me a cheesepress 'someday' but we have lots of other projects going right now.

Rennet--mine is so strong. When I make mozzarella, I only need 2 drops and the recipe calls for a teaspoon! You should have seen the eraser I made when I used a whole teaspoon! 

~Julie~


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