Speaking of Cheese

[Goat Servant]

How do you guys do this without making a gigantic mess!?
Right now all I have is a huge stock pot for heating, a plastic seive which gets put over a large steel bucket & tea towel over that for draining.
No matter how gently I pour the stuff to be drained I wind up splashing whey all over kingdome come.
Then there's the scraping off tea towel with butter knife, there's GOT to be an easier way to do all this!
Thanks in advance for any tips.

[hiddensprings]

Wish I could help but I finally decided I was destined to have a messy kitchen. :>)

[Oat Bucket Farm]

We have only done a simple vinegar cheese that we hung in a pillow case. For that, we lined the sieve with the pillow case and then ladle the curds and whey into the case. We didn't pour until the very last when I really couldn't get it scooped into the ladle anymore. We didn't have any splashing or messes.

Scrape the pillow case with a knife and give it a swish in the sink when you are done with it to take the worst off so that it can go in the wash.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Don't pour it.

I *sometimes* pour part of the whey into a bucket till it's about half way down, but curds get scooped, not poured.

http://www.cheesemaking.com/CheeseCurdScoop

Yes, cheesemaking takes over the kitchen.

I'm experimenting with different cheese cloth products. Right now, I'm using cheesemaking.com's 'disposable' cheesecloth which is nylon. The curds don't get imbedded in it, so you don't have to scrape.

[eclipchic]

I scoop the curds, I can't stand trying to clean up all the little splashes.

I use diaper flats as draining cloth....they really clean up nicely. They stand up well to rough washing and bleach too when its needed. Usually though I just run the cloth under cold water and rub the cheesy sides together and it comes off pretty well and then right into the wash. Its only bad if I forget to get them in the wash right away....not pretty

[steff bugielski]

Yes scoop.
Try curtain sheers for cheese cloth. Soak in cold water when done then wash. The hotter the water the more the cheese melts into the fabric.

[Parttimefarmer]

Originally Posted by eclipchic

I scoop the curds, I can't stand trying to clean up all the little splashes.

I use diaper flats as draining cloth....they really clean up nicely. They stand up well to rough washing and bleach too when its needed. Usually though I just run the cloth under cold water and rub the cheesy sides together and it comes off pretty well and then right into the wash. Its only bad if I forget to get them in the wash right away....not pretty

I use flats too! Cheap and very rugged.

[KimM]

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

Don't pour it.

I *sometimes* pour part of the whey into a bucket till it's about half way down, but curds get scooped, not poured.

http://www.cheesemaking.com/CheeseCurdScoop

Yes, cheesemaking takes over the kitchen.

I'm experimenting with different cheese cloth products. Right now, I'm using cheesemaking.com's 'disposable' cheesecloth which is nylon. The curds don't get imbedded in it, so you don't have to scrape.

That scoop is cool!!
Is the disposable cheesecloth the same thing as plyban?

[Goat Servant]

Scoop well duh. Never occured to me.

Just got done with a batch of the simple vinegar, threw a couple garlic cloves into milk while heating. I got busy the dang pot boiled over and here I complained about the usual mess!
Just added finely chopped chives. Now I take the pot & bucket & tea towel outside to be hosed down real good before being washed.

[Alice In TX/MO]

I think the 'disposable' is the same as Plyban, but I've never purchased the Plyban to be able to tell you for sure.