Hooked on Feta WOW !!!!!

I am totally hooked on Feta Cheese. What an awesome thing it is......And so easy to make and u can actually eat in in 2-5 days...That's special in the world of cheese making where times slows to a crawl and you will be lucky if your new cheese is ready in 3 months but most likely 6-10 months for the best quality. I doubled the recipe this time and I left out the half & half. Just as good and didn't leave half my butter behind in the whey. I did make some change to the recipe so Here I will most the recipe. This makes quite alot. I use a 6inch mold and I end up with a wheel about 1 1/2 inches thick probably 2 lbs.

Right out of the press

Cuts so nicely

Salted and stacked for drying and aging

You can see the kosher salt I sprinkled on it

Heat 2 gal milk to 86. add 1/2 teas calcium chloride and 1 teas liapiase dissolved in 1/4 cup unchlorinated water  anytime u want during the heating. When it is 86 add 1/4 teas mesophilic culture. Sprinkle on top let sit 2 minutes then stir in. Cover let ripen 1 hour. Turn on burner low after 1 hour and add 1 teas rennet. I use veg rennet stir until it get like pudding about 2 minutes. Turn off burner cover let sit 1 hour, it will be set by then. Cut curds let rest 10 min let give it a stir. Cover let rest 20-30 min. The curds will sink to the bottom. Strain out ( carefully ) and either hang or mold, I mold and press with 1 gallon jug of h2o overnight. Unwrap cut salt and put it in a pan for 1-5 days depending how dry u want it. I let mine sit out 2 days. Remember to check it for excess whey and pour it off. I use kosher salt and lightly salt each side. That is enough salt, you will need no more then that or it will be too salty. Remember the lipiase is salty also. Then just wrap it in saran wrap and put in fridge or use the recipe in one of my previuos post to make marinated feta...ENJOY.....Here are some pics.