Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
You want both a large (2+ cup) and small (1 cup) Pyrex™
glass liquid measuring cups. You will also need measuring
spoons, but not the ordinary cheap ones you get at the dollar
store. You want high-quality stainless steel measuring spoons
that measure in 1/32, 1/16, 1/8, and ¼ teaspoon increments, as
well as the traditional sizes.
I have noted by comparing volumes to my laboratory
standards that cheap measuring spoons are often undersized
or over-sized. This is not a critical matter when making a
cake; when making cheese it can spell the difference between
success and failure.
Large Double Boiler
With batches of cheese starting with a gallon of milk or less
and that use a mesophilic starter culture (more on starter
cultures later), you can get by with a standard large pot that
you set in a sink of hot water. For batches of cheese requiring
more than a gallon of milk or using a thermophilic starter
culture, you will need a double-boiler. In cheese-making, this
double-boiler is also called a “cheese pot.” For very small
batches of cheese starting with a quart of milk, you can
improvise by setting a smaller pot into a larger one as long as
the handles on the smaller pot will sit on the lip of the larger
pot so the smaller one is surrounded by water.
Again, depending on the size of your largest intended batch of
cheese, you may be able to use a double-boiler as small as
eight quarts. But because it takes a large amount of milk to
make enough curd to yield very much hard cheese after
pressing, you won't go wrong with a boiler as large as 20
quarts. No matter what size you use, make sure it is stainless
