Video summary

How to make Parmesan Cheese || Raw Milk Cheese

Main summary

Key takeaways

Cooking

Presenter / Channel

  • Joe Hall Homestead (YouTube)

Ingredients (with quantities / substitutions mentioned)

Base + culture

  • Milk: starts with 10 gallons (in the fridge), then adds 3 more
    • Process detail mentions 6 gallons when describing the method
  • Yogurt whey / culture: ¾ cup yogurt whey
    • Made by straining Greek yogurt and using the whey that drains off
    • Used as a thermophilic culture

Rennet + additives

  • Rennet dilution: ¼ cup water
    • Explicitly: not chlorinated water
  • Animal rennet: 1 spoon for 6 gallons of raw milk
    • Substitution note: if using store-bought, use the ratio from the book (different from raw milk)
  • Calcium chloride: needed if using store-bought pasteurized milk
    • Sprinkle on the surface of the milk

Salting

  • Salt brine: 18% brine = 5 cups water : 1 cup salt
    • Refresh with ½ cup sea salt periodically (about every 3–4 cheeses)
  • No salt is added initially to the curds, so the cheese goes straight into the brine after pressing.

Equipment / setup cues

  • Large pot (for heating milk)
  • Thermometer (for temperature targets)
  • Lid (used to hold temperature during ripening/coagulation/curd stages)
  • Whisk (specifically for the Parmesan curd technique)
  • Timer (strongly emphasized for multiple stages)
  • Cheese press + cheesecloth
    • Tip: run hot/boiling water through the press and cheesecloth before adding curds
  • Buckets:
    • 5-gallon bucket for whey dumped outdoors (not for consumption)
    • Salt brine in a ~3 gallon bucket kept in an outside fridge
  • Vacuum sealer
  • Fridge for aging (optional longer aging)

Step-by-step method (technique + key timings/temps)

  1. Skim cream (partly)

    • Partly skim off the thickest cream layer from the milk (“supposed to partly skim”).

  2. Heat milk

    • Heat milk to 94°F.
    • Turn heat off once at temperature.

  3. Make it thermophilic (culture/ripen)

    • Add ¾ cup yogurt whey to the 94°F milk.
    • Mix by stirring up/down.
    • Ripen for 45 minutes
      • Put on lid to help maintain temperature.
      • Set a timer (explicitly says not to forget).

  4. Add rennet + coagulate

    • Dilute 1 spoon animal rennet in ¼ cup non-chlorinated water.
    • If using store-bought pasteurized milk, sprinkle calcium chloride on the surface first.
    • Mix rennet in using up/down stirring from surface to bottom.
      • Keep mixing to no longer than ~30 seconds (because rennet begins working).
    • Keep heat off, cover with lid.
    • Coagulate 45 minutes.

  5. Check for clean break

    • Test with a clean finger for “clean cut” vs “mushy.”
    • If not ready, wait ~5 more minutes.

  6. Cut/prepare curds (Parmesan technique)

    • For Parmesan, use a whisk to “rip”/break curds.
    • Whisk in stages: top → middle → deeper sections (as close to bottom as possible).
    • Let curds set:
      • Mentioned first 5 minutes
      • Then clarifies Parmesan / very tiny curds: set for 10 minutes (timer for 10).

  7. Long cook/stir to target temperature

    • Turn heat back on gently.
    • Raise curds/pot temperature to 124°F.
    • Timing/technique:
      • Temperature rise takes over about an hour, done very gradually.
      • Stir the entire time gently, keep covered/lidded when leaving.
      • If the whisk didn’t reach the very bottom initially, curds may still break up during continuous stirring.

  8. Rest curds

    • After ~1 hour stirring, stop heat.
    • Let curds sit 10 minutes to settle.

  9. Drain whey

    • Ladle curds into a cheese press (whey gets dumped).
    • Whey drained into a 5-gallon bucket and dumped outdoors.

  10. Press

    • Pre-warm press (already mentions boiling water in the process).
    • Load curds into press.
    • Place cheesecloth over top; add follower.
    • Medium pressure: 30 minutes
    • Switch to firm overnight:
      • Flip during the switch to firm (demo wording: “flip it now… press on firm”).
      • Firm for 12 hours (overnight).

  11. Prepare salt brine + salt

    • Use 18% salt brine: 5 cups water : 1 cup salt
    • Refresh with ½ cup sea salt occasionally.
    • After 12 hours, remove from press and put into brine.
    • Flip inside brine (demo: “flipped right before bed”).
    • Next morning after 24 hours total in brine: remove.
    • Air-dry on the counter (demo uses an inverted plate with a towel).

  12. Vacuum seal + age

    • Vacuum seal when ready.
    • Store in fridge to age.
    • Parmesan aging target:
      • At least 12 months (says longer is better; cooler fridge slows aging)

Tips / notes / common-mistake avoidance

  • Use timers for:
    • 45-minute ripen
    • 45-minute coagulation
    • curd resting
  • During rennet mixing: keep mixing ~30 seconds max.
  • Check clean break:
    • If “kind of clean” but broke a little, wait ~5 minutes.
  • Parmesan curds:
    • Whisk method + staging helps distribute evenly.
  • Cooking to 124°F:
    • Stir gently but continuously for about an hour.
  • Lid/coverage management:
    • Put the lid on when leaving a heat stage to maintain temperature.
  • Pressing/cloth:
    • Pre-wet/rinse press and cheesecloth with hot/boiling water first.
    • Avoid wrinkles during firm pressing—frame is “second chance” because wrinkles are harder to fix after.

Variations discussed (concisely)

  • Milk type
    • Raw milk (presenter’s method): may not strictly follow cookbook instructions; uses thermophilic cultured approach with yogurt whey
    • Store-bought pasteurized milk: follow cookbook rennet ratios; add calcium chloride
  • Rennet dosage
    • Raw milk demo: 1 spoon animal rennet per 6 gallons
    • Store-bought: use book’s ratio (not the same)
  • Aging duration
    • Parmesan: at least 12 months, preferably longer

Serving / plating

  • No serving/plating instructions provided.
  • Presenter notes that a Parmesan opened from January was “very close” to opening (implying later tasting).

Sources / links

  • References “200 easy cheese” (says it will be linked in the description)
  • Mentions animal rennet brand: New England Cheese Making (linked in description)

Original video