Making your own Caerphilly cheese offers a clear introduction to cheesemaking and connects you to a long history rooted in the town of Caerphilly, South Wales. Caerphilly is a crumbly cheese known for its mild taste, creamy texture, and ivory white rind. This Welsh cheese is often enjoyed on a cheese platter and has been recognised at British Cheese Awards. The following recipe uses cow’s milk and covers each step of production, from salted curds to pressing and aging.
Why Try Making Caerphilly Cheese?
Caerphilly cheese is a light-coloured, semi-firm, white cheese with a crumbly texture and a creamy, mild flavour. It was originally made as food for coal miners in Wales, and its production has remained a staple for family farms in the region. Today, Caerphilly is produced in areas such as the West Country, South West, North Somerset, and the Teifi Valley, as well as near the English border. The cheese is known for its moist, fresh qualities when young and develops a firmer, saltier taste with age.
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Caerphilly
Gathering Your Ingredients and Equipment
To make approximately 800 grams of Caerphilly cheese, you’ll need:
- 8 L full cream cow’s milk (preferably pasteurised, but raw milk may be used)
- 1/4 tsp Bioprox 265 Mesophilic Starter Culture
- 1 tsp liquid rennet
- 1/8 tsp calcium chloride diluted in 60 ml unchlorinated water
- Non-iodised salt
For cheesemaking, use a large pot, thermometer, curd knife, curd cutter, ladle, cheese cloth, cheese hoop, cheese press, and kitchen timer. Cheese Kettle offers equipment suitable for home and small farm production.
The Cheesemaking Process
- Prepare and Sanitize: Clean all equipment before starting.
- Heat the Milk: Warm the milk to 32°C. Add calcium chloride and stir for one minute.
- Culture Addition: Sprinkle mesophilic starter culture over the milk. Let it rehydrate for a minute, then stir for another minute.
- Ripening: Cover and let the milk rest at 32°C for 30 minutes.
- Add Rennet: Maintain temperature and add rennet. Stir for one minute.
- Curd Setting: Let the mixture rest for 40–60 minutes, keeping the temperature steady, until the curds set. Check for a clean break.
- Cutting the Curds: Cut the curds into 6 mm cubes. Allow them to rest for five minutes.
- Cooking the Curds: Stir gently and slowly increase the temperature to 33°C over 40 minutes, stirring to keep the curds from matting.
- Draining: Let curds settle for five minutes, then transfer to a cheesecloth-lined colander to drain.
- Forming Slabs: Press the curds into a slab, rest for five minutes, then cut into slabs and stack for 10 minutes.
- Salting: Break the slabs into thumbnail-sized pieces and mix in non-iodised salt to create salted curds.
- Moulding and Pressing: Place the salted curds in a cheese hoop lined with cheesecloth. Press with increasing pressure, salting between each press:
- 5 kg for 10 minutes (twice, with salting in between)
- 10 kg for 20 minutes (with salting)
- 16 kg for 16 hours (final press)
- Air Drying: Remove from the hoop and air dry for 3–4 days, flipping every six hours.
- Aging: Place in a ripening box at 13°C and 80–85% humidity for three weeks, flipping twice weekly. Wipe any mould from the rind with brine.
Enjoying and Maturing Your Caerphilly
After three to four weeks, Caerphilly cheese is ready to eat. It features a crumbly texture, creamy, mild taste, and a light, ivory white rind. This cheese is suitable for a cheese platter and pairs with bread, fruit, and wine. Some cheesemakers, such as those producing Gorwydd Caerphilly, age the cheese longer for a firmer, sharper flavour. Caerphilly can be enjoyed fresh or matured, and its fat content and salt balance are suitable for various tastes.
Tips for Success and Equipment Suggestions
Using appropriate equipment, such as a cheese vat, curd cutter, and cheese press, supports consistent results. Cheese Kettle provides tools for home and farm cheesemaking. Maintain correct temperature, use non-iodised salt, and follow each step for best results.
Conclusion: Start Your Cheesemaking Journey
Making Caerphilly cheese at home is a straightforward process that connects you to a tradition from Wales and the town of Caerphilly. With the right ingredients and equipment, you can produce a crumbly, mild, and delicious cheese.
Ready to Make Your Own Cheese?
Cheese Kettle offers cheese vats, curd handling tools, and pressing equipment for making Caerphilly and other cheeses. Explore our product range and start your cheesemaking today.
