Magical Moments

With each of the three mainstays (Bread, Beer and Cheese) there are similarities, yet so many nuanced differences that always keep me interested in finding good examples of each.

What I'm getting at is that with each you have a choice of raw ingredients, choices in the manufacturing methods and to some degree choices in the waiting period.
The combination of ingredients, which are now more easily available, allows us a nearly endless palette from which to create our Bread, Beer and Cheese.

To me, no matter how much attention to detail I put into it, I often find myself thinking of the process as a bit magical. After all is said and done, enjoying the final product is only part of the enjoyment that I get out of making bread, beer or cheese.

Over the weekend I made a 1lb. Havarti cheese. I am a newbie to cheese making (at least in an organized way) so this was my first Havarti. Unlike a batch of muffins or loaf of bread, it will be many days before I can sample the cheese and see if it resembles the Havarti style. Patience is needed for both cheese and beer making.

One of the magical moments with each batch of cheese is when the milk first begins to setup, called either the curdling point or the flocculation point. It is the point in time when the fluid milk shows its first signs of becoming a solid. It's similar to the magic of watching yeast make dough rise, or a different yeast making beer ferment and bubble.

So I guess I'm talking about the awe-factor that comes with the creation process; my own mad-scientist moment for sure.

Peace,
Cheesey-boy