How to Make Brick Cheese at Home

Brick Cheese originates from Wisconsin USA, first made by John Jossi around 1877. The term "Brick" comes from the mould shape and an actual brick that was first used for pressing. Help fund the next video by pledging your support at Patreon; / greeningofgavin
Ingredients
• 8 litres (8 quarts) whole cows milk
• 1/8 teaspoon (Dash) Thermophilic culture
• 1/32 teaspoon (Smidgen) Brevibacterium Linens
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) Calcium Chloride diluted in 1/4 cup
cool non-chlorinated water
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) Liquid Rennet (IMCU 200) diluted in 1/4 cup
cool non-chlorinated water
• 18% Saturated Brine Solution
Please help contribute to translations and subtitles for this video: www.youtube.com...
I recommend our Italian cheese kit with which to make Brick Cheese at www.littlegree...
and add on a couple of rectangle baskets; www.littlegree...
Check out my other cheese tutorials; • All Cheese Making Tuto...
For the written recipes, visit www.littlegree...
My cheese making Audio Podcast;
www.littlegree...
Facebook; / thecheesemantv or
/ littlegreenworkshops

[@margaretbrown2568]

Love that you always explain everything, never taking it for granted, that there are always people watching for the first time. Loved that you even gave reasons for the use of different cheese cloths.

[@FamicomVinnk]

I'm from Wisconsin and Brick is such a delicious cheese that so few people have heard of. Thank you for your video, and showing others about this great cheese. I loved watching it.

[@puglydoodle]

Me too. Born and raised in Watertown. Watertown has Kraemer's Dairy and if you like Brick you can get the mildest to a cheese so strong your dog will run from you once he smells your fingers!

[@JobesCheeseLab]

I am excited for the aging of this one! Stinky rind cheeses are such cool little microbiology experiments each time we (cheesemakers) make them. Good stuff!

[@GavinWebber]

I think that the washed rind cheeses are becoming my favourite styles of cheese.

[@thomshere]

Wow…Thank you so much! I live in the deep south (USA) and can't find this cheese to buy around here anywhere and to mail-order it is way too expensive. This is 1/3 of the cheese blend for the "Detroit style" square pizza's that were (and still is) baked in seasoned steel car parts bins from the car companies. The other 2/3rd's are provolone and whole milk mozzarella. When baked in the square steel parts pans the pizza will come out thick and the cheese will melt around the edges and become this crunchy magical substance that will make you want more and more! It's for my money the BEST pizza ever! Thanks for all your great videos, they are all well done!

[@thereverendcoyote]

Same here! Don't worry about the pattern on the cheese. Traditional brick has a tight weave pattern so your good.

[@danielleshelbourne220]

Thank you so much for this tutorial. I make Detroit Pizza regularly (because it’s ridiculously good) and, as you know, Wisconsin Brick Cheese is not available in Australia. I use a combination of low moisture mozzarella and cheddar currently; while it’s yum it’s not authentic. Finally I can make authentic Detroit Pizza. I appreciate all the work you put into creating your amazing content for the rest of us to benefit from. Many thanks. 🙏 🤩

[@harrisonbrown7267]

"makes the cheese smell a bit pongy" - gotta love Aussie slang.

[@thecaitiff]

Since you say you're enjoying washed rind cheeses, I'd love to see a video on some of the Trappist abbey style cheeses. Chimay and Chaumes are both delicious.

[@meganpopple9100]

Wisconsin Brick is one of the few cheeses made with ferments that I enjoy. The mellowness of the ferment is lovely. Being from Wisconsin can have its perks. 😁

[@nlamorte90]

Shoutout from Wisconsin!!!!

[@mbabington57]

Awesome new camera Gavin, keep up the great work!

[@christianhansen3292]

very complicated to make cheese must be a patient man! much props to ya! love cheese wish i would do it the same As You.

[@brucer2152]

Gavin: Is it only aging of a cheese that makes it a sharp or sharper cheese?

[@llywnogmawr5853]

Gday Gavin Sadly I have earned the nickname “ curd nerd “ due to my enthusiasm of making cheese , thankfully I live in the middle of a dairy farming community, they understand. I have learned much , thanks B

[@GavinWebber]

Epic! Not sad at all. Wear the badge proudly!

[@xtrathiccboi]

Finally something to build my house with

[@jimothyfarthammer]

It's amazing how basically the same process with basically the same ingredients can produce such a wide variety of cheeses and I think that's part of what makes cheese making a little intimidating for me. It seems that there's a lot of science here and a lot of ways to mess things up.

[@eyeswideshut2800]

Not at all, he ate every mistake he made. Just boil some WHOLE milk to 175 or first when it first boils and add an acid like lemon juice. He's a bit complicated with the scientific terms but it's just adding back in the fat and separating with an acid. He prefers the actual culture and calcium chloride along with rennet. We all need a form of rennet and real fat to extract but nothing else but trial and error.

[@jamyedowell245]

At worst you'll aim for cheddar and get some mellow yellow cheese that you can name whatever you want because it didn't come out as cheddar.

[@parasharkchari]

I am only watching this now, some 3 years after you posted it because I was kind of interested in making it at home. While the cheese we normally use in India is really a processed cheese product (similar to American cheese), the flavor profile is very similar to Brick, from what I can tell. While you can get that stuff that's used in India here where I live, it's also unreasonably expensive (import tariffs and all...), which actually makes it one of the few cheeses that is potentially cheaper to make at home than to buy. Also, if you're into Detroit style pizza, brick cheese is actually the standard cheese for it in lieu of Mozzarella... so double win.

[@georgethomas9436]

Thank you. I really like the easy cheeses. Easy cheddar is another good one.

[@keeperofthegood]

That came out very well Gavin, not a lot to do about ridge marks but I don't think they detract from the cheese, we all need our own thumb prints in our work. My little brie I recently did I matured on straws, had a strange undulation pattern but the cheese was great all the same. I think this is the first time you have used a non-round form for cheese.

[@GavinWebber]

Yes, besides Feta of course

[@pluvial-dude7348]

That intro made me jump back to Wallis and gromit i love it

[@killsalot78]

well good day curd nerds

[@o0julek0o]

Lets put that out on a tray. Nice.

[@neweditionmaterial]

I have no intentions of making this but damn it’s interesting

[@AxelMurillo]

Gavin, can you please make Queso Oaxaca? :)

[@kaufeedrinker]

He already has. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIW0pIKbm7asq6c

[@carolavant3778]

Another yummy-looking cheese, Gavin! Thank you! I'll be trying this one as soon as hurricane season is over here.

[@dwaynewladyka577]

Another fabulous looking cheese, Gavin. Well done! Cheers!

[@jep9092]

I love the music it feels like holiday music

[@alexcharmander8455]

Very good video in fact I come from where this cheese originated

[@GeologyTV]

Good job

[@cyndiharrington1751]

Wow interesting history

[@thisculturedlife2220]

It'll be almost midnight before I'm done pressing. Can the brining wait until morning?

[@motherearth5462]

Wish you would come to my house in the U.S.A. and help me make this! Great job, I enjoy your videos!

[@tk-gn1tn]

Is this recipe available in grams by any chance? Thanks for the video

[@BrendaBodwin]

Working so much I'm behind on my videos. Mmm, brick cheese. 😁

[@melmicsim]

Maybe a silly question, but what happens if you put in too much of the bacteria? Say, instead of 1/32, you put in 1/8?

[@yoanhendriklimah1621]

melmicsim 1/32 is less than 1/8 ...

[@hannesH3]

I'd love to see you make prästcheese. It's really good!

[@nicholascervone4734]

Hello I have a question I was wondering what temperatures you can age cheese in it says in the 50s but what if the coldest temperature you can find in your house is 65 is it possible to aged cheese in that temperature

[@eyeswideshut2800]

Go for it, put it on a wood block on salt after a salt brine soak and give it at least 60 days. Flip it daily or every other and If you see mold forming on outside just salt water wash it off. Make sure to compress the whey out by weighting and flipping or moisture and mold. It's all about temperature regulation and the moisture in YOUR air so go for it, it's just milk. You'll find he uses plastic molds so he gets variations in softness and fermenting so it'll all depend.

[@SUNARROWSUNARROW]

Thank you gavin i wus wondering if by chans if you can do a video of what happrns win you over press a chees im verriy qiriyid on the riysaults thats if you downt minde doing it .

[@johnhowaniec5979]

Only thing i notice that's different the brick cheese i buy to make Detroit style pizza is that it is firmer and you can grate it. So they must press it more?

[@GavinWebber]

Probably

[@motherearth5462]

Can you show us how to make Asiago?

[@GavinWebber]

Your wish is my command: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5W5lWh7bbOfrrc

[@motherearth5462]

Gavin Webber Yayyyyyyyyyy, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M SO EXCITED!

[@hesay3388]

This curd thing makes my stomach twist and turn but this is low-key interesting

[@danafidler8815]

Good thing you don't live in Wisconsin where they also make and sell fried cheese curd! Talk about something stinky, that it makes my stomach turn but its very popular!

[@bradsummers8916]

Great video

[@nicaninja3918]

Gavin, you used tap water to wash the curds? Is your tap water non-chlorinated?

[@_letstartariot]

I haven’t heard the word ‘pongy’ since the 90’s lol.

[@ryburks2758]

I always hear you say use "non-chlorinated" water. Why was it alright to use chlorinated tap water in this recipe?

[@GavinWebber]

because the culture activity had already occurred. chlorinate water also inhibit coagulation in the rennet, so as long as you only use non-chlorinated water when mixing ingredients, then you will be fine. Using tap water to wash the curds is fine.

[@ryburks2758]

Thanks!

[@benjamindejonge3624]

Congratulations you just made a Milwaukee Limburger cheese I suppose

[@bojasem8930]

hello sir i love the way how to make cheese

[@Dinckelburg]

Is it the same style as the French brique?

[@EDDIEGARAGE]

tap water is chlorinated, is it?

[@GavinWebber]

It is in Australia

[@debcareyhollenstein8460]

Where do ya get the ingredients?

[@GavinWebber]

In my shop; www.littlegreenworkshops.com.au/product-category/cheese-making/

[@shanej2429]

Hi Gavin, is this the same cheese mould you have in your shop? SKU MM73142? Thanks!

[@GavinWebber]

Yes, thats the one

[@williammcneil6730]

what does the cheese taste like ?

[@GavinWebber]

Search for the taste test video

[@briananthonylee08]

Ayy Wisconsin!

[@nikomitchell2457]

How did I go from minecraft to cheese

[@danafidler8815]

I really liked brick cheese, I'm from Wisconsin and I ate it a lot as a kid but it's been so long since I have eaten it, I don't remember what it tastes like! It's been 42 years since I've had it! Please refresh my memory, isn't it similar in taste to that of American sliced cheese that can be purchased unsliced, sliced and not wrapped and sliced individually wrapped? I know you aren't from the US, so I'm not sure if you are familiar with sliced American cheese! Thank you for the video!

[@Mark-ci6ln]

I wonder if anyone’s build a house out of cheese

[@carlsaganbobross]

You look good in 4k ;)

[@mars_official]

have you tried to ever make your own rennet or substitute 'vegan' cheeses before? I am looking to pretty much setup an off grid homestead and my main concern is if i have all my stock of rennet go bad and am in need of rennet, is there maybe an old school method of making your own for emergency situations where i may have a stash of milk i cannot use for example

[@mars_official]

pre industrialization how did they used to make rennet, i tried to google but i was inundated with places selling the stuff but not a lot of references. maybe you know of an older book or something with your vast knowledge on the subject, i'm kinda being hopeful really.

[@jaypee9569]

www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/cheese/make-nettle-rennet-cheesemaking/ or www.countryfarm-lifestyles.com/rennet.html#.W0gogmhOk1I

[@cmlivengood]

The most ancient way is to take the stomach of an unweaned calf and dry it. Then use a small portion of that to make the rennet.

[@GogiRegion]

It’s the inside of the fourth chamber of a calf’s stomach scraped and cut off from the rest of the stomach.

[@CarolB-qe8mf]

The earliest known vegetable rennet is purple thistle. You use the opened thistle blossom/flower. The instruction I read so long ago said to tie the blossom With string to pull it out of the cheese curds but I had better luck the few times I used it by putting the pulled apart blossom in a cloth bag. By the way you want the blossom itself, not the green outside with the stickers/prickers.

[@Casperbskibby]

Love your videos, but why do you always show us that you set the timer on your iphone, while still writing it in the video.. We do believe you Gavin :)

[@GavinWebber]

Just a habit I suppose. It helps me during editing.

[@georgepretnick4460]

Is Brick close to Limburger?

[@GavinWebber]

Yes, fairly similar in recipe

[@juancamilopen]

Thanks Gavin awesome video like always! 2 quick questions. Will the chlorinated tap water used for washing affect the cheese? And can you use the whey even though it has been diluted with water?

[@GavinWebber]

Hi Juan, no and no.

[@juancamilopen]

@@GavinWebber thank you!! Love your videos. Bought myself a kit from the little green shop and so far succeeded at making fresco, cheddar and cacioricotta. Check minute 10:50 - might be a bit confusing for some people

[@Mrpurple75]

Used tap water, so it doesn’t have to be non chlorinated

[@farazbaig1565]

If only such ingredients are available in India in online and offline supermarkets

[@timhewitt32]

Gavin ships to India

[@pesto12601]

Ha... love to make this but it is just too easy to run down to the cheese shop and buy a chunk!

[@motherearth5462]

pesto12601 There is Pride when you can make it yourself...And REALLY, it is more cost efficient when it comes down to it..

[@pesto12601]

I do agree with you... but - this isn't just a "quick cook and enjoy"... you need to have sterilized materials, 10-12 hours of time and then weeks of patience before you enjoy this cheese... I can hop on bike and pick up a chunk within a few minutes.. for a few dollars... would love to make it - but convenience often wins in these cases.

[@natesky6603]

making cheese is almost as demanding as taking care of a baby

[@GavinWebber]

It is indeed

[@andymg3]

Just go to Walmart jeez

[@mikeda1532]

JuSt gO To wAlMaRt JeEz, yeah you can do that but homemade is better, so go enjoy your Walmart cheese, I'd rather have homemade

[@newquinn22]

Hilariously, I keep getting adds on your videos for non-dairy ice cream. Oh, KZbin!

[@michelleneal6860]

Brick is one of my favorite sandwich cheeses. It's so good! Salty, slightly crumblier than Wisconsin Munster, but still a bit creamy! In Chicago (my home sweet home) there is a unique dish called Pizza Pot Pie served at Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Company which uses Brick instead of Mozzarella in their upside down deep dish concoctions. Makes sense to me!

[@annab8401]

Hey Gavin, I’m a Wisconsinite! Love your videos! Your voice is so relaxing to me for some reason, and I love cheese too!

[@morthim]

something conspicuously missing from the channel is cheesecake. how long would you culture cheesecake?

[@CarolB-qe8mf]

Hmm, I always thought that brick cheese was called that because it was shaped like a brick. Never knew it was actually a variety of cheese.

[@karoleigharmstrong8568]

I like the patterns on the cheese, gives it interest.

[@emasuma6897]

brevibacterium linens is't very necessary to make that kind of cheese because I didn't find it in my country

[@jeanvilbert6164]

Loved your videos! Is that ok to vacuum seal this cheese?

[@GavinWebber]

Yes you can! After it has matured.

[@MrShannonite]

New subscriber here (hit the red button 5 hours ago). Thank you for the whole channel, this is total cheesey nerdgasm.

[@michellepernula872]

Disinfected sinks, disinfected water handles? Cheese cloth touching bottom and sides of sink and counter tops...all disinfected? Hum.

[@lukejosselyn7706]

M Perongo have you ever heard of a no rinse liquid sanitiser ?? If the whole work area has been properly cleaned & then sanitised it wouldn't matter if the cheese cloth touches these surfaces. Have you noticed the small spray bottle that's usually seen in most of the videos, I'd put money down that it's filled with this sanitiser solution. Do you really think Gav would contaminate the cheeses he makes 🤦🏻

[@cesarbattistini]

Yay for the metric system!

[@andyottito1]

Eh, it ain't no Freedom Unit.

[@MikeandHelen1]

Is it possible to make an inedible cheese that tastes too strong?

[@GavinWebber]

Yes, just age it too long or at a higher temperature than necessary

[@garyinner6543]

Does the chlorine in the tap water affect the cheese? You're careful to use non-chlorinated water with the rennet, but when you wash the curds later, you use tap water?

[@terencegillespie6675]

Thanks a load for your time and labor here. I love Brick cheese and wondered how it is made. $11 for a brick of it here in N Wisconsin.

[@lf1153]

Wow, it looks complicated. Thanks for sharing!

[@jonathanleiman3302]

2:25 Superman makes brick cheese

[@garyinner6543]

Where did you buy your ripening boxes?

[@Frank-the-Tank-13]

Can I still ask you a question about this?

[@GavinWebber]

You just did 🤪

[@Frank-the-Tank-13]

I’m think of making this cheese. Which will be my first. What does this taste like???

[@xKagryx]

Love a good curd cutting

[@melissaallen2648]

Brick cheese! Hooray!

[@TheDAMASCUSSMITH]

Good day to you. I was thinking it would be helpful to add a total processing time, up to the pressing, to the ingredient list. After watching many of your videos, I've found that some of your processes are surprisingly long. It would give someone relative times to make the various yummies. Some of these should be started early in the morning.

[@GavinWebber]

Most should be started early in the morning. Thanks for the feedback BTW

[@Rosk03]

Respect !

[@justcharlie6038]

gavin! i just bought my first Kit! i hope to have some nice gift cheese for christmas... pray for me 😂😂

[@GavinWebber]

Best of luck!

[@joefish1498]

Hello Gavin...May i assume i may delete the calcium chloride if i use raw milk?

[@GavinWebber]

Yes

[@kenwhibley2493]

Hi Gavin from the UK, What were the dimensions og your brick mould.

[@GavinWebber]

Hi Ken, here is the full info on the basket I used for Brick; www.littlegreenworkshops.com.au/product/large-rectangular-cheese-basket/

[@jgvtc559]

If i wanted to make cheddar do i add anything different

[@GavinWebber]

Yes, use a different recipe; kzbin.info/www/bejne/rnbRmpmPg9N3eaM

[@MrSamee36]

Hello, I really like your videos. I watched most of them, and I really enjoying them. Could you please make a video about making a trappist style cheese, which is very popular and common in my country? Many thanks. Regards: Peter (Hungary)

[@GavinWebber]

Like this one; kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYXbgqJrm9OGmbM

[@MrSamee36]

Exactly, thanks. :)

[@jamesroberts2216]

Hi Gavin. Great video. Thank you! I watched because a friend and I want to make Detroit style pizza and we can’t by this cheese in deepest darkest Dorset. I am going to have a go at making it. Can you tell me how long the cheese would be aged to go on pizza as I read that it is young meant to be young. I watched your taster video and it looked really good but perhaps more mature than would be required for pizza. Cheers. James.

[@Seansfishingtales]

Dead set thought you said curd turds and started laughing hahaha