How to Make COLBY Cheese at Home from Scratch

How to Make COLBY Cheese at Home from Scratch
Everyone loves Colby cheese no matter your age! Colby is a firm cheese that tastes similar to Cheddar but is even milder (less sharp). It is often referred to as Cheddar's cousin. Colby goes great in a sandwich, on a cracker, or as part of an impressive cheese board.
You can make this cows' milk cheese at home following Mary Anne’s simple directions, ingredients and tools. Colby needs to age at least 2 months before you eat it and it gets better with age.
While this demonstration uses UN-homogenized cows’ milk, you can also use homogenized if that is all you have access to-you will still get a great tasting Colby cheese!
Please consider becoming a patron & supporting this channel, by making a donation through Patreon: / givecheeseachance
Learn about how to make other cheeses at home (i.e. cheddar, feta, camembert, mascarpone, quick mozzarella, cream cheese, ricotta, labneh, Nabulsi, Belper Knolle, colby, yogurt, as well as crottin-, valencay-, and boursin-style cheeses).
To buy cheesemaking ingredients & tools in Canada, go to: glengarrychees...​
To buy cheesemaking ingredients & tools in the USA, visit: cheesemaking.com​
Royalty-free music clips for this video are shown here:
"Autumn in Paris” by Dimitry Khlynin 2019
"George Street Shuffle" by Kevin MacLeod 2017
"Shades of Spring" by Kevin MacLeod 2017

[@cherylbenson9356]

Your videos are fantastic. I have watched several now and I am inspired to make all these cheeses. You explain the steps clearly, show the techniques in full and also explain why steps are done so I get a complete picture of the process. These are the best cheese-making videos I have seen. Thank you so much for passing on your incredible knowledge.

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

Oh Cheryl, you have made my day. Thank you so much for your kind words. Having feedback like that makes me want to do more. Go ahead and make cheese! All the best, Mary Anne

[@alexandrialindsay8826]

I love your tutorials they are specific and we'll pronounced that I can understand, thankyou for making a detailed graphical video 🥰 pearl from new Zealand

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

Hi Pearl, Thank you so much for commenting! Give it a try! It is so much fun and satisfying! All the best from Canada. Mary Anne

[@Alexander-uj5pb]

If the colby is half as good as the presentation it will be fantastic.

[@mdshawki3]

Excellent nice job, would please for coming videos show us ho to cover the molds cheese with paraffin wax at home

[@judyrosy]

Would adding butter to homogenized milk make it better for making cheese?

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

I have never done that and would not advise it. Sorry, JudyRose.

[@theelizabethan1]

This video deserves more views! BTW, the word, "Colby," appears and sounds English. Most might be surprised to learn it's an American (state of Wisconsin) originated cheese, created by a Wisconsin cheese-making family by the surname, "Weinstand." The cheeses, Monterey Jack, and of course, "American," are U. S. originated cheeses, which I knew. But learning that the Colby variety came out of Wisconsin raises my appreciation for the "Cheesehead State's" dairy artisans. Another name for Colby is "Longhorn" which derives from the long cylinders that the cheese was traditionally formed in.

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

Such interesting information to share! Thank you so much!

[@ginabisaillon2894]

You can make your own non-homogenized milk this way: in 4 quarts or litres of 0% skim milk, add half a litre or 2 cups of 35% cream. That will give you a butterfly content of 3.8%, the same as you recommend in this video. Be sure to buy cream that has no additives!

[@frederickmagill9454]

👍👍👌👌

[@alaingattelet7833]

So sad you guys in Canada have no access to raw milk 😢 when I see that pasteurized milk 😭

[@AABGEENIHEALTHNFITNESS]

Hi very nice I am sayada Abgina Sajjad Zain ul Aabideen a biggest fan of you n your videos and mostly I tired..@Marry anni want to ask one thing all butter with water you drain respectfully you are my chees teacher please telle butter is drained with water why...??

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

Hello. I think you are referring to the "whey" and are asking why it is drained into the sink. I hope I am addressing your question correctly. Many people use the whey to make soups, smoothies, ricotta, etc. Yes, you can definitely do that. On the days I am making videos though, I don't save the whey. I also think that for people who are just learning a new cheese recipe, they may not want to save the whey either. However, feel free to do so.

[@pbr2805]

Great video! What do you do do with all the cheese that you make???

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

I serve it on cheese & charcuterie boards when entertaining. We also make Mac & Cheese, put it on salads, put it in lunch boxes, and give it to friends and family!

[@Cheese52]

Hi MaryAnne- Congratulations on reaching the 1000 sub threshold! Fantastic! Lisa

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

Awwww, that is so kind of you, Lisa. I wish we could share cheeses. By the way, your videos are fantastic!

[@Cheese52]

@@GiveCheeseaChance Someday- when I am able to visit my parents, maybe we could! They live north of Hamilton, ON :) I could let you know when I plan a visit... It would be fun!

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

@@Cheese52 That really would indeed by awesome! I am only 20 minutes from Hamilton.

[@bruh.....8560]

Congratulations i search cheese channel and i saw ur channel then i click and i saw u have 999 sub so i sub u😄

[@bruh.....8560]

Congo for 1k

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

@@bruh.....8560 Thank you! Yes, I now reached 1000 subscribers and it is exciting!

[@bruh.....8560]

😄

[@leilafelis]

Your videos are fantastic. Such an inspiration.

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

Thank you so very much for your kind feedback!

[@JamesMartindale-qn1vu]

I was watching your video on the making of blue cheese and used raw goat's milk... Is the raw goat's milk powder is a capable making a good blue cheese... please let me know thank you very much

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

Hello James, I don't have a video of making a blue cheese with raw goat milk, but I have a video of making blue cheese with PASTEURIZED SHEEP milk. Is that the one you are thinking of? I don't have any experience using powdered milk to make cheese but I have heard of people doing it.

[@6psg]

Can I age this cheese in my regular refrigerator for longer and still get a good result?

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

Yes, you can. It will take quite a bit longer to mature, but you'll still get a fine cheese.

[@ddpav9663]

Maryanne, can you share info on how your husband made the cheese press. Where did he get the plastic, thickness etc. I am going to try and make one. It looks so simple and tye most functional I've seen.

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

He searched on-line for THICK plastic cutting boards and bought 2. This is important -- I didn't want wood because I wanted to put the boards into the dishwasher if needed, and I didn't want them warping from moisture exposure. Also, make sure you cut the 4 holes for the pipes almost exactly the same diameter as the pipes themselves (or 1-2 mm bigger only). Our initial press had holes that were too large and the top board would rock back and forth too much when the weight was applied. A thick board and the right sized holes are key. I hope this helps.

[@ddpav9663]

Thanks so much Marryanne. I actually found a couple of 1" plastic boards online. What diameter pipes did he use? are they just the galvanized ones from home depot?

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

@@ddpav9663 The diameter of the pipes are 3/4 inch. Yes, he got the pipes from Home Depot! I think any thick pipe size would work though--the thicker the pipe, the more stable (surface area) the press will be.

[@stephenthudium7228]

Excellent press. I noticed that the bottom board has drainage channels that slope downward from the right to the left (so that gravity causes the liquid to flow to one side). Seems to me that those channels could only be fabricated at a machine shop. I'm thinking of copying your idea, but use drainage holes, instead. And, to keep the liquid from spilling off the side, I would add 1-1/2" metal strips on all four edges of the bottom board. This would create a 1/2" wall above the board along all four edges of the board.

[@publicliarbility7531]

What is this lovely ladies name. She is like a queen of cheese. so knowledgeable and a fantastic teacher. thanks for all the vids.

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

Thank you for your comment! (Mary Anne is my name.)

[@lamyaatef4352]

Hi, Thank you very much.I have a question can I use butter milk culture instead of mesophillic culture ? If I can what amount of it be used in this recipe?

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

Yes, if the buttermilk has LIVE/ACTIVE mesophilic bacterial culture in it, you can, although I haven't done it myself. I interviewed a person who never buys freeze-dried cultures, and I think you might be interested to see what she did. Go directly to the 3 min 15 sec mark if you are rushed for time... (kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmqsqGZ3pNCor9U). I also think you would find this episode about bacteria used in cheesemaking very informative. We talk about using yogurt and kefir products in cheesemaking for their bacterial cultures around the 3 minute mark. (kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmGZpZSue61ng7M). I hope you find these informative!

[@lamyaatef4352]

@@GiveCheeseaChance thank you very much

[@thisboymomlife]

Absolutely loving your cheese making videos! I started cheese making about a year ago.

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

That's great! What cheeses have you made so far?

[@thisboymomlife]

@@GiveCheeseaChance I've made mozzarella, cheddar, pepper jack, colby, asiago and parmesan.

[@maryannefarah4367]

@@thisboymomlife That’s amazing! Hooray for you! I’m impressed. What’s your next cheese project?

[@thisboymomlife]

@@maryannefarah4367 I'm pretty much just making those cheeses. I would like to try gouda or some other cheeses like havarti sometime maybe, after I build my cheese cave stash.

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

@@thisboymomlife Well that's a lot to be proud of. Those are not beginner cheeses. What about trying a surface-ripened cheese like brie for a change?

[@threevoyagershomestead7692]

Does it go bitter if you age it longer? Than 2 months

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

Bitter? It shouldn't get bitter just because you age it longer.

[@achourtamaguelt139]

Hi. Good video. I have a question. How can you get non-chlorited water ? Thanks.

[@maryannefarah4367]

Some fridge filters remove chlorine, but if you don’t have one, no problem! Set a bowl of tap water on your counter overnight and as you sleep, all the chlorine will dissipate into the air and you will have unchlorinated water ready in the morning.

[@achourtamaguelt139]

@@maryannefarah4367 thank you very much.

[@suebruggeman1646]

love it!

[@cynajoy433]

Super interesting. I haven’t had colby cheese for years. Gotta go get some now!

[@maryannefarah4367]

It’s one of my faves!

[@arashmirhosseini2513]

Thank you for the detailed recipe! One question: How can I scale the recipe down? I want to use 2 gallons of milk instead of 3 gallons.

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

You can reduce all volumes by 1/3. That shouldn't be a problem. It is hard to do that with small volumes though.

[@jambar0201]

Hi lady Please what is the effect of vinegar in the brine thanks

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

The vinegar lowers the pH (acidity) of the brine.

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

Actually, I explain the use of vinegar in my feta video. Go to this video and fast forward to the 16 minute mark: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJ-Xi5qnibyifqM&lc=UgxKKxZfWYLl6p9glUp4AaABAg.9OpWUemxrOU9OrzLcO-EF7

[@janbeck7989]

The only milk that's available to me is homogenized. Do you think I could add butter to my milk during the heating process to make the cheese less dry and crumbly?

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

Hi Jan, you could try and add butter but I am just not sure about that. You would still have a lot of small fat globules from the homogenized milk in there. I have made many cheeses with homogenized milk. The biggest downfall is that the cheese won't melt well (like you want in a grilled cheese). But the cheese still tastes great!

[@janbeck7989]

@@GiveCheeseaChance I think I'm going to try. I hate that my cheese is dry and doesn't melt nicely. Thank you for the reply!!

[@GiveCheeseaChance]

@@janbeck7989 Experimentation is always good! Let me know how it turns out!

[@janbeck7989]

@@GiveCheeseaChance I just wanted you to know, I made a Guido's by adding about 1/4 stick of butter. This is the most successful cheese I've made to date and the best melting. I would have never thought to experiment like this if it wasn't for your support...Thank you!!

[@maryannefarah4367]

@@janbeck7989 That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you! Glad it worked out. :-)