Interactive lesson

Whey and whey cheese, step by step

Interactive lesson: what to do with 8–9 litres of whey from every 10 litres of milk — whey cheese, the kitchen, pigs and hens, the garden, buttermilk and colostrum.

Free sample Chapters 1 and 2 (8 steps) are free. The full lesson comes with the Whey, whey cheese and by-products module. Already bought? Unlock

This lesson is general guidance, not professional training. Local regulations and expert advice always take precedence. Read our disclaimer.

The whole lesson as text

1. What's left of the milk

When you make cheese from 10 litres of milk, 8–9 litres of whey are left in the pan.

Whey in the pan — 10 L of milk leaves 8–9 L of yellowish whey. Don't pour it away: every litre has its place.
Sweet whey — Comes from milk set by rennet. Its pH is 6.2–6.6, it tastes mild and it makes whey cheese.
Acid whey — Left from acid-set fresh cheese and strained yoghurt. Its pH is 4.4–4.8; for bread, drinks and the garden, but not for whey cheese.
Process or chill — At room temperature whey sours within a few hours. Process it straight away or chill it to 4–6 °C, just like milk.

Why: Whey holds about half the nutrients of the milk: milk sugar, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Grandmothers made whey cheese from it, kneaded bread with it, gave it to the pigs and watered the garden with it.

Plan cheese day so that you make the whey cheese straight afterwards. The whey is still warm, so heating takes less time.
8–9 L of whey gives 0.3–0.8 kg of whey cheese.

2. Whey cheese from sweet whey

Whey cheese is a soft white cheese made from the proteins in whey.

Heat while stirring — Heat the whey and stir now and then so the bottom doesn't burn.
Stop at 80 °C — Put the spoon down. Stirring breaks the flakes into a powder that runs through the muslin.
Up to 88–92 °C — Flakes rise to the surface. The whey mustn't boil: the whey cheese turns hard and rubbery. Turn off the heat at 92 °C.
When there are no flakes — Add 9 % vinegar 10 mL per 10 L at a time (about 20 mL of 5 %) and draw the ladle gently across. No more than 50 mL of 9 % in all; too much gives hard, sour whey cheese.

Why: It is made only from sweet whey, within 2–3 hours of the cheese, or chilled for up to 24 h. 10 L of cow's whey gives roughly 0.3–0.5 kg of whey cheese, sheep whey 0.6–1 kg.

If the whey sits somewhere warm all afternoon, no whey cheese will form.
Keep a thermometer in the pan: 80 °C (176 °F) and 92 °C (198 °F) decide it.