Description

Peter Dixon’s published Greek feta sheet for 100 lb milk. Fresh pasteurized path: 5 DCU CHOOZIT MT1 or MA 011/014/016/019; heat 90–93 °F; ripen 1 h. 9 ml single-strength rennet (cow/goat; 5 ml sheep). Floc 12–15 min × 4. Cut ½ in, settle 2–3 min, stir 15–30 min until bouncy. Ladle into basket forms; turn at 30 min, 1 h, 1 h, 2–3 h; overnight at 68–72 °F. Next morning pH 4.70–4.80, then saturated 20–24% brine 4 hours per pound. Age in 8–10% whey brine. Finished pH 4.50. Age 45–55 °F, more than a year if cared for. Yield is not published. Do not mix with NMSU or NEC feta.

Recipe details

Style

Brined cheese

Country

Greece

Region

Westminster artisan sheet (Greek feta)

PDO

No

Schema version

1.00

Type

Home recipe

Vegetarian

Yes

Created

2026-09-09

License

CC-BY-4.0

Author

CheeseXML 1.00 reference set

Units

US

Milk

Cow milk, Pasteurized, Not homogenized

Milk volume

12 gal

Active time

18 h

Total time

60 d

Scale

For milk volume: 12 gal

Ingredients

• Whole milk, not ultra-pasteurized — 12 gal

  Role: Base milk · Kind: Whole milk

• CHOOZIT MT1 or MA 011/014/016/019, 5 DCU — 5 DCU

  Role: Culture · Kind: Culture

  Preparation: Time: 2 min; Instruction: Sprinkle on the milk surface and rehydrate 2 minutes before stirring in.

  Dixon fresh pasteurized path: 5 DCU MT1 or MA series. Aged raw path on the same sheet: 2.5 DCU MT1 or 1.25 DCU MA + 1 DCU TA60 + 1 DCU LB340 — not used here.

• Single-strength rennet — 9 ml

  Role: Coagulant · Kind: Rennet

  Preparation: Dilute in: 0.25 cup; Instruction: Dilute in cool non-chlorinated water.

Equipment

• Heavy-bottomed pot
• Dairy thermometer
• Curd knife
• Slotted ladle
• Cheese hoop / mold
• Brine container
• Butter muslin / cheesecloth
• pH strips or meter

Process

1. Heat milk to 90–93 °F

   Heat · Milk preparation

   Heat 100 lb milk to 90–93 °F.

   Temperature: 91.5 °F (90–93 °F)

2. Culture 1 hour

   Step code · Ripening

   Add 5 DCU MT1 or MA 011/014/016/019. Wait one hour.

   Temperature: 91.5 °F · Time: 1 h · Addition: Amount: 5 DCU

3. Rennet; floc 12–15 min × 4

   Step code · Coagulation

   Add 9 ml single-strength rennet (5 ml sheep). Flocculation 12–15 minutes × 4 (e.g. 12 × 4 = 48 min).

   Temperature: 91.5 °F · Time: 48 min · Flocculation: 12 min × 4 · Until: Clean break · Addition: Amount: 9 ml

4. Cut ½ in; settle 2–3 min

   Cut · Cutting

   Cut ½-inch cubes. Settle 2–3 minutes.

   Size: 0.5 in · Curd cuts: Cut: Size: 0.5 in; Wait: 5 min; Cut: Size: 0.5 in · Settle: Duration: 2.5 min (2–3 min)

5. Stir 15–30 min until bouncy

   Stir · Stirring

   Stir in whey 15–30 minutes at 90–93 °F until the curds bounce from hand to hand.

   Temperature: 91.5 °F · Time: 22 min (15–30 min)

6. Basket forms; turns through the night

   Step code · Molding

   Settle 10 min, drain whey to the curd line, ladle into perforated or basket forms. Turn at 30 min, again at 1 h, again at 1 h, again at 2–3 h. Overnight at 68–72 °F. Save whey for the 8–10% aging brine.

   Settle: Duration: 10 min · Flips: Turn: After: 30 min; Turn: After: 1 h; Turn: After: 1 h

7. pH 4.70–4.80, then 4 h/lb saturated brine

   Step code · Salting

   Next morning the cheese should be pH 4.70–4.80. Then saturated 20–24% brine, 4 hours per pound. Move to 8–10% whey brine in sealed containers. Finished cheese pH 4.50.

   pH: 4.75 · Brining: Saturated: Yes; 8.8 hours per kg

8. Age in 8–10% whey brine at 45–55 °F

   Age · Aging

   Age at 45–55 °F for more than one year if cared for. Yield is not published.

   Temperature: 50 °F (45–55 °F) · Time: 60 d

Also known as

Dairy Foods Consulting Greek Feta

Targets

pH at salting: 4.5; pH at demolding: 4.75

Aging

Duration: 60 d; Stage: Name: Whey brine; Duration: 60 d; Temperature: 50 °F (45–55 °F)

Packaging

In brine

Allergens

Allergen: Milk

Safety

Use milk that is not ultra-pasteurized. Pasteurize unknown raw milk. Sanitize equipment.

Source

Title: Feta Greek — Dairy Foods Consulting / Westminster Artisan Cheesemaking; Creator: Peter Dixon, MS / Dairy Foods Consulting; Year: 2015; URL: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/552d4535e4b03d0c390b51a0/t/5563273de4b01df36d26a020/1432561469240/dfc+feta+greek.pdf