vacuum...in a rush this morning. Anyways, I can tell you from trial and error. There is a way to make good cheese, and there is a way to make dried-out crap that isn't any good.
First of all, to make a traditional cheese wheel, that is moist and delicious, you need a quality cheese press.
I have ordered several, and this one is the BEST for an amateur homemade cheese-maker:
[link to www.cheesemaking.com]
This press is great for pressing cheese curd into a solid wheel of cheese! Let the crust form, slather it in cheese wax, and then seal it in a vacuum bag and place it in your cheese refrigerator to age and become delicious. Cheese refrigerator? Use a small refrigerator and this thermostat:
(bottom of page)
[link to www.leeners.com]




For those who just want a soft cheese to add spices to and use as a spread or a dip...
Kefir grains are excellent-they last forever and just dip them in the milk overnight, take them out the next day and let your milk set and then strain it in a cheesecloth or nylon bag....add chopped sundried tomatoes, garlic, toasted sesame seeds, garlic and chives.

For a slightly sour soft cheese spread that makes an excellent layered strawberry jam and "cheesecake" dessert, fromage blanc cultures are the way to go:
[link to www.cheesemaking.com]