Beginner

Home Cheese Maker Spotlight: Bernard’s Feta-Style Cheese with Kefir

Bernard’s Feta-Style Cheese with Kefir

We love hearing from home cheese makers who are finding creative ways to make delicious cheese in their own kitchens—and Bernard Smith’s feta-style cheese is a perfect example. Made with homemade kefir and a deep understanding of the process, Bernard’s method is a thoughtful blend of tradition and innovation.

A Go-To Homemade Cheese

Bernard makes feta-style cheese regularly because it’s relatively simple, versatile, and can be enjoyed just a few days after it’s made. After brining for three days in a 10% salt solution, it’s ready to eat—and it’s full of flavor.

“Feta-style cheese is a cheese I make often. It's easy to make and after about 3 days in a 10% brine, can be eaten immediately.”

From Milk to Cheese in 7 Hours

Excluding the time it takes to sanitize equipment and heat the milk, Bernard spends about 7 hours actively making his cheese, not including cleanup. His recipe uses one gallon of store-bought cow’s milk and yields roughly 1.25 lbs of feta.

Step-by-Step: Bernard’s Feta-Style Cheese

Bernard’s Feta-Style Cheese with Kefir

1. Ripen the Milk

  • Heat the milk to 90°F.
  • Add calcium chloride (especially important when using pasteurized milk).
  • Add culture: Bernard uses homemade kefir made from grains instead of commercial mesophilic starter.
  • Let the milk ripen for 60 minutes.

Why kefir?

Bernard prefers kefir for its rich microbial diversity. While it doesn’t contain every bacteria used in cheese making (like Penicillium roqueforti or B. linens), kefir offers a wide array of beneficial cultures.

“Kefir has literally dozens of bacterial cultures... a very bio-diverse starter culture.”

2. Coagulate & Cut the Curds

  • Add rennet and let the milk set for 60 minutes.
  • Cut the curd into ½-inch cubes and allow it to heal for 5 minutes.

3. Stir & Drain

  • Stir the curds continuously for 20 minutes.
  • Transfer to a cloth-lined colander to drain for 30 minutes.
  • After 5–10 minutes, Bernard ties the cloth into a bag and suspends it to help with drainage.
  • Desired whey pH is around 4.6 or slightly higher.

4. Mold & Press

  • Transfer the drained curds (still in the cloth) into a mold.
  • Press under 4 lbs of weight for 4 hours, flipping and redressing the cheese every hour.

5. Brine

Bernard brines the cheese in a 10% salt solution made with:

  • 1 liter of spring water
  • 100g non-iodized salt
  • 1.5 Tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 tsp calcium chloride

The vinegar keeps the pH stable, while the calcium chloride helps prevent calcium loss, which can make the cheese surface slimy.

Brining is done at room temperature for 3 days, with the cheese turned every 12 hours. He sprinkles salt over the top to ensure even coverage, especially if the cheese floats a bit.

6. Refrigerate

After brining, the cheese is transferred to the fridge—ready to enjoy!

A Few Final Thoughts

Some cheese makers are hesitant to use kefir due to the presence of yeast and fungi, but Bernard hasn’t run into issues beyond the occasional need to remove mold on the surface. He appreciates the independence from commercial cultures and the biodiversity kefir offers.

“kefir offers a bio-diverse starter culture.”

Thank you, Bernard, for sharing your process with us! Your thoughtful, sustainable approach to home cheese making is an inspiration.

Want to Explore More?

Check out our other feta-style recipes to get started, whether you're using kefir or traditional cultures:

Have a recipe or technique you’d like to share? Email us—we love featuring the creativity of our cheese making community!

Reading next

Curds, Goats & Gratitude: Life on Bluebird Meadow Farm

Curds, Goats & Gratitude: Life on Bluebird Meadow Farm

POPULAR CONTENT

You May Also Like

Related Posts

Cheese Making Supplies

Recommended For You

View all
Liquid Animal Rennet for cheese making, single strength, non-GMO, gluten-free, trusted by cheese makers.
Liquid Animal Rennet4.9
Sale priceFrom $9.95
Mesophilic Starter Culture for cheese making; makes up to five 2-pound batches; gluten free, non-GMO, and kosher.
Mesophilic Starter Culture4.9
Sale price$9.95
Calcium Chloride - New England Cheesemaking Supply Company
Calcium Chloride4.9
Sale priceFrom $5.45
Organic liquid vegetarian rennet bottle, gluten-free and NON-GMO, perfect for cheese making beginners and pros.
Organic Liquid Vegetable Rennet4.9
Sale priceFrom $7.95
Homesteading Creamery Kitchen Essentials - New England Cheesemaking Supply Company
Butter Muslin5.0
Sale priceFrom $5.95
Chevre starter culture for making five batches of creamy goat cheese, featuring a bowl of cheese and pears, non-GMO, kosher and gluten-free.
Chevre Starter Culture4.9
Sale price$9.95
Thermophilic starter culture for cheese making, features cheese and packaging, non-GMO, gluten-free, kosher.
Thermophilic Starter Culture5.0
Sale price$9.95
Citric Acid - New England Cheesemaking Supply Company
Citric Acid4.9
Sale priceFrom $6.95
Buttermilk starter culture package by New England Cheese Making for making thick, healthy buttermilk. Enough to make up to five, two quart batches
Buttermilk Starter Culture5.0
Sale price$9.95
Sweet yogurt starter culture with bowl of yogurt topped with berries, perfect for making homemade yogurt.
Yogurt Starter Culture (Sweet)5.0
Sale price$9.95
Over 10k 5-star reviews    365 Day guarantee    Community of cheese makers    Family owned and operated    Helping cheese makers since 1978    100+ Free recipes    365 Day guarantee    Cheese making made easy