Before you start

Every quest runs on three things: clean gear, the right salt, and the right temperature. Get those right and most batches work first time.

Clean, not sterile

Wash jars, lids, cloths and tools in hot soapy water and rinse well. Ferments need the good bacteria already on the vegetables, so you don't need to sterilise. For cheese and yoghurt, scald your pot and spoons with boiling water first.

Use non-iodised salt

Iodine and anti-caking agents slow fermentation and cloud brine. Weigh salt on kitchen scales rather than using spoons, because grain sizes vary a lot.

Use a thermometer

Cheese and yoghurt live or die by temperature. The Soft Cheese Kit includes a digital thermometer; any probe thermometer works.

Kit vs shop

Your kit holds the gear. Fresh ingredients come from your local shop, and each guide lists exactly what to buy.

Temperature targets

Quest	Ideal temperature	Too warm means
Vegetable ferments	18–22°C	Soft, mushy veg
Yoghurt incubation	40–45°C	Thin, grainy yoghurt
Sourdough starter	22–26°C	Runny, fast-peaking starter
Ricotta and paneer	85–90°C before adding acid	Rubbery curds if boiled hard after
Mozzarella	32°C to set, 57°C to stretch	Curd won't set if milk is too hot

💡 Perth heat tip. In summer a kitchen bench can sit above 30°C. Ferment in the coolest spot in the house, like a laundry or wardrobe floor, and start tasting days earlier than the guide says.

Good signs vs bad signs

You see	What it is	What to do
Bubbles, cloudy brine, sour smell	Fermentation working	Nothing, it's perfect
Flat white film on brine	Kahm yeast, harmless	Skim it off; keep veg under brine
Grey liquid on sourdough starter	Hooch: a hungry starter	Pour off or stir in, then feed
Fuzzy blue, green, black or pink spots	Mould	Throw the batch out
Slimy texture or rotten smell	Spoilage	Throw the batch out

⚠️ When in doubt, throw it out. A $5 cabbage is never worth feeling unwell.

Salt: which to use

Pickling salt or cooking salt labelled "non-iodised"
Pure sea salt flakes or fine sea salt
Kosher salt

Iodised table salt
Salt with anti-caking agents (check the ingredients)

Gear you already own

A large heavy-based pot (4 L or more for mozzarella)
Digital kitchen scales
A big mixing bowl, slotted spoon and ladle
Wide-mouth glass jars for ferments
A blender (tofu only)

Food-safety basics

Wash your hands before you start and after handling raw ingredients.
Keep finished cheese, yoghurt, tofu and ferments in the fridge at 5°C or below.
Use pasteurised milk from the supermarket, never raw milk.
Keep ferments fully under their brine; air exposure is where mould starts.
If you're pregnant or have a weakened immune system, check official food-safety advice on soft cheeses and ferments first.

Words you'll see in the guides

Brine: Salt dissolved in water. Keeps veg submerged and bad bacteria out.
Headspace: The gap between the food and the jar's rim. Ferments bubble up into it.
Curd and whey: The solids and the liquid that milk splits into when you add acid or rennet.
Clean break: When set milk splits cleanly around a knife: the sign mozzarella curd is ready to cut.
Coagulant: What turns soy milk into curds: lemon juice, vinegar or nigari.
Kahm yeast: A harmless flat white film on ferments. Skim it off.
Hooch: Grey liquid on a hungry sourdough starter.

Ready to pick a quest?

Ricotta, labneh and sauerkraut are the easiest first batches.

Browse the guides