FAQ

When making cheese, it is best to use the least processed and freshest milk possible. Unhomogenised milk is required for the majority of our recipes, this guarantees the best result and the highest yield. There are a number of brands of unhomogenised milk available in supermarkets, depending on where you live. Click here to view some examples of brands you can use. You can also use milk purchased directly from local farms, but make sure you pasteurise it to ensure there is no bacteria in the milk that will compete with the cultures.  

Using homogenised milk is fine, however not ideal. When making cheese from homogenised milk, you can't be certain you will get a clean break and you may experience a softer curd which can be broken very easily. To help firm up the curd it is recommended that you add calcium chloride to your milk. However, homegenised milk with the addition of calcium chloride CANNOT be used for mozzarella. 

You can use UHT milk for simple cheeses that do not contain rennet such as ricotta, quark, yoghurt and kefir cheese. It is good to use UHT milk in quark and yoghurt because ultra heat-treated milk denatures more proteins than normal milk, which results in a better consistency. Other cheeses will not work with UHT milk. 

Yes, you can half or double the quantities of ingredients in each recipe to suit. However, if you want to make half the recipe of mozzarella, use the same amount of rennet as you would for four litres of milk, otherwise you may find that your milk will not set.

There is a number of reasons why your milk has not set, here are some reasons:

1. The type of milk you are using.
2. Too little rennet was used.
3. Your Rennet is expired or has deteriorated due to incorrect storing conditions.
4. Your thermometer is faulty, milk temperature is too low or too high.
5. Rennet activity was destroyed by diluting the rennet with warm water or with chlorinated water. Use unchlorinated, cool water.

Making cheese is an ancient craft which dates back to pre-industrial times when animals were first domesticated. All cheeses are made from souring milk through either the addition of an acid (i.e. vinegar, or lemon juice) or more commonly, the addition of certain bacterial cultures. The result of souring the milk causes the milk to separate into a solid (curd) and liquid (whey). Most cheese is then made from the curds. These can be cooked, pressed, moulded, salted and matured in different ways to create different cheeses.

No, however it has been designed to fit the Mad Millie jar perfectly so may not fit all style jars. 

Greek Yoghurt, Skyr, Cultured Butter, Kefir and Kombucha. Be careful using it with Kefir and Kombucha as they produce gas during the fermentation process. We recommend using it for your second batch of Kombucha, not your first to ensure the scoby is really healthy and stable. 

The temperature will naturally equilibrate so if the yoghurt is warm when it's put into a cold flask, the heat will seep out to make the temperature of the environment the same. By pre-heating the flask it is warmer than the yoghurt so will keep the internal environment of the sealed flask warm and allow the cultures to flourish.  

We don't recommend it as you will need to transfer the yoghurt into another container for refrigeration anyway. We don't recommend refrigerating the yoghurt in the flask as it may not get as cold as it needs to for storage. 

We recommend to reheat the flask after 12 hours as the flask will naturally lose a bit of heat over time, by keeping it at the optimum temperature you will get a thicker product and more intense flavour. 

This softens the nuts so you can extract more of the goodness out of them.

This is due to the density of the nut itself; more permeable or porous nuts will soak up the water more quickly and easily.

They will still be fine but if you are not going to use them straight away pour out the water, rinse the nuts and store them in your airtight jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Yes, nut mylk allows you to get as creative as you want. For a different flavour try mixing different amounts of nuts together before blending too.

As it is a completely natural product your nut mylk doesn’t contain any stabilisers which would normally stop the separation of commercial nut mylks. Give the bottle a good shake and it will still taste as delicious as the moment you made it; we promise!

Yes, as there is no heat process to pastuerise you must refrigerate it to ensure no nasty bacteria grow.

5 days refrigerated.

Give it a good rinse under warm, running water to remove any nut residue then throw it in the washing machine on a cold wash.

Click here for some recipe inspiration.

Skyr originated in Iceland and is technically a cheese, however we tend it eat it in the same way we do yoghurt. It is a dairy product made from low fat milk and live cultures. Rennet is used during the process to separate the curds from the whey. 

Mad Millie Skyr has vegetarian rennet added to it to help form a tighter curd. It is also made with low fat milk so has a lower fat content in general, yet has the same amount of live cultures as yoghurt.

Rennet is used to speed up the process of forming curds and whey. It also aids in forming a tighter curd.

There is a chance you may inactivate some of the cultures, this will lead to a less tangy final product as the cultures produce the acidity.

Place it into a bowl and use a hand beater or whizz stick to create a smoother consistency. If it is too thick to mix up add a tablespoon of low fat milk to get things moving.

If you have kept some of the whey from the draining step this can be mixed in a tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Otherwise low fat milk also works well to help reduce the thickness of the skyr, add this 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

For up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Very important, this is the optimum temperature for the thermophilic cultures to work and produce that tangy yoghurt flavour along with probiotics. The Mad Millie Culturing Flask can help with this, alternatively a warmed up and turned off stove, a warm water bath or wrapping your jar in towels and placing it in a warm spot also works well.

Try and avoid your brew going above 30^oC (86^oF) as the yeasts overpopulate, the brew will speed up and the vinegar flavour will be stronger. If you live in a particularly warm place check your brew from day 5 – 6.

To scale up to bigger volumes we recommend following the Mad Millie How to Guide and making 1 L (1 US qt) first to get your scoby really active. Add this whole batch into your bigger vessel as the starter culture and add your cooled, sweetened tea.

Yes, during the fermentation process you must add sugar however this is consumed by the scoby. If you let the kombucha ferment for long enough all of the sugar will be consumed. You can then add any sweeteners such as stevia according to your taste preference.

You will need 300 mL (10 US fl oz) of brew from your previous batch along with a scoby. You do not need a whole scoby, if you want to make multiple batches you can cut a scoby in half and just use that. The important piece is ensuring you have 300 mL (10 US fl oz) of starter culture.

No, it is completely normal for your scoby to sink, it will still work!

Look for the beginning of a new scoby forming on the top of the kombucha, this is the baby scoby and will look like a jellyfish. If you see the development of brown stringy things under the scoby this is the yeast developing. Additionally, once you hit 8 days and begin to taste your brew you will start to notice the vinegar notes which are from the fermentation process.

Store your kombucha out of direct sunlight, between 24 – 30^oC (75 – 86^oF). If you are fermenting other food or beverages make sure there is a gap of at least 1 metre between the kombucha and these. This will ensure no cross contamination of the different bacteria and yeast.

It’s important to second ferment in brewing bottles as the production of gas leads to higher pressure. We recommend reusable glass bottles with flip top caps. Be careful when opening bottles after a second ferment, as they are under pressure they may fizz.

You can get as creative as you want! The best way to add flavour is to add some juice of your flavour preference into the sterilised bottle, then add you kombucha and seal. This will give both flavour and the sugar the kombucha needs to carbonate. Some suggestions for below

• Juice flavouring start with up to 20% juice and 80% kombucha
• Fruit (fresh, frozen or dried) start with up to 30% fruit and 70% kombucha
• Add 2 teaspoons of chia seeds for added benefits and texture.
• Add a slice of ginger root to get that fiery ginger flavour.
• Add flavour extracts e.g. vanilla, start with ¼ teaspoon of extract per 1 cup (250mL) of kombucha.

No, the kombucha is still just as good for you after the first ferment. We recommend a shot of kombucha from day 25 of the first ferment in a glass of sparkling water if you still want the bubbles.

The second ferment is done in a sealed bottle to allow carbonation to develop. During the first ferment the kombucha is able to breathe and all gas produced will escape, your kombucha will be flat. The second ferment traps the gas in the kombucha so there are bubbles when you drink it. It is also a chance to add flavours or infusions.

Your kombucha won’t be fizzy from the first ferment as the kombucha culture needs to breathe (have access to air) to ferment well. If you would like fizzy kombucha or flavour infusions complete a second ferment step in a sealed bottle.

Nothing! Kombucha tends to have vinegar notes from the fermentation process. If you don’t want such strong vinegar notes try fermenting for a shorter time period or just water down your kombucha before drinking it.

Make sure you keep an eye on your fermenting temperature as if it is too high you will get stronger vinegar notes.

Kombucha is a fermented tea made by combining a Mad Millie Kombucha SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) with sweetened tea. It has vinegary/earthy/tangy notes to it which will change and develop as fermentation takes place. The flavour can be influenced depending on your second ferment process.

If your brew drops below 20^oC (68^oF) for an extended time it is more likely to develop mould and the brew will take longer as the bacteria and yeast are sluggish in the cooler temperatures. It will still work, just give it more time to ferment and develop those tangy notes.

Keeping your brew between 24 – 30^oC (75 – 86^oF) is important as it maintains the perfect balance of yeast to bacteria.

The first ferment time can vary from 8 to 25 days. We recommend tasting the kombucha from day 8 using a clean sterile spoon. This way you can become more aware of the flavour change during the ferment process and figure out which flavour profile you like best. The second ferment lasts 2 – 3 days to allow carbonation to develop and any added flavours to infuse.

Plain black tea will give the best results, start with English Breakfast, Ceylon or Darjeeling. If you want to try some other options Oolong tea will also work and give a fruitier flavour. Green tea can be used but will produce a weaker ferment. To help with this add 500 mL of starter culture and two scoby’s.

We recommend completing at least 4 good batches to get a good strong culture before experimenting with teas.

You will have to wait and see! If the sweetened tea is below 30^oC (86^oF) fermentation will happen as per normal. If the tea is too hot it may kill the bacteria and yeast so no fermentation will happen.

Yes, without the sugar the fermentation process doesn’t work. If you add less sugar this will starve the scoby.

White sugar will give the best results.

Store your kombucha scoby in 300 mL (10 US fl oz) of starter culture from your previous batch, in the refrigerator. If it has been stored for more than 2 weeks take it out the night before brewing and follow the below instructions.

Dissolve ¼ cup (50g) of white sugar in 250 mL (8.5 US fl oz) of brewed black tea. Allow to cool to room temperature before adding your starter culture and scoby. This will give the scoby a jump start to come out of hibernation. The next day follow the Mad Millie Kombucha How to Guide but you now have double the starter fluid so take this into account with your brewing vessel.

Yes! During each ferment the mother scoby (the one you added) will produce a baby scoby. Every scoby can be used four times before it gets too old and needs to be discarded. With each batch of kombucha a baby scoby is produced and the process starts again, you will have a fridge full of scoby’s before you know it.

During the fermentation alcohol is produced as a by-product. If you add the correct amount of sugar the alcohol level will be less than 0.5% at the end of your fermentation process.

You will need a brewing vessel, tea, sugar and your Mad Millie scoby.

A Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast, the physical scoby is basically a house for all the good bacteria and yeast that ferment kombucha. The slimy scoby is cellulose that is produced by the bacteria and yeast present in the starter culture, this is why the starter culture liquid in your Mad Millie Scoby or from your previous brew is so important, the microorganisms don’t just live in the cellulose, they also live in the brew itself.

Your culture will be at room temperature when you receive it, however we advise that it is best stored in the fridge or freezer as this helps prolong the shelf life. The colder you can store it, the longer it will last! All our cultures are freeze dried which means that the environment inside the packet is perfect for freezing without any negative impact. If you have opened a packet and only used a small amount, this can still be frozen but you need to make sure this is put in a sealed container to avoild moisture and won’t last as long as unopened.

Ambient temperature is between 20 – 25^oC or 68 – 78^oF. These temperatures are used to calculate our shelf life testing. Cultures are fine to be stored at ambient temperatures for the recommended shelf life, if you live somewhere particularly hot we recommend you at least store them in the fridge to protect the bacteria from faster degradation.

The cultures will be fine for the whole shelf life at room temperature if the warmest they get is around 25^oC or 78^oF. If they get warmer than this then they will still work but may not be as effective.

Mesophilic means medium loving bacteria which will ferment the best at temperatures up to 30^oC or 90^oF.

Thermophilic is heat loving bacteria which will ferment best when above 30^oC or 90^oF.

Each Mad Millie Culture is specific for the product that is it being used in. It is possible to use different cultures for different products but unless you have an in-depth understanding of bacterial strains it isn’t advised. During our development process specific bacterial strains are selected for specific kits e.g. yoghurt, kefir or cheese. The cultures work in similar ways but elements such as temperature during fermentation and acidity of the end product will vary.

The better the soy milk, the better the tofu. We highly recommend making your own soy milk (recipe in the Instruction booklet) as this will ensure you get the freshest, most firm and delicious tofu. It does take a little time but most of that is letting the soy beans soak in water overnight, absolutely worth the effort and you will definitely taste the difference. 

Soy beans are significantly cheaper to buy than soy milk too!

If you are not making your own soy milk though, make sure you are purchase fresh soy milk, the is not UHT, heat treated or has any addition ingredients. Only fresh soy milk will work to make tofu. 

The easiest place to source raw soybeans is online, they are significantly cheaper than buying store bought soy milk too. Alternatively, if you have a health food shop, Asian grocer or store that stocks bulk beans and grains give them a try.

If you have purchased UHT soy milk then we are very sorry but it won’t work! As the instructions state it must be fresh, pasteurised soy milk.

The main problem that we have had with store bought soy milk is that it is a bit of an unknown – any added ingredients such as oils, sweeteners or preservatives will have a big impact on your tofu and likely cause it to fail.

If you don’t have time to make your own soy milk (it’s really easy we promise!) then your nearest Asian grocer is the best place to get fresh, pasteurised soy milk.

No you don’t, just adding sugar by following the instructions will ensure the correct carbonation. If you already have carbonation drops from another Mad Millie kit then the quantity to be used are also provided in the Brew it Yourself Lager Kit instructions.

During the fermentation process gas is produced which increases the pressure inside the bottles, this may cause the bottle tops to pop off as they are not designed to withstand this.

If you want to know the alcohol percentage of your beer, take an SG reading using your hydrometer before fermenting (Original Gravity (OG)) (see reading SG below) and then another after the beer is ready to be bottled, (Final Gravity (FG)). To calculate the percentage of beer, simply put your OG and FG into the following equation:

ABV = (OG-FG) x 131

i.e.

ABV = (1.056-1.014) x 131

ABV = 0.042 x 131= 5.502%

You should find the coolest spot in your house, dry and away from direct sunlight. A cupboard or pantry may be the most suitable place. Make sure that the temperature does not exceed the levels recommended for the specific yeast or this could lead to unwanted flavours or kill the yeast off completely. If you have spare fridge space in which you can attach a temperature controller to, that would be optimal.

It is preferable to bottle as soon as the gravity has stabilised but leaving it in a fridge for a week can help to clear and condition your beer if required. If you leave the beer too long (more than an extra few days to a week) you have a higher chance of unwanted microbes developing in your beer.

Plastic bottles are fine if you are planning on drinking your beers over a short period of time after several months plastic bottles can start to leak CO2 and the beer may become flat. Glass bottles with caps are good and are what most commercial breweries use. They will keep for a long time and should not lose any CO2. Flip top bottles have the added benefit of not having to cap the beer and also beer can be saved for a couple of days after original opening without going flat. Plus flip top bottles look really cool!

No sometimes fermentation can finish in as little as a few days, this is more likely at higher temperatures. Do not exceed recommended temperatures as fast beer will come at the expense of taste. Some yeasts will ferment at different speeds at different temperatures.

Handcrafted beer contains the natural yeast sediments. These are harmless and some say they have added health benefits! However, if you want to ensure your beer is clear when serving, decanter your bottle of beer into a serving jug first. Pour slowly to ensure you don't disturb any of the yeast sediment at the bottom. Pour the beer from the serving jug.

No this is normal. What you are seeing is natural yeast sediment which has settled to the bottom of the bottle while clearing.

Yes most beer has a shelf life, but this depends on the type of beer, the alcohol content, amount of hops added, and what temperature it is stored at. Most basic styles of beer are best consumed within a few months of bottling, although some more complex beers taste better after being in the bottle for 3-6 months and some, even years.

These brushes will take their original shape when immersed into boiling water, there is no need to reshape these by hand.

8 x 55g bars but depends which recipe you’re using, milk and dark chocolate have different amounts of ingredients. 

Cacao is made by cold-pressing unroasted cacao beans. This ensures all the goodness (antioxidants, enzymes) is maintained in the cacao powder. Cocoa powder is roasted at high temperatures which produces a different flavour profile and loses the nutritional benefits.

Yes, all required ingredients are available at your local supermarket or specialty store.

Mylk is alternative spelling for plant derived (dairy free) milks e.g. soy, almond, coconut.

Yes, you can add flavours or essences. If they are liquid be careful to only add a few drops as more liquid may cause issues with the chocolate setting.

If you have a sweet tooth it is best to have a play with the amount of coconut sugar you add to your Coconut Sugar Syrup.

No, you can make a smaller batch but make sure the ratio stays the same e.g. if you half the coconut sugar then also half of the water.

Put them into the fridge while you’re making the chocolate, and this should help.

One week, if the temperatures are warm keep it in the fridge.

The interior is completely 100% free (where the food goes), the exterior has a small detection of lead but still well below the limit legally permitted under the USA FDA approval standards for food grade ceramic materials.

Yes, the crock can be used to ferment chillies and other vegetables. The recipe is the same for all and follows the sauerkraut instructions.

A low water level can result in mould growth on the surface of the liquid and on the weights as well. It is important to keep an eye on the water level (at least once a day) and to leave the crock away from direct sunlight, as this depletes the water level in the ‘moat’

We recommend using the Mad Millie Steriliser and then placing the crock and weights into an oven at 110ºC for about 10 minutes to completely dry them out. Alternatively you can boil and soak the weights in vinegar to inhibit mould growth.

This kit contains enough botanicals to make 1 L of gin.

You will need 1 L of vodka to make the gin. 

To make more gin, you can purchase our Gin Botanicals. This contains enough botanicals to make 3 L of gin and also contains the filter papers. The Gin Botanicals includes botanicals to make original, mint and bay leaf gin flavours. 

It’s important to note that this is a traditional and old fashioned ginger beer recipe, so it will not taste like your average store bought variety. It is traditionally less sweet.

Make sure that you used the correct amount of water as if you added too much you may have diluted the flavour. You can try using fresh ginger instead of dried as this can impart a stronger taste.

Make sure you used the correct measure of sugar (0.75 scoop) when bottling. Also make sure that the bottles were stored at room temperature, away from direct sunlight during the carbonation process.

Place your cheese vat of milk in a Mad Millie Cheesemaker. Fill the space between the cheese vat and incubator wall with water which is the same temperature, or on cooler days, slightly warmer than the milk in the cheese vat. Every hour, check the temperature of the water. Add more warm water if necessary during the day to maintain the temperature. This will provide you with an insulating blanket to keep the milk at the desired temperature. Instead of using the Cheesemaker you can also keep your container of milk in a hot water cupboard or warm place in the house.

In order to sweeten your yoghurt, you can add sugar to your milk whilst heating. Or as an alternative, you can add jam or fruit to your completed yoghurt to create a sweetened fruit style yoghurt.

Ultra heat treated milk denatures more proteins than normal milk, which results in a better consistency.

Find the coolest place in the house to leave the cream to culture. If the cream is too hot when it is ready to shake, cool it in the fridge for a couple of hours. If you see any butter milk after shaking for approximately 2 minutes, cool in the fridge overnight and whip in a blender the next morning.

The butter may be a little thinner than that shown in our video but don’t give up! If you carry on with the folding and rinsing stages in ice cold water, you will still get  a great final product with the same yield.

You can use 300ml of 35% and 200ml of double 40% cream instead.

Kefir is a popular and delicious fermented drink, using bacteria and yeast, which is healthy and great for you.

Kefir grains are a live mixture of the bacteria and yeast + a milk/sugar mixture (they look a bit like small clumps of cauliflower). They need constant feeding and need to live in the milky/sugary mixture to stay alive. Mad Millie culture is the dehydrated and dried, shelf stable (at low temperatures) bacteria found in this mixture. An extract basically, so we can make it last longer and provide a kit for you to use at home. Our culture still holds all the great benefits of the Kefir grains, just in a different form.

Please remember our kit means you can make the delicious Kefir drink and cheese rather than the grains.

During the colder months, this can take a little longer than normal, allow between 12-48 hours depending on the temperature for fermentation and setting to be complete.

No, you can use juice, coconut water, coconut milk, soy milk too. This allows lower fat options and options for those with intolerances.

Yes, you can use juice, coconut water, coconut milk and soy milk too. This allows lower fat options and options for those with milk intolerances. Please note, there is a very tiny amount of dairy in the culture, and as you're using such a low amount each time lactose intolerant people often use this without problems.

Each Kefir culture sachet treats 1 L, and from your finished product you can re-culture this by using 1/4 cup to start your next batch twice thereafter. This means you ultimately get 3 L of kefir, out of each sachet.

Leave the mixing ball in right until you have finished all of the kefir in your jar. You will need this to help you when you shake it up each time before eating or drinking.

No, this is a single use culture and cannot be used for multiple batches.

The culture may have just eaten and multiplied to its full potential. You can just add a handful of flour at shaping time and this will give the culture more fresh food to continue to grow.

Yes, you can. We suggest following the instructions up until Step 3: Folding & Shape. Instead of placing the dough into a bowl after you have shaped it, just place it into the bread maker pan and then continue as per instructions.

Because you store the feta in a brine solution, it is easy to over salt it. If you find that it is too salty, simply put the feta in some milk. The milk will draw out the salt and make it more palatable. Also, you don't have to leave your feta in brine as long, when it is salty enough, just take it out and store it in a sealed container. However, you may find that it doesn't last as long when it is stored out of the brine. 

You can store it in the brine (but can become too salty), in olive oil, wrap in cling film and put in the fridge or you can freeze it (tends to go more crumbly). 

There are numbers of thing you can do to release more whey out of the curds, resulting in a drier, more crumbly feta.

- Cut the curd slightly smaller
- Stir the curds for longer
- Leave the curds to drain in the moulds for longer
- Leave the feta in the salt brine for longer, so the salt removes some of the moisture from the cheese

After you have cut the curd and are heating the curd back up to 42 degrees celcius (100 degrees fahrenheit), what you want to achieve is a springy curd. Make sure the heat is very low and if by the time it gets to 42 degrees celsius (100 degrees fahrenheit) the curds are still very soft and look like they will disintegrate take off the heat until the curds are springy to touch and look a little shiny. They will not hold the shape of a cube, they will almost form one mass in the pot.

This can happen when the mozzarella is stretched too much. Try and stretch your mozzarella as little as possible and then form into a ball. 

No, you can't. You need to use unhomogenised milk, as fresh as possible. 

Store on a sterile rack in the fridge. Make sure it is kept away from other food. You may like to cover it with a food mesh cloth or something similar.

All orders are dispatched in 24 hours (excluding weekends). Once your order has been shipped you will receive a shipping confirmation with the expected delivery date of your order. Expected delivery depends on location. Use table below for a general guide.  

Estimated Delivery Times 

Please note that during busy gift-giving periods eg Christmas, Mother's Day etc, deliveries may take longer than stated below.

Mad Millie provides flat rate shipping depending on how much you spend for those who live in Australia and New Zealand. For UK residents, it is a flat rate across the whole region. 

New Zealand:

Spend $0 - $20
$3.00 

Spend $20 +
$5.00

Australia: 

Spend $0 - $20
$5.00

Spend $20 +
QLD, NSW, SA, ACT: $8.00
WA, NT, TAS: $10.00

United Kingdom:
£3.50

Unfortunately as our parcels are sent via courier and require a signature, we cannot send to PO Box Numbers. If you buy some of our smaller items that have a lower delivery cost, these may be sent via post and will be delivered to your letterbox. 

Yes, our orders are sent via courier so you will need to be available to sign for your parcel. If you think you won't be at home when your parcel is delivered, we would suggest to provide us with your work address or an alternative address. If you purchase some of our smaller items that have a lower delivery cost, these may be sent via post and will be delivered to your letterbox. 

Australia: Couriers Please, or AU Post
New Zealand: NZ Couriers
United Kingdom: Parcel Force