Cheese Sauce Keeps Separating

[fairycakes69]

Does anyone have any tips for making cheese sauce, the few times I've done it it is smooth until I add the cheese then it goes like its separated and won't thicken.
Cheers.

[DTCwordfan]

is your cheese finely grated....make sure the milk is very hot but not boiling, whisk in off the heat once melted....

[EcclesCake]

Are you keeping it on the heat after you've added the cheese?

It's is best to remove from the heat before adding the cheese.

[Sir Alec]

A teaspoon of cornflour, mixed with a little milk can be added. This should stop curdling, then gently reheat the sauce. Don't overheat it or the cornflour will over-thicken it.

[zebo]

I can't understand these answers, I always add the cheese whilst it's still on the hob, or even going back into the microwave and it's never split. Adding a little cornflour, slaked first with water or milk to make a paste is the best solution for splitting sauces.

[Sycamore3House]

I make a roux. Add the milk stirring continually until thick take off the heat and added the cheese.

[fairycakes69]

Thanks for the answers. Yep finely grated, it was boiling, but did keep on the heat while adding cheese, so will take it off next time.

[ummmm]

How are you making the sauce?

Like Sycamore3House I make a roux and have never had a problem, and I use cold milk, and keep it on the heat...

[murraymints]

use full fat milk !

[ummmm]

Lol...and I use semi-skimmed :-)

[murraymints]

semi should be ok but skimmed is not !

[RATTER15]

I never see the point of making a roux, I make mine with just corn flour and milk,add the cheese at the end, my cheese sauce is as good as anybodies, every bit as good as the roux method. perfection every time!

[ummmm]

Skimmed is like coloured water.

[ummmm]

A roux is only flour and butter so there isn't much to it effort wise.

[RATTER15]

I think its the roux method that causes the separation, I may be wrong. Mine never separates without the roux.

[ummmm]

I've never made a cheese sauce without using the roux method. Mine has never separated....I think it's because I'm super skilled :-) It must be....

[RATTER15]

Must be ummmm. :-)

[1ozzy]

You could be right Ummmm.

I do the butter melted, add flour, keep it moving on heat for a little while, add milk, stir on heat until the required consistency is obtained.
Remove from heat, add cheese, usually vintage cheddar and Parmesan.
No problems.

[fairycakes69]

I made a roux, (it did seem very thick), 15g of each to 1/2 pint of milk, kept stirring but just wouldn't thicken, once I added the milk, then added 50g of finely grated cheddar, then it split.

[ummmm]

I don't measure.

Do you add the milk a small bit at a time?

[fairycakes69]

Yep milk added bit at a time.