Are you afraid of scorching your expensive fresh milk over direct heat? Do you put the burner so low that it takes forever to heat the milk to the proper temperature? Do you hate using a water bath in the sink because you have to drain some water out before you can add more hot water to achieve or mantain the proper temperature. Do you get distracted and can't always spend 5 minutes constantly stirring the milk?
I answer yes to all of the above so I offer my solution to all of the above. I use a pot within a pot to heat and hold the milk at the right temperature. For two gallon recipes I use a 12 quart pot for the milk and put it in a 16 quart pot with enough water to cover most of the 12 qt pot. Tap water at 125-130F will raise the temperature of the milk from 45 F to 85F in about 8-10 minutes when put on a burner medium high. For a one gallon batch of Feta or Mozzarela I don't even need to turn the burner on to reach 86F. I turn the heat off when the temperature of the milk is 4-5 degrees below my target temperature. Leave it in the water bath to maintain the temperature if needed. I can turn the heat on if the temperature gets too low or when it is time to raise the temperature to the next level.
I hope this helps relieve your stress level when you are getting started making cheese.
The Cheesy Geek
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