Last weekend I used Tim’s Artisinal cheese making book to make 4 goat crottins (and also made some goat cheese balls unexpectedly).

I’m posting this just to get it out there for any feedback and for future reference. I’ve made goat cheese three times now and have found it difficult to get a clean break all the way through.

I use raw milk and also add the Calcium. After 18 hours I gave it the finger (test) and the top few inches definitely show clean break. Then as I’m gently ladeling curds into the molds I get to the middle or bottom of the pot and the curds are super duper soft and more granular. For that curd I can only strain it through cheese cloth and shape into balls.

I’m not sure if I just need to wait longer even though the clean break is there on the top two inches. Any other experiences would be very welcome. Otherwise I’ll certainly try again and just wait a few more hours. I will not be tricked again ha ha!

Sounds like its not mixed all the way when adding the rennet.

I mixed for two minutes then top-stirred for an additional 2 minutes. Maybe that was not enough. I did notice the curds sank a bit…first time I ever had that happen. I panicked but then remembered some posts about that happening with no issues.

I’ll mix longer and set longer and see if that will give me a clean break all the way down.

its important to lift up from the bottom when stirring, I actually stir less then a min, maybe my vigarus stirring helps.

I think the problem not rennet/mixing issue at all..

i have questions:
1- How fresh your raw milk is?
2- What is the temp when u added rennet?
3- What the temp during coagulate ?? the most most important
4- And how much rennet did u add?—here you have to know that goat milk needs more rennet than other milks, because it is naturally homogenized.

The coagulate time should not exceeded 90mins

In Ricki’s cheese book she uses the same amount of rennet for goats and bovine milk.

I used 1.5 gallons Raw Goat Milk: 
Added florica danica to milk at 72F/22.2C, ripened at same temp
Added 3 drops of calcium
Added two mold powders at some point (I can’t remember when)
Added 1/2 tablet rennet diluted in 1/4 cup water
Set at 72F/22.2C for 19 hours

Most goat cheese recipes say the curds need 18-20 hours to set.

22.2 C is low for rennet, i advise u to rise the temp, and u will get clean break in shorter time..i want to say that the milk changes (from animal) from sumer to fall to winter to spring…

Goat milk needs more set and more rennet , even in the book did not say that

Use 1/2 tsp of CaCl2 solution for 1 1/2 U.S. Gal milk. If your goats get plenty of calcium in their diet then you may not need any. I find I do not need it.
  Use twice the amount of rennet as recommended for cows. (for sheeps use 2/3 the amount for cows)

good advise kevthefarmer !!

Well they turned out really good…one of my tastiest cheeses to date and of course they’re long gone now. Slipskin seemed to be taking place but I after leaving them alone for a while longer the skin became one with the cheese again.

I made more goaties last weekend and added the calc just to make sure I’ve done what I can to avoid slip skin. I think I won’t spray the mold on the outside this time and see if that produces a drier cheese that can be aged a bit longer.

I find also if u spray the culture outside then it takes longer, maybe its a fad to have a dual density.

You might be right.

And another thing. Apparently I should change out the mold in my spray bottle more often because I pulled mine out of the fridge and was about to spray and I decided to take a peak inside. Scary! It was slimy and had floaters. Lesson learned.

So I made (my version of) Eppoises on Sunday and put the mold with B. Linens into the milk.