Guys:
Yesterday i made two tests:

1- my first time cheese using Pasteurized & Homo milk….
2- my first time cheese using Pasteurized & Homo milk with powder milk…
i was trying to make feta or any white cheese (no cheese press is required).
The above two cheeses, the cut was firm, but at the end it is not firm as raw milk, at the end (after draining) not stick together well when pressing, it is another world, not nice at all

i was so surprised, how much the texture is different than raw milk, actually it is disappointing that most of you did not enjoyed working with raw milk.

Neil: now , when i look back to ur photos in ur web , “when u put ur curds in colender to drain” they look shiny and some how loose and not firm comparing to mine.

i am surprised how they you manage to make good cheese, is the problem is that the milk is homo??

Homo milk is not good because of the extra processing, thats why I use 2% then add cream(still homogenized but not so bad). Ive heard from others that milk powder makes awefull cheese, if u get cheese.

what amounts do you use of each?

See web site for full details. basically for a 14-17L 2% I add 1L 18%, used to use 10% for the smaller batches.

Neil - 13 March 2008 06:56 PM

See web site for full details. basically for a 14-17L 2% I add 1L 18%, used to use 10% for the smaller batches.

Sorry for my ignorance but is 18% half and half?

Mark

were we live 10% is half/half

Nabil, I am very interested in doing some cheddar with raw milk (or any cheese in fact) but I am very nervous to try as it is another step for bad bacteria to get into the cheese making process.  BUT I am verrrrrrrrrrry keen to try it as raw milk cheese is supposed to be superior in taste texture etc.

I get my milk from a farm that sells to the local dairy co-op so I am pretty confident he has to meet strict hygiene guidelines otherwise he would would not be able to sell. SO assuming I try raw milk cheese making I would just have to sterilise my pots by boiling water in them, pour in the raw milk and bring it up to the required temp for the type of cheese I would normally be making (instead of pasturising the raw milk and cooling it down to the required temp) I may just try it tonight as I am getting my milk today after work and was going to make stirred curd cheddar. If anyone out there reads this in the next 6 hours and has some dire warnings please post a reply.

If you use raw milk, make sure you age the cheese at least 60 days before eating it.

I envy your ability to use it.

as Rick said, any raw milk cheese stored over 2C for 60 days, is safe to eat it… good luck u will feel the huge difference, from curd cutting (clean break) time until eating it on the table…

peterhobit, When I first started it was the mold that scared me the most, thats why I started with bloomed cheeses, that way the bloom protects the cheese. A live cheese will also consume any bacteria by 60-90 days ( dont recall the reports). Since generally one waits at least 90 days before one digs in, one should be safe.