Made my first Raclette yesterday. Just went into the brine an hour ago. Used 20 lt of raw milk. I’m not sure why, but into the brine it only weighed 3.4 lbs. Should have been more like 5 lbs.
I am only doing one cheese each make now. It has been difficult to keep up with two pots on the stove at a time.

I had the low weight problem one time.  I was using raw milk from a neighbor that I had not used before.  In my case I believe the problem was low protein level in the milk, due to improper feeding of the cow.  Likely that’s not your problem, since you use the same source. 

I’m fascinated by all the different cheeses you make.  Do you and your family eat the cheese, or do you sell it locally?

Hi Rich,
No I don’t sell cheese here in Panama. There is just my wife and myself to eat the cheese. I have only been making cheese for a few months. Most of my cheese is in the cave aging.
Yes it seems I have an obsession with cheese. This is my new hobby. I was making bread but I can no longer walk up and down the stairs and stand for prolonged periods of time due to my handicap so I had to give it up.
I have eaten two five pound Havarti’s. I have one Pepato Toscano, two Gruyere, two Bel Paese, one Cotswold, one Dbl Glouster and one Raclette in the cave now.
Yes it has been difficult to control two six gallon pots at one time, so I am now only making one cheese a week with 20 lt of milk.
I can’t find many of the cheeses I like here so I need to make my own.
My wife is trying to find out if her restaurant license will work for small batch cheese making. If it will, I may make cheese for the large population of American, Canadian, German and Italian people here.
I need to experiment first.

Sounds good.  My guess is that Panama has no law restricting the use of raw milk like a lot of the States.  I’m sure you’ll find a lot of people who want to buy your cheese, because home made cheese is far superior to store bought.  I just came back from my sister’s wedding, where I donated a couple of cheeses - Havarti and Colby.  Everyone raved over it.  With the population you listed, I’d bet Gouda would be a hit.

Isn’t that strange. You can’t buy raw milk in some states but you can find cheeses that are made from around the world and from the U.S. that are made from raw milk as long as the FDA rules are followed.
The same rules apply here as far as the rules per FDA.
I found Gouda and Manchego here both imported and the price is lower that I can make it. From a Gringo Forum here people are looking for Gruyere and sharp to extra sharp Cheddar cheese. There is a German guy
that makes cams, goat cheese ( firm ) and cambozola. I need to do some research and find out exactly what is wanted that they can’t find to suit there taste.

Suggest you specialize in one or two cheeses and perfect them.  When you’re the best, people seek you out.

I’m pretty sure the FDA rules were brought about by lobbying efforts by the dairy industry.  I’m not discounting the possibility of bacterial issues; but by using a dairy that is conscientious about cleanliness, those issues disappear.

As far as demand, I find that here people go in cycles.  They don’t always want the same thing - which is understandable.  Also, they seem to like additives.  Peppers, of course; but bacon bits or diced ham are popular around here.

Remaking them until I get them tweaked would be a long process without having cheese for myself. I probably eat three lbs a week. I know, I know, thats to much cheese to eat in a week but I can’t help myself.
It will be a couple of weeks until the Bel Paese is ready and I don’t have any cheese in the house that is ready yet. NEED MORE CHEESE!

So, PanamaMike needs a new handle.  How ‘bout “Cheese Junkie”????