Two batches actually, to compare two sources of milk. The makes were identical, one week apart, with the first being made with supermarket P&H goat's milk (Paul's). and the other pasteurised, unhomogenised from a small local producer (Yondover, 3.1% protein, 2.6% fat).
2 l (2.25 for the second batch) goat's milk
1/16 tsp Flora Danica
1.16 tsp MM101.
1 skewer tip P.candidum
1 skewer tip Geo
3 drop rennet in 1 tbsp water
1/64 tsp CaCl (for the homogenised milk only)
Heat milk to 22C, add cultures, culture 15 minutes
Add rennet. Put lid on pot, wrap in towel, set 36 hours (24 for the non-hom).
Drain in cheesecloth 24 hours
Mould, turning, 48 hours
Ash with 1/4 tsp ash and 2 tsp salt, put into cave at 11C.
After 24 hours of culturing, the curd is supposed to be sitting under 1/2" of whey and have shrunk from the sides of the pot, as the first photo shows. The homogenised milk never did this, despite the addition of CaCl. Instead, it developed a yoghurt-like texture so I gave it a bit more draining time. The first 2-litre batch filled one small pyramid mould to the very brim (with a bit of stuffing!) and the curd was so soft I had to move it very gently.
The second batch, with non-hom milk and 12.5% more milk, made a week later, curded much more readily and yielded a bit more curd with only 24 hours draining. I 3/4-filled two moulds.
The second pic is of the two smaller Valençay in the foreground at 1 week in the cave, with the first at 2 weeks old in the background. I opened the first at the 2-week mark, which is a bit on the young side for what I'm looking for, and there was a bit to much ash on the top from my clumsy attempts at getting even coverage of ash on the sides without picking up a very delicate cheese. It's delicious on fresh sourdough baguette though, or on quinoa salad, which was tonight's dinner!
The two younger are now completely covered in white and still aging.