Working with raw milk

[felku]

I got today raw milk from a local farm. The best thing it was that it cost me only .50 cents per liter making that nearly $2.00 per gallon where store milk cost $6.00 per gallon. My question is , do I need to follow different steps with raw milk like less culture etc.

[awakephd]

Wow, what a find!

Generally recipes call for a bit less culture, and you may not need quite as much rennet -- be sure to check the flocc time, and then you can adjust as you go forward.

USDA requires that cheeses aged less than 60 days be made from pasteurized milk. As a home cheesemaker, you are free to do what you want ... but if you want to pasteurize the milk for a short-aged cheese, use a low-temp process (LTP) -- 140˚F for 30 minutes. Based on my one experience, you will still see a dramatic improvement in the cheese with the LTP milk vs. the store-bought!

[felku]

Thanks for reply awakephd, when you mean short-age you mean less than 60 days? So if I want to at least age them to 3 months is okay with no LTP?

[Al Lewis]

Three months will be fine.  Any bacteria that may have been in the milk cannot survive past 60 days in a cheese.

[awakephd]

Yes, exactly. Anything past 2 months / 60 days is considered to be safe by the USDA, excepting of course cases of late blowing or such.

Actually, that raises a question I don't know the answer to -- how long could it be before late blowing shows up? As much as 60 days??

[Al Lewis]

Much earlier I believe.

[felku]

Thanks for the advices

[Stinky]

Three months will be fine.  Any bacteria that may have been in the milk cannot survive past 60 days in a cheese.

Probably.

[andreark]

I have used only raw Jersey (see my previous post) for years and have never had any trouble.  I did notice however, that the flavor is vastly
improved.  Also, you won't need Calcium Chloride (? is that what you use for P&H milk), nor will you need quite as much lactic starter.  Raw
milk cheese is a 'horse of a different color'. I think you will be very pleased with the results.

Also,  I make many soft bloomy and washed types.  These normally require less than 60 days.  I haven't  harmed anyone yet.  But my dairy
is Claravale in Fresno and it is a great dairy farm.  I have been there and was very impressed with what I saw.  I probably wouldn't use raw
from a dairy that I hadn't visited myself.

[hoeklijn]

As far as I'm aware the 60 days rule applies only to Listeria, which might be harmfull for unborn children when the mother eats raw milk products.
I'm making all my cheeses from raw goat, sheep or cow milk and I always warn that cheeses made from raw might migth be harmfull for pregnant women, 60 days ripened or not...

[qdog1955]

I have quite a few books with recipes for fresh cheese, such as Queso Fresco, that use raw milk and those are being eaten in a couple days----so what's the difference? Why don't they have to be aged a minimum of 60 days?
Qdog

[awakephd]

The difference may be whether you are making them for your own consumption, or making them to sell commercially.