Author Topic: Pasteurised or raw milk for cheese making?  (Read 2492 times)

TheBigCheese

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Pasteurised or raw milk for cheese making?
« on: July 29, 2017, 07:59:35 AM »
As a newbie have just received an excellent book about cheese making. The Art of Natural Cheesemaking by David Asher.
The recipes use raw milk. I would like to know people's thoughts on using either raw milk or pasteurised milk. It seems that raw milk provides improved taste while pasteurised is safer to use. The safety aspect is a concern of mine.
Be very grateful for advice.
Thank you.

5ittingduck

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Re: Pasteurised or raw milk for cheese making?
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2017, 09:21:32 AM »
You pick the form you are most comfortable with. As you have found, each method has it's plusses and minuses.
I use raw milk exclusively. It's performance, taste and heritage are powerful drivers of my personal choice.
The pivotal factor in my decision is the source of the milk, known, single or 2 cow origin which lends me more confidence in it's cleanliness.
If you are not sure of your supplier, pasteurised or raw milk pasteurised prior to cheese making  are your safest choices.

Offline awakephd

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Re: Pasteurised or raw milk for cheese making?
« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2017, 03:28:58 PM »
Nothing beats raw milk for performance and taste. However, if you do a "vat pasteurization" (low-temperature pasteurization: heat to 140°F / 60°C and hold it at that temperature for 30 minutes) of raw, non-homogenized milk, you will still have many of the benefits of raw milk, including some of the enzymes left by the natural flora, good curd structure, and much better taste in the final product as compared to store-bought pasteurized & homogenized milk.

By the way, not sure if I've welcomed you to the forum before, but just in case: welcome!
-- Andy

Offline Gregore

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Re: Pasteurised or raw milk for cheese making?
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2017, 04:55:52 AM »
If the source is clean , you have a greater chance of catching the same illnesses from  any of the cured meats than you do from raw milk.

TheBigCheese

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Re: Pasteurised or raw milk for cheese making?
« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2017, 07:36:46 AM »
Thank you very much for your replies and advice. Very helpful. Raw milk from a good source it is!

Duntov

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Re: Pasteurised or raw milk for cheese making?
« Reply #5 on: July 31, 2017, 01:12:07 PM »
I use primarily raw milk and have a practice of doing a low temp pasteurization for young cheeses.  If your cheese type ages at least 60 days, no need to pasteurize. 

TheBigCheese

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Re: Pasteurised or raw milk for cheese making?
« Reply #6 on: July 31, 2017, 03:05:55 PM »
Thank you John.
I am interested in the reasons for the 60 days plus being significant. Please can you advise. Thanks.

Duntov

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Re: Pasteurised or raw milk for cheese making?
« Reply #7 on: July 31, 2017, 03:42:02 PM »
Thank you John.
I am interested in the reasons for the 60 days plus being significant. Please can you advise. Thanks.


My understanding is that the pathogens are controlled by the 60 day mark.  I am not a microbiologist by any means but following Federal guidelines as they relate to raw milk cheese.

More here:  http://www.cheesesociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/PPT-Nsofor-Working-Proactively-to-Mitigate-Risk.pdf

« Last Edit: August 01, 2017, 12:22:12 AM by Duntov »

Offline Gregore

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Re: Pasteurised or raw milk for cheese making?
« Reply #8 on: August 01, 2017, 12:10:58 AM »
In a dry surface cheese the cultures that are dangerous should  die out by the 60 day mark , or at least that was the old thinking , there is some evidence to show that that may not be the case .

And in Europe I have heard that for soft cheeses 60 days or so is when you can not sell them any more for fear of the dangerous  cultures out performing , but I do not know how true this may actually be.

The one thing for sure is that there is only so much food to go around in a cheese and the sooner the contaminates are accidentally introduced into a cheese the more dangerous the outcomes .

So that means  being more vigilant with hygiene early in the make pays off more so than later in the make .

I even go so far as to sanitize the container of milk before I open it

Duntov

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Re: Pasteurised or raw milk for cheese making?
« Reply #9 on: August 01, 2017, 12:23:17 AM »
I even go so far as to sanitize the container of milk before I open it

That is a perfect best practice that I have not done but will in the future.  Thanks!

AnnDee

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Re: Pasteurised or raw milk for cheese making?
« Reply #10 on: August 01, 2017, 03:34:39 AM »
I agree with Gregore and I too, sanitise the plastic that the milk came in with hot boiling water. I think you can't go wrong with being extra clean.