Lemon Juice Coagulated Goat's Milk Cheese - Small Yield

[pam kendrick]

Hi!  Today I attempted a goat cheese.  I've never tried anything like it before so I am unsure of my results.  I used 1/2 gallon whole goats milk, heated to 185, the juice of 1 very large lemon and 1/2 tsp kosher salt.  I ended up with a bag of cheese about the size of my fist.  Is this ALL I should have gotten from a gallon of milk?  I used a yard of cheese cloth to strain, should I have used 2 or more? 

[padams]

Welcome to board, Pam!

I have never been able to use goat's milk, so I am no help, but I thought I would welcome you anyway!
I am sure you will get an answer to your question....there are lots of goat milkers here!

[Knoal]

I haven't tried an acid coagulated, but keep trying.

I had 4 attempts before I got an actual cheese wheel. (use cheap milk while learning)


Knoal

[MrsKK]

Regarding the cheesecloth you used - was it the craft-type that is like gauze?  I drain my cheese through muslin that I buy in the fabric store.

What did the whey look like?  Milky or fairy clear - greenish colored?  If milky, it means that the cheesecloth let too much of the curd through, which is what I'm expecting happened, since you got such a low yield.

How did it taste?  Not relevant to the yield question, just curious!

[MarkShelton]

Going along with Karen's thought, you might have used the wrong kind of cheesecloth. Most supermarket cheesecloth is not suitable for making cheese. It is just too loosely knit and really wouldn't hold up to regular cheesemaking. I have come across only one chain store that has acceptable cheesecloth - Bed Bath and Beyond. Its only about $5 and I don't have to pay for or wait for shipping from an online source.
As for the whey, it should be fairly clear. I haven't used goat milk before, but I assume its nearly the same as cows for this instance. You should be able to see pretty clearly through it to the curd that is forming and settling to the bottom of the pot. If its milky, then I would think that its still got milk in it, meaning that the milk solids have not separated from the whey. You might try a bit more acid (lemon) or waiting longer before straining. If you strain out milky whey, your yield is literally going down the drain!
BTW welcome to the forum! You really have come to the right place for answers and encouragement

[pam kendrick]

I got the cheese cloth from the grocery and it's definitely a big part of the problem as the cheese that remained was almost inside the layers...............: ( 

It tasted delicious however!

The curd was small so I will add more lemon and I'll wait a bit longer before I strain.  My recipe was very generic with it's terms so I think I did fairly well for having not done it before.  Can't wait to make it again, I think Ive even found a source for whole, fresh from the goat/cow milk so I really want to try out an unpasteurized Stilton.  I think I'll do a brie and another goat cheese beforre I take on that project though!

[MarkShelton]

That made me smile! Stilton is one of the few reputable, "name-protected" cheeses that is actually made from pasteurized milk (it has to be, its one of the rules of authentic stilton) Its ironic to want to make that one first from raw milk. Don't worry, it will still come out delicious. You're lucky to have a raw milk source. I wish I did :'(

[pam kendrick]

don't really know ANYTHING about real cheeses...................that's why I'm going to try everything.  On an episode of "Chef" Lenny Henry (the star) makes a HUGE fuss about wanting to serve some unpasteurized Stilton the a food critic.  I thought I would make him a "tribute cheese" as the "Chef" was one of my favs................

[Gulf Coast]

Hi!  Today I attempted a goat cheese.  I've never tried anything like it before so I am unsure of my results.  I used 1/2 gallon whole goats milk, heated to 185, the juice of 1 very large lemon and 1/2 tsp kosher salt.  I ended up with a bag of cheese about the size of my fist.  Is this ALL I should have gotten from a gallon of milk?  I used a yard of cheese cloth to strain, should I have used 2 or more? 

Hi Pam!

I am a novice cheese maker. My first was a lemon cheese. I used what I had in the fridge. One half gallon of store bought whole cow's milk, 1/3 pint of heavy cream, juice of two large lemons. The yield was a pound or more of a sweet French style cream cheese.

My guess is that you may have needed more lemon juice (citric acid) .

If  your goat's milk is store bought and Ultra Pasteurized it will not work

[pam kendrick]

It WAS store bought!  My yield was poor though because my cheese cloth was too porous.  I've now changed to muslin.  I have found a source for fresh cow and goats milk so I'm hoping for MUCH better results!

[MrsKK]

Let us know how your next venture turns out, Pam.