Despirate in Indiana

[BigCheese]

I have only used tablet rennet, but not junket. From what I understand, even all the beginner books say never to use Junket (and those books are usually short on prohibitions).

[MrsKK]

I used Junket rennet exclusively for over a year and had great results with it - don't just discard it because of the name.

Do you have access to water that hasn't gone through the softener?  or you could try buying some bottled water for dissolving your rennet to see if that would make a difference.  Also, when doubling recipes, not all ingredients increase at the same rate for the same effect.

What was your source for the citric acid?  Was it labelled for food use?

Just a few things to think about.  I've had great luck with the thermophilic recipe, most often using yogurt as my culture.  It really is a superior product, which your raw milk truly "deserves".
Hang in there!

[everygoodtree]

If that rennet didn't set the milk, then it's old. That fresh Jersey milk is really fantastic stuff, it should have worked for you unless you're pasteurizing it at high temps. Are you pasteurizing?

Nope, raw milk.

I think perhaps one strike against me is I don't start to cool my milk until done milking, which depending of how the cow does could be 30 plus minutes.

[Sailor Con Queso]

That's not a strike. Best way to make cheese from raw milk is to use it right out of the cow while it's still warm.

[everygoodtree]

I have only used tablet rennet, but not junket. From what I understand, even all the beginner books say never to use Junket (and those books are usually short on prohibitions).

I'm skeptical!

What was your source for the citric acid?  Was it labelled for food use?

We bought it in bulk due to the huge amount of canning we do. So, there's no distinction.

when doubling recipes, not all ingredients increase at the same rate for the same effect.

Hmm..it seems I always get into this perdicament. I have bigger family, so I do things on a bigger scale. Is there some rule of thumb to use to multiply a recipe? Or is it more a pH issue?

I've had great luck with the thermophilic recipe, most often using yogurt as my culture.  It really is a superior product, which your raw milk truly "deserves".

Thanks for the info!

That's not a strike. Best way to make cheese from raw milk is to use it right out of the cow while it's still warm.

I am storing up milk for days in the fridge so I'm not constantly making cheese (or my wife that is). Since I am not cooling it right away, and using it days later, could the bacterial count be sabotaging my cheese making efforts?

Seems like a lot of variables and I'm not even making anything difficult. 

[BigCheese]

I used Junket rennet exclusively for over a year and had great results with it - don't just discard it because of the name.

I stand corrected

[Sailor Con Queso]

Define "not cooling right away". Raw milk has natural lactic bacteria present and the bacteria count can certainly go up if the milk sits for extended periods without cooling. And that bacterial count will go up naturally over a few days anyway even with refrigeration - milk spoils even in the frig. So, three suggestions.

1- Use less starter bacteria with raw milk. You'll have to figure out what works for your milk but I use about 25% less when I'm using raw milk.

2- A pH meter can help tell you the "condition" of your milk. The pH should be around 6.6. If it is lower than that, then the natural bacteria may be starting to produce a little lactic acid. That is NOT necessarily a bad thing depending on how low the pH is. Then you may have to back off on the starter even more. LOTS of European cheesemakers use ONLY the natural bacteria in their milk. That's why we can't truely duplicate many of them.

3- Make more cheese and more often.

[MrsKK]

When my cow was early in her first lactation, I wasn't great at getting all of the milk out of her, so sometimes it took a few days for me to have enough to make a batch of cheese.  (I always make 5 gallon batches)  One time, I was making citric acid mozzerella and the oldest milk in the batch was a full 7 days old.  It did not set up well and it was grainy, as I remember. 

A fellow member of another forum mentioned having the same trouble and it turned out that we both used some "old" milk.  For your next batch, try using fresher milk and see how it turns out.  I think that the older raw milk is, the more acidic it becomes, which can give some trouble.

Don't get discouraged!

[BigCheese]

I have read recommendations not to use raw milk older than three days, but I think it might be a bit conservative, depending on conditions. I too have used week old milk, but considering all our cheeses were bad back then, we couldn't tell the difference

[FarmerJd]

I am sure there are occasionally issues with older milk but as Sailor said, you can tell it with a ph meter or even with your tongue and some experience. I always use some milk that is from 4 to seven days old in every make. My ph at the start is always 6.5 to 6.7. I suppose the mixture of some old and some fresh may help, but I have not had issues relating to it.

[BigCheese]

Do you ever have problems with cream not mixing back in at that age, JD? I find after 4 or 5 or 6 days it can be difficult to get the cream to mix in.

[FarmerJd]

Yea especially with it being so cold, but it mixes in well after I add fresh milk which is warm. That may be why I occasionally have a mottled look to my cheese.


Just the thought of that thick layer of cold cream makes my mouth water though. I drop a tablespoon into every cup of coffee I drink. I love to pour it over my fresh peaches, or make ice cream out of it with my fresh eggs. I think I just gained 5 lbs from thinking about it.

[everygoodtree]

Define "not cooling right away".

I milk, stain and cool, which from start to finish may take 30 or more minutes (still getting used to sore hands). I've heard of people milking into a bucket which is on ice. Don't know if its worth the bother, but worth the question in my book. I used to buy my milk from my neighbor who has a dairy. So, his go right into the bulk tank and cool immediately. Stays fresh 7 days, no funny taste. We had kept some longer, but started to get a little "malty." Thanks for all the advice Sailor! I looked at pH meters and they are a little salty. Know of a good one for a good price?

Don't get discouraged!

Thanks for the encouragement! I'm doing well and gearing up for a rerun this week, so far I have 8 gallons, but by the time I get my rennet and starter culture from cheesemaker.com I may have 12. I decided on powderd calf rennet due to increased shelf life, but if I'm making this much cheese, that may not matter a whole bunch.

[Sailor Con Queso]

30 minutes is definitely not going to cause any problems.

[everygoodtree]

30 minutes is definitely not going to cause any problems.

Thanks Sailor. BTW second batch of Mozzarella flopped and saved again. I just ordered a pH meter. With this batch I was a real pasty curd--not acidic enough I think. I think the pH tester will fill in a lot of blanks for me. I really don't think I'm getting enough acidification, don't think I'm having too much of a problem with rennet. This is a gut feeling.