Cheeses to make with goaty milk

[fjernsyn]

So, for reasons beyond my control, my raw goat milk is goaty. I just made some mozzarella that I didn't want to eat because of  it (didn't help that it was hot when I ate it - it's not VERY goaty, but the taste is there).

Any suggestions for cheeses that taste good despite this? Feta is an easy choice, but how about other ones?

Thanks!

[sandhollerfarm]

I make mozzarella, chevre and feta on a regular basis with our goats milk.  I've found that I need to use the absolute freshest and sweetest for the mozzarella, the chevre can stand a little more strong flavoring and the feta can withstand quite a bit of off flavors.

I've also made haloumi with stronger tasting milk but haven't really perfected that recipe.  Any of the aged cheeses just seem to accentuate the flavor so I avoid those.

Is the milk from your own goats?  Are you sure there isn't something else you can control?  We typically view goaty milk as a problem in our process somewhere.

Good luck!

[fjernsyn]

The milk is not from my own goats, but I milk them, so I am very aware of the process. Based on everything I have read here and elsewhere, the process is good. The only downfall (and it's a big one) is that the bucks are kept right next to the does, and during some periods are even kept with the does for weeks at a time (during mating season, to make sure they get everyone). This doesn't affect the cheeses they make and sell, so they will not be changing this. There is also one Toggenburg, which I hear can have stronger tasting milk than others, though I'm sure the bigger problem is the bucks.

Thanks for the suggestions! Some day I will have my own goats and won't have to deal with this problem, but until then I'd like to get some good practice and good cheese. I suppose if I'm left only with feta that's OK - everyone likes feta! Though of course I'd like to make many other things.

[linuxboy]

IMHO, biggest cause of goaty milk, after poor handling and milking, is trace element imbalance in the feed. I've seen dairies where the bucks ran with the does and the milk was fine. They did feed a high quality alfalfa, kept condition through grain, and supplemented with a high trace element salt mix with enough copper, cobalt, and selenium to meet diatary needs.

Does the dairy supplement with a mineral mix? How about using copper oxide rods for the extra copper?

[fjernsyn]

They feed first cutting organic alfalfa, small amount of custom organic grain mix with minerals and yeast, goat-specific mineral lick, and supplements of kelp and baking soda.

I am realizing that I may not be timing my cheese-making correctly. Their milk tank holds 2 days worth of milk (4 milkings). Sometimes I get my milk when it is full, so it would already be 2 days old. And I usually don't make any cheese that day, so it would be at least 3 days old. Then my equipment isn't nearly big enough to hold all of the milk so I have to make several batches, so by the time I'm making a cheese, it could easily be a week old. Do you think that could be a problem?

[linuxboy]

Yep, I can't hold goat milk that long unless it's super fresh and always handled gently. Is bulk tank agitated? Can't agitate goat milk and expect it to taste good. About the only way I know to keep goat milk fresh enough for that long for cheesemaking is to pasteurize immediately and put in containers at 34F and not agitate.

Feeding schedule seems OK, except even with a good salt/mineral mix, there's still often a copper and/or selenium deficiency.

[fjernsyn]

I think I'll just start getting half as much 2x/week right after the first milking to go in a clean tank.

[sandhollerfarm]

The only time we've had a real issue with goaty milk was a mineral problem as well.  One of our goats just doesn't seem to get it from the feed or mineral and we have to copper bolus her for her milk to be sweet.

Our milk is usually still sweet after a week, but we don't use a bulk tank.  It goes straight into jars and stays there until cheese making.  So there is less 'disturbance'.  I bet that is adding to your flavor.