Raw Cow's Milk - Cheese Making Recommendations For Time Challenged?

[mcfly]

Hello again.. Sorry I've been bombarding the forum so much over the last week

Next week I'm picking up 4 gallon of raw cow milk from a cheesemaker in London. Its the largest quantity I have ever bought but he offered it as a good price so I couldn't say no. He picks it up from Kent at 5am where he adds 0.3% culture at 30c so by the time he arrives in London it has acidified to around PH 6.6.

So, here is my problem!

I'm going to pick up the milk in my car at 8am. I want to keep the milk at 30 so I was going to carry some warm water in 4 x 1 gallon containers. When I arrive Ill pour out the warm water into a large container and fill them each with the milk, and then submerge them into the warm water for my 30 minte drive back to my house. I'll then have about 1.5 hours before work so I was going to rennet as soon as I arrive back, cut and press the curds and then head to work. I can then return 2.5 hours later so this would be a good opportunity to turn and press at a heavier weight before heading back to work.

I know, it sounds a bit crazy but what I'm asking is could anybody recommend a simple cheese that doesn't need to much attention? I don't want to start cooking or washing curds as it will take too much time. I need something that I can just rennet in 30-45 minutes. Drain and then press. Leave for 2.5 hours.. Then turn and press again.

I was also thinking of dividing the 4 gallon into 2 and acidifying half over 12 hours with a little rennet and deal with it when I arrive back in the evening which is better for me. Are there any recommendation's for a slow lactic acid cow milk cheese? Maybe an Alpine which takes around 12 hours for the curds to form? Maybe I should just leave the whole lot for 12 hours and then cut and press when I return home later on instead of rushing to get it pressed?

So, any advice much appreciated..

[mcfly]

I just realised that you don't use acid coagulation for Alpine cheese.. Id better get back to the drawing board

[MrsKK]

The only thing I can suggest is something along the lines of Neufchatel.  I just don't think you're going to have enough time in there for making a hard/pressed cheese.

[Sailor Con Queso]

WHY is he adding culture? What kind? Acidifying to 6.6??? Milk is normally around that anyway, so I'm not sure what you are trying to accomplish. There is no way that I would buy "cultured" milk, especially if I didn't know EXACTLY what was being used.

The temperature needs to remain stable, so this does not sound like a good game plan to me. This is like frying an egg for 30 seconds, cutting off the stove, and trying to finish frying later.

You really need to decide on the type of cheese that you want to make first, develop a solid game plan, and stick with it. Otherwise your results are going to be inconsistent. It sounds like you don't have time to deal with things properly that morning, so why not refrigerate the milk until you have time later?

[ConnieG]

I mostly make cheeses starting when I get home in the afternoon.  I put 4 gallons of milk on to heat slowly, go and do my animal chores (hour and a half) and the cheese making going on to the wee hours.  I catch cat naps between stages of the recipe.  Up again at 5:00 a.m. to milk!  I couldn't do it every night, but a couple of times a week works.

[Boofer]

WHY is he adding culture? What kind? Acidifying to 6.6??? Milk is normally around that anyway, so I'm not sure what you are trying to accomplish. There is no way that I would buy "cultured" milk, especially if I didn't know EXACTLY what was being used.

Wow, I'm with Sailor. He's defining your cheese for you! Can you get him to just deliver the raw milk without adulteration? Otherwise, find another milk source so you're not so constrained.

-Boofer-

[mcfly]

I could ask if he could separate my 4 gallon before adulteration but as it has a 3 hours trip without refrigeration will this be safe to refrigerate on its arrival? I guess this is why he starts the process in Kent straight from milking to make his raclette. 

If its not safe to refrigerate, I could leave it with a small amount of rennet and leave it for a few hours at 23c to make a more lactic acid based cheese,  MissKK mentioned Neufchatel which is a an option?

I understand these aren't ideal circumstances but I'm just trying to make this work 

[DeejayDebi]

You might want to review the raclette recipe here to see if yo will be able to meet the criteria. It is a pretty simple cheese and a fast make compared to many.

[mcfly]

Thanks Debi 

I just had a quick look at a recipe, so there is no pressing involved which is good?! Could be another option if I could get the curds done in 2 hours I can then brine it while I head to work.

[susanky]

I could ask if he could separate my 4 gallon before adulteration but as it has a 3 hours trip without refrigeration will this be safe to refrigerate on its arrival?

When I go to the farm to get raw milk I take a cooler full of ice.  Actually, we've found it works better if it is ice water (so we save the old ice).  It is easier to push the gallons down into it.  I have a big cooler that holds 10 gallons.  Out of the cow it is 102-103 so melts the ice quickly.  So we have a second cooler full of new ice.  After a half hour of so (while we are filtering the rest of the milk) we add the rest of the ice.  This cools the milk very quickly.   It can stay in that cooler for days.  It is colder than the fridge. 
Susan

[Sailor Con Queso]

Assuming that it is good, clean, pathogen free milk, there is no problem keeping it unrefrigerated for 3 hours. The milk should have natural lactic bacteria and short term you will get very little if any bacterial growth below 55F. I often pull my milk out of the cooler and let it warm up for a couple of hours before starting a make. Generally warms up to just 50-55F, but that way I don't use as much energy to heat up to ripening temperatures.

Many of the best European cheese use only natural lactic bacteria and don't even use starter. However, we do not know the source or how the milk is handled before transport. If it sits for 3 hours right out of the cow (warm) before he loads it into his truck, it might be problematic.

I'm still not at all comfortable with someone else adding an unknown culture and transporting unrefrigerated. Here in the states, it is illegal to transport unrefrigerated milk. At the delivery point, many groceries are required to reject a delivery if the milk is above 41F. Because, you never really know where that milk has been.

[mcfly]

Thank you all,
Think I'm going to go for a more lactic acid cheese so there is no rushing around before work.

[Boofer]

I could ask if he could separate my 4 gallon before adulteration but as it has a 3 hours trip without refrigeration will this be safe to refrigerate on its arrival?

When I go to the farm to get raw milk I take a cooler full of ice.  Actually, we've found it works better if it is ice water (so we save the old ice).  It is easier to push the gallons down into it.  I have a big cooler that holds 10 gallons.  Out of the cow it is 102-103 so melts the ice quickly.  So we have a second cooler full of new ice.  After a half hour of so (while we are filtering the rest of the milk) we add the rest of the ice.  This cools the milk very quickly.   It can stay in that cooler for days.  It is colder than the fridge. 
Susan

Seems like Susan has the right course of action. Seems like a couple coolers of ice would solve a lot of problems.

-Boofer-