New member -- questions on using fresh cows milk

[Buck47]

Hello fellow members:

I've been checking out the Cheese Forum since last year, this is my first post. Been making Feta and some of the simpler cheeses from fresh cows milk. I live in farm country and have neighbors who sell fresh goats milk and cows milk.

Want to try "Farmhouse Cheddar" from Ricki Carrolls book Cheese Making page 104.

Here is my question. I will be using fresh cows milk which has a high cream content
(about 20% of the volume of each gal is cream)

Can I use the milk without skimming off the cream.  Ricki calls for "Whole" milk, but I'm not sure how much cream content her receipt is based on.

If I can use the milk just as It comes from the bulk tank ... do I need to make any adjustments to temp, time, mesophillic starter, rennet, ect?

Thank for your help with my first attempt at a hard cheese.

Regards: john

[FarmerJd]

Welcome to the forum, John. Your fresh cow's milk is perfect for cheese especially a cheddar cheese. No need to skim it. Technically speaking your milk is probably only a little higher in fat than whole milk in the store (3.25% fat while your milk probably measures in the 4-6% range). I do not adjust the recipe at all for my cheddar; other cheeses might require some adjusting. There may be some things affected on a minute scale even with cheddar but for beginning cheesemaking it should be negligible.
Good luck.

[ConnieG]

My only question is if the milk is from a raw milk dairy or if the bulk tank is intended to be pasteurized?  I ask because those who milk for raw milk are really scrupulous about cleanliness and that milk being clean and ready to drink.  Dairies who milk for pasteurization aren't too concerned with cleanliness and anything in the milk will get killed anyway.

Welcome!  I use raw milk myself and am a newbie cheese maker!

[FarmerJd]

I agree with Connie 100%. I'd be very wary of milk that was intended to be pasteurized.

[MrsKK]

You could always pasturize the milk before making your cheese if you have any concerns.

As for skimming, I wouldn't.  I use my Jersey/Holstein cross's milk whole for making colby and cheddar and it comes out lovely.  I tried using 3 gallons of skimmed to two gallons of whole milk for a batch of colby once and had 1/3 less curd from that batch of cheese.  Way too much sacrificed, IMHO.

Welcome!  and let us know how your cheesemaking goes.

[DeejayDebi]

Welcome aboard Buck.

The only cheese I can think of off hand I skim my raw milk for is parmensan and the milk I get from my milk maid is 5% fat. I wouldn't worry about that. I would be concerned about the cleanliness of the milk room in the picture and consider pasteurizing the milk first.

Good Luck!

[Cheese Head]

Welcome John (Buck) some info here on manufactured milk fat contents and on raw milk fat %'s but look's like you've already been helped.

Sorry but I don't know if Ricki means store bought whole or raw whole cow's milk. Great pictures!

[Buck47]

Thanks everyone for you kind response and encouraging comments.

I'm pleased to find out I can use the milk including the cream in making hard cheese.

In general  I agree with ConnieG's comment: "Dairies who milk for pasteurization aren't too concerned with cleanliness and anything in the milk will get killed anyway."

That being said, I have been drinking and using Raw milk from two neighbors now for many years and never had any problems. One of my criteria in chosing them was that both families drink and cook with the raw milk they produce.

I'll post my results ... plan on making cheese this week. Problem is the weather is so nice I need to be outside preparing for winter.

DeejayDebi: I clicked on your Smoke Pit link. I'm impressed.

Have spent many an enjoyable hour perfecting the perfect Memphis Dry Baby Back Ribs. I'm close ... so very close.   Alas, still have a bit of tweaking to do. 

Thanks again to the members for all your input.

Regards: john

[DeejayDebi]

Thanks Buck I spend a lot of time trying to keep that website and forum together. I have an eBook on rubs you can download to get an idea or two. Good luck to you! Nothing better than raw milk IMHO.

[Buck47]

I'm pleased to report my first attempt at making a hard cheese with fresh raw milk went well.

However, I now have more questions.

I have a root cellar built in my basement. This time of year the Temp stays steady at 60 to 62 F Humidity 98%.

Would like to use this room to store cheese.

Question: Must the temp be at or under 60 degrees F ? --- As winter sets in the temp will drop to around 57 - 58 degrees.

Thanks for your help.  Regards: john

[ConnieG]

I'm a newbie, but to me the cellar sounds ideal.

I was interested that you mentioned cohousing?  It caught my eye because I'm interested in such things and I was wondering if you live in formal co-housing?

[Buck47]

ConnieG:  I don't know what cohoushing is.  I live on a 160 acre farm.  The house was built in 1914 and has a root cellar built into the basement.  The door is from an old walking in freezer (the kind butcher shops had years ago)  The door is over 6 inches thick hangs on chrome hinges. I use iy for keep potatoes and carrots in the fall. Thought it could be used for cheese. Not sure about the temp being over 60 F part of the year.

[ConnieG]

Sorry a mis-sread on my part (a little dyslexia goes a long way).   

As to the temp, I am not very experienced so I won't venture a guess.  I imagine it will depend on the cheese and the desired results.  I'm guessing that temps over 60 would cause too fast a ripening.  Would it be cooler if you put in some fans for the hottest part of the year?  The farm sounds lovely.

[DeejayDebi]

The temperature is a little high but I would think it could easily be dropped by adding a vent of something in the winter. You could also consider a chiller unti of some sort. WOuldn't take much to drop it a few degrees. Mold will grow fast at those temperatures.

[bhaidri]

If you're using raw milk, you should probably top-stir for a couple of minutes after adding the rennet to make sure you keep as much of the solids in the curd.  I normally use raw milk in my cheeses.  With raw milk you have to make sure of the source and make sure of the source.  You don't want milk that has been 'sitting out' for any length of time.  When you are 100% sure of it, use it raw; if not, pasteurrize it.  Good luck!

PS Great pics!