vacuum sealing raw goat milk cheeses

[JoannaCW]

I've been reading about the pros and cons of vacuum sealing in the forum archives, and I think I'd like to go ahead and try vac sealing my 2.5 lb colby, gouda, cheddar and jack cheeses, but I still have one open question.  One poster mentioned having problems with vacuum sealing raw milk cheese and not with store cheese.  Have others had the same problem? Or have any of you who've had good experiences with vacuum sealing used raw milk? I'm using raw milk from my goats.

[steffb503]

Sorry I can't help you but I have a question for you about raw goat cheese.
I am trying to make a raw goat hard cheese that is to my liking. It seems they taste good when they are young but as they age the taste gets too strong and unpleasant.  Have found any tricks to making pleasant tasting raw aged goat cheese?

[Sailor Con Queso]

Joanna, There is no problem vac bagging raw milk cheeses. Be sure the cheese is completely dry before sealing. I try to age mine naturally for 4-6 weeks before bagging. Just rub with a little olive oil as needed to keep the rind from drying out.

[zenith1]

I agree with Sailor-should be no problem with raw milk cheese.  You just have to make sure that the wheel is dry enough before you bag. I usually wait 3-5 weeks depending on the size of the wheel. You will have to do some R&D on your own to come up with the proper time to bag. Also, I use a Foodsaver system that allows me to vacuum to the point I want without putting an excessive amount of vacuum on the wheel and possible drawing out of the wheel some moisture that I would consider normal.

[JoannaCW]

Thanks all!

Zenith1, I also have a Foodsaver (Vac 1075) with an instant seal button for fragile items, and was just wondering whether to use that button and when to stop sealing.  Can you say more about how you know when to stop?

Steffb503, I wish I had a systematic answer.  We've had some good-tasting goat milk cheeses (cheddar, colby, gouda, jack) aged up to 11 months or so--beyond that we tend to have mold problems.  We don't have a buck, so I think our milk is less goaty tasting than it otherwise might be.  There's a lot of variation between individual cheeses; partly this is a matter of technique, I think (we just got a pH meter in hopes of more consistent results) and partly it depends on what the goats are eating and where they are in the lactation cycle.

 

[German Cheese Girl]

I have made literally hundreds of pounds of cheese, mostly 4 to 5 pound wheels.  I use my own raw goat milk and make Gouda, Cheddar, Swiss, Manchego and Colby.  I always vacuum pack my cheese when it is dry, and it works beautifully!  The problem is, I never age them long enough.  My husband hid a wheel from me once, and then presented it to me wrapped as a gift on our anniversary.  Imagine my excitement when I saw a huge present on the table.  I unwrapped it, and in it was one of my vacuum packed Goudas, exactly one year old.  It tasted heavenly!!!