24 hour chevre set

[radicalcultures]

Hi everyone,

So I am a teacher's assistant for a class at my college called Cheese Microbiology and Biochemistry. Usually we make an aged gouda every tuesday using raw milk from the dutch belted cows on our campus farm. This past tuesday, though, we just made a few batches of ice cream and had about 3 gallons of milk left over, so I decided on a whim to try and turn it into a fresh chevre-type cheese.

I was very lax with measurements, cause I was kind of winging it. I used a quarter cup of week old whey from our last gouda, and mixed in about half a teaspoon of calf rennet. The milk had been pasteurized in a home pasteurizer (i'm not sure but assume it does 145 for 30 min) and then had cooled for a couple of hours. It was not room temp yet, but was not much more than luke warm. I added a little more than half a teaspoon calcium chloride since it had been pasteurized.

In my head I was thinking, "ok, it's noon, so if i do this now then i can come back tomorrow around noon to drain it". somehow it didn't occur to me that this was actually 24 hours instead of 12. silly, i know. it was quite coagulated, with a pH of 4.35. It had some whey covering it on the top and had developed a crevice on its own. It had not been disturbed while it set. I drained it into a couple of cheese cloths and hung them in 2 separate pots. I decided to put one in the cheese fridge (55 degrees w/ a cool mist humidifier) and keep the other at room temp. I will be checking them throughout the day for consistency and try to salt them at the right time.

I'm curious if anyone has any thoughts as to how doubling the coagulation time will impact the product. I'll post to keep you all updated over the next few days. I'm also curious about the best way to salt. Should I just dry salt the outside or mix the salt in? How much salt should be used? Also, any thoughts as to how long I should let it drain? As i said, i'll be checking its consistency throughout the day, but was wondering if anyone has input.

One final question. Does it matter what kind of container is used to ripen the cheese? I figure glass would be a pretty good bet.

Thanks for your thoughts!

[steffb503]

Quite often I forget my Chevre on the counter for more than 12 hours. It always turns out great. i am using raw goat milk.

[KosherBaker]

Hi radical.

From what little I understand, the Chevre style cheese made from cows milk is usually called Neufchatel. This very subforum where you posted this topic has quite a bit of discussion about Neufchatel. To add to whatever responses you get in this thread.

Where about are you located? Wow a college that teaches cheese making and has livestock to boot. Almost, sounds too good to be true.  

[radicalcultures]

It is pretty amazing! These programs are just getting started and I am very privileged to be a part of their budding development. I am located in western massachusetts near Amherst at Hampshire College.

Thanks for letting me know its called neufchatel. I have heard of this type of cheese, and I was sure there must be a tradition of making chevre type cheese with cow's milk as well.

It turned out really great. It was a hit with everyone who tried it. The director of the farm was really excited about it. I think this could be a great way to go for an initial product in making the transition to a commercially viable creamery because it is a pretty simple process, it is highly value added, and it can be sold soon after it is made (no lag time as with aged cheeses). I'm pretty excited about making more of it and getting a consistent recipe down! I'm also excited to make both raw and pasteurized versions and use these products as the subject of the microbiological studies I am doing for my senior thesis.

Dairy is so exciting!!! Y'all are great, thanks for the comments.