Naturally Ocurring Bacteria - In Raw Milk

[cheezwhizz]

Am I right in assuming that some of the bacterias we use in cheese making are naturally present in raw milk?.And if so..Are there certain geographic locations for certain bacteria? What i mean is would bacterias such as Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus helveticus be found in milk in North America. Or are these bacteria only found in Europe?.  The reason i ask this is I would like to try my hand at traditional cheese making. No DVI or any other additives. Only use local raw milk + rennet and see what it has to offer.
     Cheddars have been traditionally made here in the northeast USA (New York to be exact), so im assuming  Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris,  Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar diacetylactis, are present here..Do I have this right?

[zenith1]

Hi Cheezwhizz-glad to have another fellow NY'er on the forum. Since you are interested in naturally producing cheese I have attached some information for your reading pleasure.

[Sailor Con Queso]

It's not just the bacteria, but the STRAINS that are important. A naturally occuring bacteria here is different than the exact same bacteria somewhere else in the world.

[cheezwhizz]

   Hi Zee.and thanks for the info.  The link you sent pointed me in the right direction. after reading that page and doing some googling. Ive figured out that the bacterias ARE present in the milk when it exits the cow. And you CAN make cheese without DVI's.  Heres a good site that explains the natural occurrence of bacterias in milk and their historical use in cheese making.     http://www.cip.ukcentre.com/cheese.htm#starter   ...The name of the site is "The Basics Of Cheese Making". It has allot of good info about making cheese...Give it a read    its like cheese making 101.

      Where abouts are you located in NY Kieth?.   Im in the Finger Lakes Region /Southern Tier.. Elmira NY.

   Senior Sailor, agreed that the bacterial strain will be different from the ones in the DVI packets or from  different location around the world. But thats exactly why i want to try this experiment. Want to see what the milk im using can do...good , bad, or otherwise. If the bacteria is there and they acidify the milk i think i can make cheese.  . right?..Think i'll try a stilton for my first make.