Please help! 1st attempt at chevre - cloudy liquid on top!

[narnia]

Hi everyone!  This is my first attempt at cheese making ever!!  We have a Lamancha goat, whose milk I am using.

Last night, I used raw milk from earlier in the day and the day before.  I used the chevre packet from New England Cheesemaking.  I had bought a pot thermometer from Amazon and used it for 86 degrees.  I found out AFTER the fact, that this thermometer was inaccurate!!!  Turns out, it was actually 92!!!  I was dismayed by this, but thought I would do the 12 hour set to see how it went.

I turned the AC to 72 overnight as it sat on the kitchen counter.  This morning, 12 hours later, I see that curds have set but the liquid is not yellow or clear like I have seen in the Youtube videos.  Nor has the curd separated from the sides.  : (

What I am seeing, is that the curds completely touch the sides all the way around and the liquid is cloudy with pieces of thin, sheet-like pieces floating around the top.

I don't know what to do....can anyone help me understand what is going on and if there is anything that I can do to salvage this project?  The second image is the pan tilted so that you can see the curd formation.  It smells wonderful...like yogurt!  But, I don't know what I have here, since I have never made yogurt before either!  Thanks in advance for your help!

[scasnerkay]

Sounds perfect to me! I have been waiting about 24 hours, then scooping the curd into small forms, then waiting 24 hour (at room temp), then salting and into the frig. I think what you have looks normal! I don't think 92 is a problem. The last two times I made chevre it turned out very well using the recipe at http://artisangeek.com/basic-chevre-recipe/
I used FD as a starter.

[narnia]

Thanks!  the recipe said to wait 12 hours but should I wait 24?  Would that help it to set more and the whey clear up?

I was concerned because my whey was so cloudy and milky and not nice and clear like what I had seen in the videos.  Theirs had separated completely from the sides with about and inch clearance all the way around.

[Sweet Leaves Farm]

You could let it set longer, and see what you get, but you could also just drain it and see what you get. My Nubian's milk does this too, especially towards the end of their lactation. All the extra Calcium, fat and protein, sometimes doesn't get incorporated in a non standardized milk. It'll be fine.

[narnia]

Oh dear!  I had no idea about lactation cycles affecting cheese making!!  We are new goat owners.  We did not want to deal with kidding, so we were planning on milking through her cycle for as long as she would give milk.

So now, my question is....how would our plan affect cheese making success?

[Gregore]

I would scoop out a spoonful and see if it is at least as thick and firm as yogurt , if so it is ready to mold and or hang in the cheese cloth .

[narnia]

At 24 hours, I just felt like I should just strain it into a bag and take my chances.  It did not look very much different.  Just a little less floaty white stuff on top.  So, I scooped and it looked like this (photo attached).  I am assuming that this is the way it should look?  I put the curds in a nut milk bag to drain overnight.  I guess the verdict will be made in the morning!

I tasted the leftover curds clinging to the sides of the pot and it has a pretty sharp taste.  I was hoping for some mild chevre.  I wonder if I had bagged it at 12 hours, if it would have been milder?  I drank a little of the whey, and it is pretty tangy.

Earlier, I had thought about taking out a scoop to test, but I was afraid of disturbing it, since I read that I should leave it undisturbed until done.  I also wondered about contamination, since I also learned about the need to sanitize all the equipment prior to making the cheese.  Did not know if I stuck a spoon in the pot while fermenting, if any external bacteria might interfere with the process.

[Sweet Leaves Farm]

Well, if you're hand milking, there are procedures you need to take to make sure the milk is clean. Hopefully you have that under control. And yes sterilizing all your equipment, either by boiling or using a sanitizing rinse is required, to keep the nasties at bay. Chevre made with late lactation milk after 5 months fresh, may have a sharper flavor than early lactation milk. Also make sure you're feeding an unmedicated goat feed and good fresh smelling forage. Good feed in = Good milk out. Do not feed excess molasses, it can cover the taste of bad feed and can make your goat sick with acidosis, either of which can make the milk a little off.

The chevre probably would have been less tangy at 12 hours, than 24, but if it just falls through the bag, it wouldn't work anyway. Next time, Using a clean spoon, cut a little slice in the curd. If it lifts out cleanly, you're ready to bag, if not give it a couple more hours, then try again.

Late lactation milk works great for making cheese, especially Cheddar (yummy!) but you might lose a little fat and protein in the whey, because the recipes are for standardized milk. FYI Lamanchas are great little milkers and have a good butterfat level throughout their lactation, so let the cheese making begin! Also, if you make too much fresh cheese, it freezes well. I have Nubians and right now I get nearly 3 pounds of chevre per gallon of milk. They have a really high butterfat and protein level, which makes more cheese per gallon. In the spring, I only get just under 2 pounds per gallon.

If you want to milk your girl through the next summer, realize that she will milk less in the winter, but she should rebound.

[Stinky]

I'd not be shocked if the cloud is just excess fat. But I don't know my way around lactics very well, and particularly not with goats.

[Gregore]

I say don't sweat it , it looks good so far and you will have so many chances to get it exactly the way you like with all the milk you will be getting per week . 

I am rather jealous .

[lovinglife]

Your cheese looks great, if you want a nice soft chevre you can strain from 6 - 12 hours depending on curd set.  The longer is ferments the sharper it will be and sinking is what it is supposed to do.  I made some and let it ferment for two days for an aged chevre I was making, it was very tangy but yummy!  So many choices to do with your chevre!  I use kefir as my starter then 4 drops of rennet in two gallons of milk, yummy!  I like to let it hang then salt and hang some more then roll in balls then spices and age in olive oil.  WOW!  Can't keep them around long!  Also I like to make yogurt and hang and salt that to drain until dry and roll that in balls but that is way harder as it stays so soft and silky but man is it tasty. 

[narnia]

Thanks everyone!  It turned out just fine!!!  Sorry for the late reply!  We were so thrilled with the results that we were too busy eating tons of it to get back to report!   

I let it sit for 24 and let it hang for 24 hours total.  I really liked the flavor but my DH said that it was too tangy for him.  So, next time, I will use the proper temp and try a test to see if it breaks clean after the 12 hours.

Thank you so much for your support!!   

[narnia]

Your cheese looks great, if you want a nice soft chevre you can strain from 6 - 12 hours depending on curd set.  The longer is ferments the sharper it will be and sinking is what it is supposed to do.  I made some and let it ferment for two days for an aged chevre I was making, it was very tangy but yummy!  So many choices to do with your chevre!  I use kefir as my starter then 4 drops of rennet in two gallons of milk, yummy!  I like to let it hang then salt and hang some more then roll in balls then spices and age in olive oil.  WOW!  Can't keep them around long!  Also I like to make yogurt and hang and salt that to drain until dry and roll that in balls but that is way harder as it stays so soft and silky but man is it tasty.

How do you age in olive oil?  And how does it change the taste/texture?

[narnia]

Well, if you're hand milking, there are procedures you need to take to make sure the milk is clean. Hopefully you have that under control.
I believe we have that under control.  We wash the teats and udder with water that has Dawn and teatree oil.  Then use chlorhexadine to to sanitize the teats.  We hand-strip the teats and milk with a machine first and then finish with hand milking in a small mouthed quart jar.  We strain immediately with shwartz filter and put in freezer for 2 hours then transfer to milk-dedicated fridge that stays at 36-38 degrees.  Is this good enough for keeping the milk clean, or have we missed something?  We are new to all this, so any help is appreciated!!   

And yes sterilizing all your equipment, either by boiling or using a sanitizing rinse is required, to keep the nasties at bay. Chevre made with late lactation milk after 5 months fresh, may have a sharper flavor than early lactation milk. Also make sure you're feeding an unmedicated goat feed and good fresh smelling forage. Good feed in = Good milk out. Do not feed excess molasses, it can cover the taste of bad feed and can make your goat sick with acidosis, either of which can make the milk a little off.
Our goats get non-GMO feed that we mix up ourselves, so not medicated.  No molasses.  Good alfalfa hay and pellets.  And they graze and browse on 4+ acres of lush land.

The chevre probably would have been less tangy at 12 hours, than 24, but if it just falls through the bag, it wouldn't work anyway. Next time, Using a clean spoon, cut a little slice in the curd. If it lifts out cleanly, you're ready to bag, if not give it a couple more hours, then try again.
Thanks, will try that.

Late lactation milk works great for making cheese, especially Cheddar (yummy!) but you might lose a little fat and protein in the whey, because the recipes are for standardized milk. FYI Lamanchas are great little milkers and have a good butterfat level throughout their lactation, so let the cheese making begin! Also, if you make too much fresh cheese, it freezes well. I have Nubians and right now I get nearly 3 pounds of chevre per gallon of milk. They have a really high butterfat and protein level, which makes more cheese per gallon. In the spring, I only get just under 2 pounds per gallon.
Thanks for that info!  I got 2 lb. 5 oz. couple of days ago, from 1 gallon.

If you want to milk your girl through the next summer, realize that she will milk less in the winter, but she should rebound.

So helpful to hear from another goat owner!  Thanks for your help!

[narnia]

I say don't sweat it , it looks good so far and you will have so many chances to get it exactly the way you like with all the milk you will be getting per week . 

I am rather jealous .

Thanks!