Colostrum and milk and cheese question

[scasnerkay]

The farm where I volunteer including milking, has had just one cow in milk. The second cow in her first freshening, delivered a still born (girl - extra sadness) calf this morning. Her udder is so swollen and bursting with milk. My question is about when the milk becomes usable for making cheese. I think I have read that the colostrum does not work. So when does the milk become usable? Her first milking this morning was 30#, which was dumped on the compost heap because of dirty collection with all the kicking. But she should settle into pattern soon.

[lovinglife]

I'm not sure with cows but with goats I usually wait 2 weeks and give it a taste, if it is a little bitter still wait a little longer but so far at the 2 week mark it is totally drinkable.  You can try in a few days, just taste it, you will know if there is still colostrum present.

[scasnerkay]

I did a bit more reading, and found that the pH of colostrum/first milk is lower than normal milk. So I brought some home, and measured it at 6.45 (after double checking calibration). Certainly such a low pH would affect the cheesemaking. So aside from taste, I think getting a measurement should be interesting.
In the meantime, the reading also made it sound like colostrum should be good for humans too - in fact one dairy was selling fresh raw colostrum for big bucks. So I did drink a glass and enjoyed it! Also made ice cream from the bright yellow cream. I did not notice any bitterness...

[Mermaid]

With our cows we wait about 8-10 milkings before keeping it for cheesemaking.

[scasnerkay]

I am tying to make a fresh cheese (like chevre) with milk that is from 3 days after delivery - 4th milking. and it is not setting up normally. I may give it another 12 to 24 hours and then try to scoop it. I also am trying to make kefir with it, and it seems to not be thickening normally.
Is that 8-10 milkings with no calves nursing on the cows?
Do you check starting pH of the milk?

[CdnMorganGal]

Personally, I don't like the taste of the milk for the first 10 days or so after birthing. Luckily my worker's family likes it.

[Mermaid]

Milkings referring to twice a day (6 am, 6 pm) milking, after weaning calf after one day. I use the milk from these days to bottle feed.
So that would be 4-5 days

[scasnerkay]

Mermaid - interesting! I have been testing the pH of the milk, as well as assessing it visually and by taste. We have been doing 2 x day milkings, and today at 11 days after birth, the pH is up to 6.55. When I first tested a few days ago it was 6.4. The low pH would have a big impact on the make I think. Today the milk looks almost "normal" in terms of color and cream and it tastes normal. So I am making mozzarella where I need a low pH anyway. Normal flocculation time for me is about 12 mins. Same rennet amount today and I got flocculation in 4 mins.