My Favorite Chevre Cheese Making Recipe

[cmharris6002]

This is a really wonderful creamy Chevre.

1 gallon goat milk warmed to 80F (for farmstead cheese makers: I use ½ gallon freshly drawn warm milk combined with ½ gallon chilled milk from the previous milking after combining milk the temp is 80F)
1/4 tea Flora Danica
½ drop rennet (dilute 1 drop of rennet in ½ cup of cool water then use ¼ cup of this mixture)
Sprinkle the Flora Danica on the warm milk, allow a few minutes to hydrate then stir
Ripen 30 min.
Add ¼ cup of diluted rennet, stir well
Let set undisturbed 8-12hrs
Gently scoop curds into molds or a muslin lined colander and hang to drain
Drain 12-24hrs

After draining remove from molds and sprinkle the cheeses with salt OR if you hung you cheese place cheese in a bowl and mix in ½ teaspoon of salt per pound of cheese (or to taste)

If you want to make logs put the Chevre back in the fridge to firm up while you get everything ready. Assemble your scale (if you want to weigh your cheese as you work) plastic wrap, herbs, spices etc. Season the Chevre if you desire. Pour the herbs or spice to coat the log onto a small plate. Place plastic wrap over the scale scoop 8oz of Chevre on to the plastic, fold it over the cheese and roll it into a log. As you open the plastic unroll the cheese onto the plate with herbs or spice. Roll and shape the log. Wrap the log in plastic and refrigerate.

Horseradish Chevre rolled in Cracked Pepper and Artichoke & Bacon Chevre rolled in Paprika

[FRANCOIS]

I would suggest MM100 instead of FD.  MM100 is FD without the LM.  FD has a butter flavor that actually repulses me.  MM100 is a much cleaner flavor, in my opinion.

Also for a firmer cheese you can rehang after salting and expel more whey instead of putting it back in the fridge.

[cmharris6002]

I'll try the MM100.

I do like a firm chevre but the problem I have with rehanging is that is gets too dry. Is that because of the FD? The texture of this cheese is light and I have tried to make it more heavy or dense with extra draining to no avail.

One cheese maker told me to switch to veg. rennet and also to switch cultures every few months. I have not done this yet. Do you think it is necessary?

Thanks,
Christy

[FRANCOIS]

Calf r3ennet is not necessary.  Veg or microbial will work fine.  I used to use veg.

The longer it hangs, the more moisture you lose and the less "creamy" the texture becomes.  The issue, as always, is PH.  The longer it hangs at room temp, the lower your pH gets and the flintier the cheese will be come.  You will end up with a firm body that shatters easily if you let it drain long enough.  I'm not sure about your density question.  More moisture will make it seem thicker and creamier.

Culture rotation is for phage control.  I wouldn't worry about it. 

[PeterNZ]

I would suggest MM100 instead of FD.  MM100 is FD without the LM.  FD has a butter flavor that actually repulses me.  MM100 is a much cleaner flavor, in my opinion.

Also for a firmer cheese you can rehang after salting and expel more whey instead of putting it back in the fridge.

Hi Francois, sorry if that's a stupid question but what is LM? I don't see a bacteria which could be LM in FD. Would R704 a good culture for the Chevre?

Cheers

Peter

[FRANCOIS]

LM is Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris

I can't stand the stuff.  I'm not familiar with R704.

[PeterNZ]

LM is Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris

I can't stand the stuff.  I'm not familiar with R704.

Ahh I see. The fact sheet from Chr. Hansen just says "Leuconostoc".

R704 is Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis
Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris

Cheers

Peter

[FRANCOIS]

LL and LC is MA series.  It's not incredibly useful, and I personaly wouldn't use it for fresh cheese as it lacks LD.

[Minamyna]

You guys have made my day!

I just have one question. I have been using the Rikki Carrol booklet that came with my kit and she says for liquid rennet (reg strength) 1/5 drop ie one drop in 5 tablespoons, use one tablespoon. When I tried to make it a little firmer, 1 drop in 4 tbs, use one tblspn it got a little rubbery and lumpy. Does that mean I need to dissolve slightly more rennet in more water and use more water? I seem to lose some curds when I mold and my final cheeses never seem to be quite as firm as store bought type. When I season them I have to be extra careful.

Thanks!

[Sailor Con Queso]

LM is Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris. I can't stand the stuff.  I'm not familiar with R704.

Francois - why don't you like L m cremoris?

[FRANCOIS]

I don't like the taste of it.  It's the main culture for butter, and to me cheese should taste like cheese, not butter

[Minamyna]

Whats in the mesophilic 4000 series? I used it to make cottage cheese and it was delicious!

The MM100 series to me tastes like a chevre type culture and I love the way it tastes.

[linuxboy]

4000 series is MM100 + strep thermophilus.  S thermophilus is an interesting coccus because it is phylogenetically closer related to its meso cousins like l lactis than the thermophilic bacilli like l helveticus, so it's like an intermediary culture between meso and thermo.

[dmitrig01]

I know this is an old topic, but: I just made this recipe and the cheese came out quite... for lack of a better word, clumpy -- there are many small clumps within the chevre. I've had this happen consistently with every chevre I make regardless of recipe. What should I change to make it smoother next time?

I know this isn't the greatest picture, but here's what it looks like, after mixing salt in:

[Tomer1]

You can use a blender\food processor to smoothen things up.