Hi from Oregon!

[Moojoo]

Hi! My name is Kimberley, and I'm just starting to make my own cheese. I've made some soft cheeses successfully, and I want to move up to some hard cheese (suggestions?).

Sadly, I haven't found a milk source yet, so I use milk from the store. So far it works just fine, though. My Dad-in-law has a bunch of goats, though, so I might be able to mooch some goat milk off him this spring.  I'm dying to make some chevre or something out of goat milk.

[Boofer]

Hi Kimberley. Welcome to the forum.

There are lots of good choices for your first hard cheese. Take a stroll through some of the forum pages. You'll see Gouda, Colby, Swiss, Manchego, and others come up frequently. Any one of those should give you satisfying results. 

Good luck.

-Boofer-

[Cheese Head]

Hi Kimberly in Oregon, welcome to the forum an congrats on soft cheeses!

I grew up in Vancouver Canada, and have had many happy Christmas holidays in Depoe Bay area on beautiful Oregon Coast.

For hard cheeses you need to think about mold, press, and cheese cave if you don't yet have one. I find affinage (aging) the toughest part of making cheese. Also, you need to think about rinds and if oil or vacuum bag or wax or natural age which I have been having a tough time doing.

That said, if using cow's milk, then my vote is for a Gouda/Edam washed curd type cheese as low pressing weight/pressure and short aging period.

Have fun!

[FarmerJd]

Welcome to the forum Kimberley!

[michoutim]

Welcome Moojoo! 

[DeejayDebi]

Welcome Kimberley! Looks like Oregon is the mother load for raw milk if you are in the right area! Go here and good luck!


http://www.realmilk.com/where4.html#or

[Tea]

Good morning Kimberley and welcome to the forum.