Greetings from Brisbane, Australia

[Gouldie]

Hi Everyone

I am a very new starter to the world of cheesemaking and have just found your forum - it seems as though there's a wealth of knowledge here shared by friendly people.

On Sunday, I made my first ever batch of cheese - I followed a camembert recipe, so here's hoping it'll look, smell and taste something along those lines in a couple of weeks to come.

I'm about to go and buy some goat's milk to try a type of chevre now - here's hoping it proceeds as well as the camembert.

Take care and hope to catch up with some of you online.

Gouldie

[darius]

Welcome, Goldie!

I agree (since I'm pretty new too) that the people here are friendly and the information and help superb!

[Tea]

Morning Gouldie and welcome to the forum.  I am one of the Aussie here on the board.  Lots of information and great people with a wealth of information to help trouble shoot here.  Hope your new cheeses age nicely for you.

[kookookachoo]

Welcome!  I have fond memories of Oz...it's been ages since I've been there (I was only a little girl), but I had a blast...the only thing I regret is, my cousin moving, so there's no ready excuse to visit!  (I'm planning on dragging my DH there in a couple of years, though)

I'm a newbie, too..and I tell you, if not for this forum, I would be fumbling about more!  There are so many people here willing to share their knowledge, ready to answer questions, etc.  And the patience!  Boy, I tell you, I'm sure some questions will be asked over & over, but they are all perfectly happy to steer you in the right direction. 

Good luck on your cheese...and see you around the forum!   

[DeejayDebi]

Welcome aboard Goldie! Hope you faired well with that major storm last month. It was pretty scarey. A few of my forum members in Queensland did not make out well at all. It sure was scarey! Thank God they all survived. Good luck on you new journey through the valley of curd - it's a wonderful journey!

[Gouldie]

Hello again Everyone

Well, it's been a big week in my new cheesemaking world, and so far so good.  I've made 2 lots of camembert, 2 batches of ricotta (from leftover whey), a castle blue - and 3 unsuccessful attempts at goats milk cheese.

My first batch of camembert is now 9 days old, and white spores galore - I plan to wrap it tomorrow and then sit on my hands for 2 weeks for it to mature - can't wait to taste it.

The goats cheese though - having all sorts of both - the curds won't set even after being left for about 24 hours - there must be something I'm doing wrong.  More reading is required to find out where the problem lies.  The milk I'm using is from the supermarket, so pasteurised - maybe I need to add more calcium chloride??

Anyway - I'll find the right spot to post the question.

Have a top day!

[george]

Gouldie, I read your other post about the cams - so just a note - I did my first cams using the 200 Easy Cheeses recipe, too, and I tried to do it to see if they really WOULD be ready in three weeks per the recipe (even though I knew from this forum that I shouldn't really be trying for the fast ripening).  But I wanted to see what happened.  So get your patience hat on, 'cause it's gonna take longer than three weeks.   

[kookookachoo]

The goat's milk at the supermarkets here are ultra-pasteurized, the state doesn't allow for selling of raw milk at groceries, etc...I think non-homogenized is allowed, though, as I've seen them at specialty stores.  Anyway, I've never had any luck getting ultra-pasteurized to firm up at all.  It seems to be a consensus here, as well as from other cheesemaking materials I've read, that ultra-pasteurized doesn't ever set.  I wasted a couple of gallons before I read that. 

[zenith1]

Gouldie welcome to the forum- you sure jumped in with both feet by starting with the mold ripened cheeses. Try not to jump around too much between the different types until you are very familiar with it- it will help in the troubleshooting when you have a problem in the future.

[george]

Gouldie welcome to the forum- you sure jumped in with both feet by starting with the mold ripened cheeses. Try not to jump around too much between the different types until you are very familiar with it- it will help in the troubleshooting when you have a problem in the future.

What he's sayin' is don't be like me.   

[Cheese Head]

Hi Gouldie welcome! I don't know about yours but the store bought goat's milk sold here in Texas is Ultra-Pasteurized and thus tough to get a good rennet coagulated curd set, my bad experience here. But I believe it is still good milk for Lactic Acid coagulated cheese making.

Have fun!

[michoutim]

Hi Gouldie ! Welcome to you !

I am on the Sunshine Coast, so not too far.

I have made quite a few cheeses already even though I don't post them here often, since I am haunting a french forum with my home made cheese link. 

I usually make my goat cheese with the milk from Pauls and it works (it is pasteurised but not homogeneised).

[Gouldie]

Afternoon All...

Well it's been a few weeks now that I've been playing with milk and cheese recipes, and having great fun checking to see if the curds have formed and there's that elusive "clean break" waiting ever so patiently for me.  I've had all sorts of success with quite a few different cows milk recipes, but been somewhat bothered by the goats milk not playing the game.

On Friday I had a brainwave - and decided to try a 50/50 cow/goat milk cheese, using a goat recipe.  Well, I'm pleased to report that the curds DID set even though still very fragile.  I've used the Pauls supermarked pasteurised goats milk and the unhomogenised and pasteurised cows milk.  I've had a crack at the chaource - should be ready to gobble in a week or so - the curds already taste good and slightly tangy, so I think that's a good sign.

At my sisters farm, they've been milking the nanny (nubian) and have 8 litres in the freezer, so there's some raw milk to play with when I get out that way in a fortnight.

Mithchoutim - hope all is progressing well in your cheesemaking world - the Sunshine Coast is a great spot.