Newbie to cheese making with lot's to learn

[diegartenfrau]

Hi all,
like to introduce myself. I live in wonderful Willamette Valley, where I garden, raise my egg and meat chickens and just a few months ago met a nice 'Goat lady' I can get fresh, raw goat milk from, and then found a young farmer that just started a milk herd share with Jersey cows where I can get raw milk, Butter and Cream from. I grew up in Germany and drank raw milk for most of my life, so since I moved to the US I haven't drank a lot of milk there I never liked the taste and raw milk is hard to come by over here and often illegal to sell. So I am now in complete Milk heaven.
I am a drop off point for the Jersey herd share and if people don't pick up their milk I get to keep it. It doesn't happen very often, but because we can't drink that much milk I started making cheese with it, mainly soft cheeses like Quark and yoghurt, buttermilk. But the goat milk, I get one bottle of milk that is from a special cheese milk goat, I think it's a Toogenburg goat so I have been making some Chevre and Hand Cheese from my goat milk.
But now I am afraid the cheese bug got me and I want to make aged cheeses. I just got myself a mini fridge and ordered a digital temp. controller to turn it into a cheese cave..........it's a small fridge and as I looked around the web at other cheese making hobbyists I am thinking I should have gotten a larger fridge, Oh well! My farmer friend just told me if I like to get some skim milk to make milk with I just should tell him, because he has more then he can use and is not set up yet to make cheese with, so I can get it for free........I surely want to make cheese now!
Since I have lot's to learn and I already have found so much good info on this board I thought it would be good to join.......I am sure I will have many questions and cheese disasters in this new adventure.

[ellenspn]

Welcome!  This is a great place to get lots of lots of information 

Don't let it overwhelm you.  It sounds like you have a great start with some soft cheeses. 

[Gürkan Yeniçeri]

Welcome to the forum diegartenfrau

Here you will find lots of quality info on cheesemaking. Did you get a press too?

[smolt1]

Welcome to a great forum. I live just up the road from you in Oakridge also on the Willamette river. If you need help on a press design ,let me know!

[Cheese Head]

Welcome diegartenfrau!

It is a tough bug to shake, mainly as there are infinite combinations of methods and ingredients in again.

[Boofer]

Wie geht's, Gartenfrau?!

Welcome to the forum. We're looking forward to seeing and hearing of your cheese adventures and misadventures. Include pics when and if you can. Ask questions...you'll get answers. 

-Boofer-