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So I am new to the cheese making science. My husband brings me home raw milk from the farm he works on. I did a lot of reading on how to make cheese. I put my rennet in and always have a great curd, but all the cheeses I've made end up being "Queso Fresco" and one cheese, the first cheese I made, I opened it up and it was stinky and bitter tasting. I have only been doing this for 2 weeks. What am I doing wrong?? I am almost in tears!

What cheeses are you attempting to make, Curdy? Queso Fresco doesn't melt, nor do any of the fresh cheeses. Most cheese needs to be aged at least a month. If you post the names of the cheeses, perhaps we can lend a hand. Also, how much rennet are you using? Too much rennet can cause a bitter taste.

Which recipes are you following Curdy?

What type of bacteria are you using? Mesophilic (like buttermilk) or thermophilic (like yogurt)? Cheese doesn't melt when not enough acid has been produced.

Well, my husband is from Mexico. And there are a lot of mennonite people who make this type of Gouda/Edam type cheese. My husband told me that he remembers his Grandmama making Cheese. All she did was milk the cow, added rennet and let the milk sit next to the fireplace for a couple of hours to ripen. Then she cut the curds, seperated whey, then pressed. They let the cheese cure for 3-6 months, but at times they'd eat fresh cheese that was able to melt. I don't use any acid, since my husband said it was "raw" milk, acid wasn't needed. And as far as the rennet, I use only 1/16 tsp per gallon of gallon of raw milk. And the curds set within 1 minute when I add it to the milk.

Okay, if it is really raw milk, how long does it take to spoil at room temp? By spoil I mean clabber, that is, coagulate due to the acid. If you let me know that, I can estimate the activity and predominant strains of the natural cultures, and tell you how long to age the milk before adding rennet.

Two, if your milk is coagulating within 1 minute, you are using way too much rennet. Try using a dropper instead of a spoon, and measuring out how many drops are in your 1/16 tsp. Also, you're diluting the rennet in water, right?

To much rennet will also make the cheese taste bitter.