Although we've been making cheese since we brought home our first does seven years ago, we're not terribly adventurous. I get most of my supplies from New England Cheesemaking. I've read several books on cheesemaking, but if you get Ricki Carroll's latest, Home Cheese Making, you don't really need any of the others. A couple of the other books I originally bought actually had some instructions that weren't very accurate.
We make chevre, queso blanco, cheddar, buttermilk, yogurt, and mozzarella, and I've tried gouda a few times but haven't quite perfected it yet. If you're just getting started, chevre and queso blanco are both extremely easy, although I've found that in queso blanco, we have to heat the milk to almost 200 or it doesn't work. I'm assuming it's because of the higher butterfat of the Nigerians, because all the instructions say 180, but they're probably all written by people with big goats that have lower butterfat.
Views: 239
You need to be a member of Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats to add comments!
I've used Rikkis Cheesemaking made Easy but I might check out the new one. Does it have additional receipes? I've noticed some issues with cheese, I suppose the milk fat changes the chemical heat points, but I'm not really sure. I've never tried gouda yet. We love Lemon Cheese. If you add a touch of cream, and mix it, you can press it into molds, and they are delicious on crackers.
I'm really wanting to try Saint Maure. We've got a beverage cooler that keeps warmer temps than the fridge (lowest is 45 degrees F- so 50 should be easy, just need to add bowl of water) Just bought Penicillium candidum....wish me luck!
LOL! That's funny and probably true! :) Maybe some cans of soup or something? Or canning jars of water if you don't have any cans, which is usually the case with me. :)
Melissa Johnson said:
Went to Goodwill today looking for weights - no luck. lol - must be keeping them for after the holidays. LOL
I am digging deep. Actually, I am tired of chevre LOL and wanted to try cheddar. However, after looking at videos again - maybe I should read some more before I try. However, it really doesnt seem that difficult. The camembert looked wonderful, but I really wanted to try cheddar. I made a cheese press - bought the wax, culture - rennet, calcium chloride - have it all - now I have cold feet.
Went to Goodwill today looking for weights - no luck. lol - must be keeping them for after the holidays. LOL
Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:
Wow! You sure found an old post, Melissa! There are so many books out there now that are better than Ricki Carroll's. The Idiot's Guide to Cheese Making is quite good. I also include recipes in my books (Raising Goats Naturally) for cheddar, camembert, feta, and a few others.
You don't need a press for camembert. My camembert recipe is for a gallon of milk, so you could use all goat.
The only cheese we've ever done with half cow milk is parmesan, and we did not use any calcium chloride for it, and it worked fine.
Wow! You sure found an old post, Melissa! There are so many books out there now that are better than Ricki Carroll's. The Idiot's Guide to Cheese Making is quite good. I also include recipes in my books (Raising Goats Naturally) for cheddar, camembert, feta, and a few others.
You don't need a press for camembert. My camembert recipe is for a gallon of milk, so you could use all goat.
The only cheese we've ever done with half cow milk is parmesan, and we did not use any calcium chloride for it, and it worked fine.
Have you made Cammenbert (same as brie??) I just finished making my press - now need to get some weights.
My goal is to make cheddar - I am assuming since I wont have 2 gallons of goats milk at once - I will have to reach that amount with addl. cows milk. I read that cows milk (store) will require calcium chloride to help it coagulate. My thought is I would just have to add very little - since the majority will be goats milk?
Replies
I have a couple of cheese making book recommendations for moving beyond Rikki Carrol's book:
"Artisan Cheese Making at Home" by Mary Karlin
And if you really want to get technical, Gianaclis Caldwell's book is excellent:
"Mastering Artisan Cheesmaking" - Gianaclis Caldwell
Finally, specific to making cheese with goat milk:
"The fabrication of Farmsted Goat Cheese" - Jean-Claude LeJaouen
I've used Rikkis Cheesemaking made Easy but I might check out the new one. Does it have additional receipes? I've noticed some issues with cheese, I suppose the milk fat changes the chemical heat points, but I'm not really sure. I've never tried gouda yet. We love Lemon Cheese. If you add a touch of cream, and mix it, you can press it into molds, and they are delicious on crackers.
I'm really wanting to try Saint Maure. We've got a beverage cooler that keeps warmer temps than the fridge (lowest is 45 degrees F- so 50 should be easy, just need to add bowl of water) Just bought Penicillium candidum....wish me luck!
Cheddar has to press at 20-50 pounds, so you will have to get really creative to make your own press.
LOL! That's funny and probably true! :) Maybe some cans of soup or something? Or canning jars of water if you don't have any cans, which is usually the case with me. :)
Melissa Johnson said:
Went to Goodwill today looking for weights - no luck. lol - must be keeping them for after the holidays. LOL
I am digging deep. Actually, I am tired of chevre LOL and wanted to try cheddar. However, after looking at videos again - maybe I should read some more before I try. However, it really doesnt seem that difficult. The camembert looked wonderful, but I really wanted to try cheddar. I made a cheese press - bought the wax, culture - rennet, calcium chloride - have it all - now I have cold feet.
Went to Goodwill today looking for weights - no luck. lol - must be keeping them for after the holidays. LOL
Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:
Weights - if you have gym weights, you might use those
Melissa Johnson said:
Wow! You sure found an old post, Melissa! There are so many books out there now that are better than Ricki Carroll's. The Idiot's Guide to Cheese Making is quite good. I also include recipes in my books (Raising Goats Naturally) for cheddar, camembert, feta, and a few others.
You don't need a press for camembert. My camembert recipe is for a gallon of milk, so you could use all goat.
The only cheese we've ever done with half cow milk is parmesan, and we did not use any calcium chloride for it, and it worked fine.
Have you made Cammenbert (same as brie??) I just finished making my press - now need to get some weights.
My goal is to make cheddar - I am assuming since I wont have 2 gallons of goats milk at once - I will have to reach that amount with addl. cows milk. I read that cows milk (store) will require calcium chloride to help it coagulate. My thought is I would just have to add very little - since the majority will be goats milk?