# Chevre and other basic questions



## old dominion

I am on vacation and thought I might make some cheese. After looking around on the Internet and watching the NE Cheese making video I am sure I understand the process. What I don't understand is how does a person know which culture to use or which company to order from. BTW - If it's just Chevre what makes one person's "award winning" and another person's just average?

This is a serious question and would like to avoid trial and error by your expertise.

Thanks,

Jolene


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## buckrun

IMO the freshest milk makes the best chevre. I never let it get cool and never re-heat it- right from the goat at goat temp has been my best result. I use Flora Danica and rennet -that's all. It will be fun to see what every one does.
I used to order from N.E. Cheesemaking but found that when needing larger amts for more reasonable price Dairy Connection worked better.

Vacation? Those still exist? How fun for you!

Lee


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## paulaswrld

I make it two ways....as Lee, right from the goat....I use FD (Flora Danica) and MM100 combined. I also make one where I use the morning milk which is now cold, add in my evening milk fresh and the same cultures....I prefer using both cultures but that is just a preference.


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## Sondra

and my best is made with rennet and FD


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## Bernice

I have the best luck like Lee and Paula, straight from the goat. I bring in the warm milk, strain it immediately and put it in the pot, then measure the temp, it's always at cheesemaking temp this way. I then put in the rennet and buttermilk and let it sit overnight. I've tried reheating the milk after it cools but it never works right and I don't get good results.


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## jillig

So, you get enough curd just using FD? My understanding when I ordered it was that it needed to be used with a meso. of some kind.
that is awesome...will have to try!


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## hsmomof4

I use Lee's recipe (mostly...I've adjusted the time draining somewhat) and have great results, but since right now I am only milking 2 kinders, I don't get enough milk at once to make it, so it has to be warmed up. One time, I had some issue with the milk that I wanted to make cheese with (forgot the strip cup, I think, and so the first milk went right into the bucket with the rest on one goat...oops!) and so I decided to pasteurize the milk and then cool it back down to cheese making temp and that worked so well that I do that all the time now (and it's legal to sell it without aging 60 days, since it's been pasteurized). Probably it makes the curd less firm...when I go to drain it, it's almost like a very thick yogurt. I get a very creamy cheese but everyone who tries it loves it.


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## nightskyfarm

Jolene, Since I do pasteurize, the key I have found is cooling the milk to the perfect temp for the culture to work and that is around 88 - 90 degrees. I do work in larger batches of 4 gallons and use 1/4 tsp of M100 culture for my chevre and my fresh pressed cheddar. For the chevre, I add the culture and 5 drops of rennet in water to the milk when it has cooled to the optimum temp. You would use 1/4 of those measures for a gallon of milk. I allow the culture to melt into the milk, just resting on the surface, add the rennet and water and stir 3 - 4 times from the bottom of the pot. Cover and set in an even temperatured environment for 12 - 15 hrs. not too hot or too cool. After the culturing, you will lift the pot lid and smell wonderfully cultured milk and it will look like yogurt and have a light layer of whey floating over the top of the curd. I do try to drain off some of the whey without having the curd break and then I use a wisk to cut up the curd. I use old sheeting, washed and bleached of course to drain the curd and hang the bags for 8 - 10 hrs or until you find it to be the right consistency for you. Before, I work the chevre, I let it cool, covered in the refrigerator for 2 -3 hrs. The chevre freezes very well in air tight packaging and stores frozen for a minimum of 2 months. I freeze both my 5 oz logs and 1 lb packages ( for restaurants) with never a complaint over dryness, texture or flavor. Good Luck. Get your cultures from Cathy at Dairy Connection.com! Jennifer


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## modeuk

When freezing the chevre do you salt it beforehand or when you have defrosted it?


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