# Ok. So where does the goaty taste in goat cheese come from?



## peregrine (Dec 9, 2008)

I have been milking for 2 weeks now. I made the vinegar cheese, made yogurt, and tasted the pasturized version. None of it tastes goaty at all. I am not complaining! I just don't understand where this flavour comes from in goat cheese from the store? I though pasturization caused the goaty flavour, that the capritic-something-or-others (enzymes?acids?) broke down and caused that flavour. Obviously I was wrong...

When I was in Greensboro NC recently, I went to Goat Lady Dairy at the Farmers Market. Bought a bunch of cheese, tasted the yogurt, talked to the guy there about cheesemaking and how I was going to be milking a saanen from the Goat Lady line. They milk about 200 alpines and saanens and produce thier dairy products etc etc.

So, here I expected some goat flavour in the cheese I made, the yogurt I tasted at the market could have knocked you over with it's goaty taste. I really didnt like it, truth be told. I am thrilled that my yogurt tastes like yogurt and not BUCKY yogurt! 

So, what is it, is the dairy produced stuff just laying around for days or something? Different breeds? The Goat Lady Dairy I bought from has very goaty cheese and I have one of their goats--is it the alpines that produce a goatier flavour? :?

Just curious. I would like to make a goaty goat cheese someday. Maybe this will help me understand how to achieve that. First I will buya book though haha. Can anyone tell I dont have a cheesemaking book yet? :lol


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## peregrine (Dec 9, 2008)

Just noting that maybe I should have posted this in the dairy forum....sorry!


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

This is the dairy forum. Part of the problem with getting big is that sometimes corners are cut. Does who live in cramped quarters, with too many other goats and not enough cleaning simply have higher somatic cell counts than those who don't. Also the fatty acid chain in goatmilk is fradgile. Agitation like you do with big bulk tanks simply will cause more flavor to the milk by breaking this chain.

At home we milk, strain, pour into a container, add culture or vinegar and make cheese. Milk is stored and used on cheese day at most places. Plus few want to dump milk and wormy goats also have poor tasting or keeping quality to the milk. Staph mastitis also hurts the keeping quality.

Your doe from them is likely fine, just follow a cleaner, better management of both the goat, her diet and how you handle the milk. vicki


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## homeacremom (Nov 6, 2007)

You can get a strong flavor in a cheese by using lipase. If you convert a cow's milk recipe start out with less than the recommended amount and adjust to taste. Goat cheese can taste strong and still not be nasty buck flavor. 

You also want to get the milk chilled quickly after milking. I've helped several people who had great tasting milk as long as it was 2 qts per milking. As they moved to 1-2 gallons per milking they suddenly had goaty tasting milk because they were trying to use the same handling/cooling methods for 2 gal. that worked for 2 qts. Keep your milk clean from a healthy doe. Work with sterile equipment in cheesemaking, avoid quick temperature changes, and handle the curd gently and your cheese should always taste clean and delicious.


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## goatkid (Oct 26, 2007)

There can be a difference in milk products from different commercial dairies. Meyenburg milk is really goaty. We have a local goat dairy which has it's own cheese plant. They make wonderful Chevre. It's the Amalthea dairy in Belgrade, MT. The last time I had some of their cheese, it was every bit as good as the stuff we make. I've been to the cheese plant. It's fun to watch them make cheese. They have a big vat with an agitator to stir the cheese. Kathie


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## Madfarmer (Nov 18, 2008)

Meyenburg milk here is undrinkable. Like licking a buck in October. Might work for soap, but unfit for consumption :nooo

Tom


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