# cheese attempt a failure, trying to figure what I did wrong



## hyamiranda (Jul 24, 2009)

I am still learning about cheese making, it's a slow process because I don't have the time I would like, but still, I'm trying. I have so far only attempted chevre, which turned out great, and the 30-min mozzarella. I was making the 30-min mozzarella and it did not work yesterday. I'm not sure what I did wrong, so I figured this was the place to come.

I think I've narrowed it down but I want to know if what I suspect is the cause could actually be the cause. In the recipe it says to add the citric acid when the milk is 55 degrees. I added the citric acid to the milk right out of the fridge and it was colder than that. Was that my mistake? 

Also, does it make a difference if you use the very first milk of a does lactation? Within a week of her freshening?


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

I wouldn't use that milk for cheese. It's transitional milk...switching over from colostrum.


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## linuxboy (Oct 26, 2009)

The cold temp is to thoroughly dissolve the citric into the milk and not form immediate clumps. When you add citric to warm milk, you'll have these bits of curd on the top, but not if you add it to cold milk.

What went wrong with the make?


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## hyamiranda (Jul 24, 2009)

It looked like the curd had separated from the whey, but it never came together, it was like the curd disintegrated. I let it set for about 9 minutes, 4 more than the initial recommendation in the recipe because I checked it at 5 and it wasn't there. I do use pasteurized milk, but I do that myself so I know it isn't ultra-pasteurized.


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## linuxboy (Oct 26, 2009)

Early lactation milk is unpredictable for making cheese, as Stacey said


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