# Making Fromage Blanc



## mamatomany (Aug 7, 2008)

I have a quick question, I have been making formage blanc and I can tell it is made from a goat, it really is kinda not creamy like cream cheese. Every goat cheese I have tasted does taste like it comes from a goat...not offensive like the crazy butter, but I can tell and my one daughter doesn't like it at all. I do let it hang in the sink maybe that is why? I'm trying to make everything taste like it comes from a cow cuz that is what we are used to...I guess you just have to adjust your taste buds.


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## Guest (Nov 3, 2008)

I completely disagree.  Goat cheese shouldn't taste like a goat. My Fromage Blanc is wonderful... no goaty taste here.

If your cheese taste 'goaty' you need to do some investigating. How are you handling your milk? How old is your milk when you make the cheese? Are you following the directions EXACTLY? How long are you hanging your cheese?

It sounds to me like you are hanging your cheese too long. I only hang mine for about 4 hours, 6 at the most.

Sara


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

I don't use the FB but my creamy chevre doesn't taste goaty like Sara says it is in the milk handling and hanging time.


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

I also agree with Sara and Sondra. I never taste goat in my cheese or in my milk.....not now anyway. In the spring I did have a doe who gave terrible milk. And I mean terrible. She did NOT have mastitis, or any infection or anything else wrong that I could find. It was not a handling problem as I handled all the same. I feel like it was a hormonal problem of sorts. She had trouble kidding, with no resulting infection, but she smelled funny while kidding, and continued to smell funny for several months following kidding. I can't explain the smell but none of my other goats had that same odor. She kept that odor for about 4 months. We did not drink her milk but fed babies with it. She has tested CAE free for the two years I have owned her, and never had abcesses, etc. I am hoping her milk will be better this coming kidding season. It was perfectly wonderful before I dried her up this month. No off flavor at all. I feel I am feeding her better now and hope that will help. I bought this goat because her last owner said she had the sweetest milk ever. I do not think she lied, but rather that something was amiss in my management that caused this, even though the others did not have this problem. I could not have made tasty cheese or anything at all out of her milk. Once I made pudding with it and we could not eat it. It might just be your goat. 
Anita


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## paulaswrld (Mar 2, 2008)

:yeahthat

I make a lot of cheese, and have only had it taste goaty during the very high heat of the summer before I started taking precautions to get my milk cold fast enough. I also do know that some folks have told me that when they use frozen milk that they stir to much, trying to get it to thaw quickly that it gives an off taste.

Paula


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## mamatomany (Aug 7, 2008)

Well, to answer the questions, my milk is maybe 2 days old, I combine all 3 doe's milk into one. I noticed that my milk is tasting off a little too? Huuummmm, the temp is 38 in 30 minutes using that brine solution in the freezer. I wash udders with warm water, iodine teats, milk, spray with udder spray...hugh...I did do a soaking bath with my equipment to get rid of milk stone just this morning thinking I haven't done that in a while. I have a great dishwasher that has a sanatize cycle on it so I always, always, run my milking stuff through that each milking including all glass containers and tops. Milk gets filtered and put right into the brine solution? Well, what the heck...I wash my hands, I put papertowel down so my bucket doesn't touch the milkstand. Well I will separate milk tonite and see "WHO IS THE CULPRIT." One is about 24 days bred, and has turned into a jack _ss. She doesn't like to be rubbed and is very nervous, don't touch her belly she jumps and kicks...very hormonal that one is? Well, we will see tonite and we will have to try it out. I threw out my last batch of FB it was gross. I let it hang for about 6-8 hours in the sink. It smells exactly like cream cheese, taste it and it is a different story. yuck...I bought the FB culture from hoegger supply. Any thoughts?


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## paulaswrld (Mar 2, 2008)

You should be able to know if it is the milk once it is chilled. When you went to hang your cheese, did it smell off at all? You could try using Buttermilk instead of the culture, that way you can know if your culture is off. Just brainstorming here....last time I had a real problem was because one of my does had Sub C Mastitis and the milk itself was off to start with.

Paula


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## Bilrite Farms (Oct 26, 2007)

Linda, I'm one of those who is sensitive to the taste of goat milk too. I think some of it is simply personal preference in taste. Honestly, I think all milk has an odor/taste. Cow milk smells and tastes but I can tolerate it. Goat milk does, sometimes I think it is a bit too goaty for me. Sheep milk sometimes I think it is is too strong too. To me liking goat milk or not is like someone liking chicken or someone who doesn't like chicken.

I am far from the experienced cheese makers that some are on this forum, but if I make goat cheese, I like to use the freshest goat milk possible, often only an hour or so old. I find it saves time on heating it too  I only hang it for a very short time, maybe a couple of hours and I add herbs. Personally, I only will eat it if it is a day or so old and usually with something like pasta shells and sauce. I have had others who have tried it and eaten it a week after it was made and say it still takes wonderful :yuck

Good luck!


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