# I need a good recipe for beginner hard cheese



## oldgoat39 (Sep 4, 2010)

I've had alpine goats for several years now and have done several different types of cheeses including the basic chevre, mozzarella, feta, and I've tried several cheddars. My cheesemaking resource is Rikki Carrol's basic home cheesemaking book. Try as I might all the times I've tried to make cheddar the results have been inconsistent. Once or twice the cheese actually turned out quite nice. Typically they've turned out tasting good, but being a bit dry and crumbly. I would like to get a more creamy, mild tasting, table cheese without a major fuss. Typically I can get a batch going with about 2-4 gallons of fresh milk. I suspect that some of the inconsistency is coming in the initial culturing stage, and the renneting. Any help or suggestions, or foolproof recipes would be appreciated. Even specific cultures would help.
Thanks,
Sven


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## nightskyfarm (Sep 7, 2009)

Hello Sven, Use the mm100 culture from dairyconnection.com and I do use animal rennet. I would make a cheddar to start. Heat your milk or pasteurize and cool to 90 degrees in a water bath. i work in 4 gallon batches. Add 1/8 or just a bit less of culture and stir in from the bottom up. Move out of the water bath to a shelf or counter. Your room temperature should be around 72 degrees. Allow milk to culture for 45 min. and add 1 tsp of rennet in a 1/4 cup of cool water to your cultured milk. Stir from the bottom up several times. Let rest for another 45 min or until a clean break develops in the curd. Cut the curd and warm slowly on the stove until the curd contracts. Drain in cheese cloth or plyban cloth and when drained cut the curd in strips of 1/2 " thickness, layer in your mold(s) and press. Do not over press and turn the round(s) a couple times during the pressing. Cheddar is not the highest in moisture, but it is a nice slicing cheese. Higher moisture means more steps and you need to master one type before going on to the next. I make a goat cheddar, goat havarti and goat gouda along with chevre and of course feta. All recipes can use goat milk.


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## oldgoat39 (Sep 4, 2010)

I believe I have that exact culture. I have the rennet tablets and also the liquid. (I believe the liquid is a veg. rennet). I'll give it a shot, but also my fridge is around 40-45°f It seems to age well in there, but takes longer. Do you prefer a natural rind? Do you prefer to pasturize the milk so that the dominant bacteria is from the culture? How slowly do you heat the milk after renneting?
Thanks,
Sven


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