The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Food & crafts => Food processing => Topic started by: gerpsych on July 17, 2013, 11:08:35 pm

Title: Goat's milk won't curdle
Post by: gerpsych on July 17, 2013, 11:08:35 pm
Can anyone help ? I am trying to make soft goat cheese. Following some recipes over the last few nights I have had successive disasters. I heat my milk to 180 degrees and add lemon juice - and nothing happens - no curdles nothing. Any advice ?
Title: Re: Goat's milk won't curdle
Post by: Sbom on July 18, 2013, 09:22:15 am
As I'm sitting eating exactly that which I made yesterday thought I'd better answer!

Never tried lemon juice but I use the Ascott Fermentation, works a treat  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Goat's milk won't curdle
Post by: benkt on July 18, 2013, 01:05:02 pm
When I do the simple soft cheese with just lemon juice I find you have to get the milk just shy of boiling for it to curdle - my guess therefore would be that the milk isn't hot enough - if its not curdling try leaving it on the heat for a bit longer. Ricotta is often the same, you think its never going to go, but eventually it drops out if you just keep heating.

I don't do this very often though as I find that the heat and harsh acid produces a comparatively bland cheese - it certainly doesn't age as nicely as a rennet cheese. Our standard soft cheese uses the moorlands cheese ma400 starter and either animal or veggy rennet and the same combo works for hard cheese as well so reduces the amount of different cultures I have to keep. I make 2-3kg of goats cheese a week so feel free to ask more questions!
Title: Re: Goat's milk won't curdle
Post by: gerpsych on July 18, 2013, 02:39:11 pm
Quote from: benkt on July 18, 2013, 01:05:02 pm
When I do the simple soft cheese with just lemon juice I find you have to get the milk just shy of boiling for it to curdle - my guess therefore would be that the milk isn't hot enough - if its not curdling try leaving it on the heat for a bit longer. Ricotta is often the same, you think its never going to go, but eventually it drops out if you just keep heating.

I don't do this very often though as I find that the heat and harsh acid produces a comparatively bland cheese - it certainly doesn't age as nicely as a rennet cheese. Our standard soft cheese uses the moorlands cheese ma400 starter and either animal or veggy rennet and the same combo works for hard cheese as well so reduces the amount of different cultures I have to keep. I make 2-3kg of goats cheese a week so feel free to ask more questions!

Thanks for the advice. I'll have one further go at using lemon juice and this time hold it at a slightly higher temperature for a bit longer. Following this I'll try with rennet and a starter.

Cheers

Alan