First Timer looking for Milk (Los Angeles)

I've got the Ricki Carrol kit and I'm ready to try my first batch of cheese. I'm having no luck at any of the local grocery stores finding milk that looks usable, though. Most of it is ultra-pasteurized, and even the stuff that only says "pasteurized" is always "pasteurized, homogenized, spindled, folded, mutilated, wrong side up," etc.

Is the grocery store "pasteurized" version, plus some calcium chloride, what most people use, or am I looking at the wrong thing?

No you really want raw milk if you can get it. You CAN use pasteurized for some cheeses but it really doesn't taste as good. I am in the same boat. The only raw milk I have been able to find is from Organic Pastures. They sell at my local farmer's market but only in smaller half gallon packaging.

http://www.organicpastures.com/

They have a store locator where you can plug in your zip code and get the nearest locations to buy their stuff, including farmer's markets.

Not all pasteurization is created equal. Skip the Ultra or other High temp pasteurized options (a lot of the organic ones are Ultra Pasteurized) and find yourself a low-temp pasteurized option. Thisshould still work fine for most if not all cheeses.

You will have a hell of a time finding unpasteurized milk unless you know the farmer.

Did you find the store with the right milk?

I'm still looking...

Try this site...
http://www.cheesemaking.com/goodmilklist.html#Anchor-California-49575

this site might help

http://eatwild.com/products/california.html

also check with a local feed store for people with a few cows or goats that are willing to sell the milk. Trying to get raw milk from a dairy is almost imposiable due to restrictions put on them for being a comercial operation. Store bought milk will work, just stay away from the ultra pasturized. Good luck

Edit: did some looking on craigs list, try to find people selling goats and see if they will sell milk too.