Cheese kits? Equipment?

[user 246304]

@Gadjobrinus First let me say how much I appreciate the tone and sentiment with which you are discussing this with me. Well done sir.

Oh, Moose, no, no, no, please - I wasn't trying to preach or come off like an arrogant pr!ck and if I did, I'm sorry. I'd never discourage people from using P & H milk, which makes great cheese. I made I don't know how much of that when I started out. I just feel lucky I found such a phenomenal source of raw milk to work with. When I was able, I helped these guys at their work and seriously - never have I seen more loved, more cared for animals. I got to know the personalities of each, when I never would have known these animals are completely individual and curious (big) creatures.

I wanted to make a go of it, producing using traditional ways only, even to the point of researching grasses, forbs, and herbs common to alpine elevations to see how they might work in WI's lowland clime (these plant species have unique chemical components which definitely give a lot of alpine cheeses their particular character (e.g., holes in "Swiss" or Emmentaler - propionic acid, found in precursor form on tons of alpine flowers. Lends a particular aroma/flavor profile, from lipolytic breakdown of lipids to short-chain fatty acids (also, butryic acud here. Think goat's milk), and these short-chain fatty acids to smaller, breakdown, aroma-producing products).

So, love raw milk for what it can do. But in no way did I intend to impugn going with P & H, and really don't want to discourage keeping it simple and just having fun. Thanks for your kind note, but it's all good. Look forward to hearing your experiences, AK (et al)!

 

[Moose_MI]

@Gadjobrinus I assure you my appreciation of your approach here was sincere and no apology what-so-ever are needed here. You’re gentle inquiries to help explore reasons for what I experienced are welcome anytime!
I’d love to get back to raw milk at some point as I do appreciate doing things the traditional way. My fridge-turned-cheese-cave went out on me and I’ve not yet had a chance to get a replacement so I’m going back to some fresh cheese’s like Mozzarella and feta for a bit. My first mozzarella was “meh”.

Cheers!

 

[passedpawn]

In my opinion, mozzarella is possibly the hardest cheese to master. The pH window is absolutely critical but it is small and if you are using cultures finding that window is not easy. Too low or too high and you cannot stretch the cheese and you can get a very grainy curd rather than a smooth paste... The easiest cheeses (in my opinion) are cheddared squeaky curd, and chevre (and this works really well too, even if all you have access to is cows milk).

ayup. Funny, my neighbor walked in during one of the only times I had success with mozz. He watched in wonderment as I stretched the long strands between my gloved hands, then balled them and tossed into cold water. He thought I was some sort of magician. If he only knew how many times I failed. I made that batch with citric acid I think. I'll probably try again. It was a great mozz, but didn't have the buttery flavor of a buffalo mozz. I've tried once since, but with some danica in there, but I think that was again a fail. Gotta get back on that horse in April!

 

[user 246304]

FWIW, Peter Dixon has a nice little handbook of his travels and cheesemaking and aging techniques, THE FARMSTEAD CHEESEMAKER'S JOURNAL, and I think, though I may not be recalling correctly, he's got some interesting stuff there on traditional pasta filata cheesemaking (though his love of bloomies is obvious). Might be worth a query. Great stuff on building a cellar, if you ever want to go that way (I know the guy "Kris" he refers to, in terms of the engineering for an underground cellar). Lots of recipes on his site, too. Here's his cultured mozz (.pdf). (he also has a direct-acidified version). Note he insists on P & H milk here.

Also, some good links.

Edit: Missed your post, Andy. I see that you use Danica. Have you tried TA61-62, the "fast" thermophilic? Also, TM81. Never used the TM81 as I stuck mostly to the TA-series for my alpines, but it's recommended by "Get Culture." (Actually, for my French alpines, I used the "slower" thermo series, TA50-52 series....if not cultured up from a mother as is done in traditional practice. The TA50-series can also be used in pasta filata cheesemaking).

I've not seen the Danica for mozz, though I get going after the buttery quality from the diacetylactis. Mostly used in softer stuff, in my experience (I tended to build up my own blends from single cultures, but often used FD for chevre, for instance). Their mozz recipe. They're local so I may be biased, but good people, over many years.