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What is the Best Cow’s Milk to use for Cheese Making?

28/08/2017 By Gavin Webber 5 Comments

Cow’s milk is processed in many ways, so what is the best cow’s milk to use for cheese making at home?  I get asked this question all the time on Ask the Cheeseman, my YouTube Q&A show.

No Access to a Farm?

Well, because many don’t have access to the farm gate for the ultimate in raw milk, I have produced a video tutorial explaining what cow’s milk is easily obtainable from major supermarkets and is okay for cheese making.


When in Doubt, Add Calcium Chloride

Don’t forget that if you know the milk has been pasteurised then please remember to add the equivalent amount of Calcium Chloride as you do Rennet to the milk.  This will encourage better coagulation of the milk into curds and whey.

So just to recap for cow’s milk;

  • Pasteurised/Homogenised milk with a fat content of at least 3.25% is okay.
  • Pasteurised/Unhomogenised milk is much better with a fat content of at least 3.25% or higher.
  • UHT or Ultra-pasteurised milk will not set a curd, and
  • Skimmed milk is useless for making cheese.
  • Lite milk Pasteurised/Homogenised with a fat content of about 1.5 to 2% fat is okay to augment your milk if your recipe calls for lower fat e.g. Parmesan.
  • Half and Half, which is usually about 10% fat is too high for cheese making.

For cream;

  • Thickened cream contains thickeners or gelatine which affects curd set
  • Double cream with ~51% fat is too thick and difficult to incorporate back into the milk
  • Single Pure cream that has about 45% fat and is pourable, should be perfect for cheese making if your recipe calls for additional cream.

I Can Get Access to Farm Milk!

Well, that’s fantastic.  Just make sure that you can trust the quality of the milk and that you can transport it home at 4°C/39.2°F.  Use it within 2 days from milking for the best result.  If you are not sure about the milk quality then be sure to pasteurise your own raw milk using the Low Temperature/Long Hold method which you can learn about at Dairy Technologist.

What do you think?

Let me know what you think is the best cow’s milk to use for cheese making at home.

Do you have a favourite brand or dairy that you source your milk from?

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Filed Under: Ingredients, Milk, Video Tutorial Tagged With: Raw Milk

LGC058 – Starter Culture Substitutes

02/03/2017 By Gavin Webber Leave a Comment

In this week’s episode, I answer a question from Phoenix about substituting different types and brands of mesophilic starter cultures.

Listen to the episode below... (00:21:48)
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  • LGC058 – Starter Culture Substitutes
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OTHER QUESTIONS ANSWERED DURING THE SHOW ARE;

  • Tom asks why he has bubbles in his cheese just after pressing
  • Bob has issues with his Jarlsberg and collapsing eyes,
  • Fadion has problems with raw milk and curd set, and
  • John wants to know if you need to use Calcium Chloride after Low Temp, Long Hold Pasteurisation.

ASK A QUESTION FOR THE PODCAST

Don’t forget that you can leave a voicemail message that I will answer and feature on the show.  Just remember that I cannot answer them straight away, so please don’t expect an instant reply.

This podcast is sponsored by Little Green Workshops where you can pick up cheese making kits and supplies.  We stock a large range of cheese making gear and ship to Australia and most countries throughout of the world.lgw-email-header

Until next time Curd Nerds, Keep Calm and Make Cheese!

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Filed Under: Milk, Podcast Tagged With: Podcast, Sanitisation, Starter Cultures

LGC056 – Milk Differences and Best Type for Cheese Making

16/02/2017 By Gavin Webber 1 Comment

In this week’s episode, the main topic is about curds not setting, and I then go on to talk about what type of milk is best for cheese making at home.

Listen to the episode below... (00:23:12)
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  • LGC056 – Milk Differences and Best Type for Cheese Making
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OTHER QUESTIONS ANSWERED DURING THE SHOW ARE;

  • Jo would like a suggestion as to which quick cheese would be equivalent in flavour to a strong cheddar
  • Amanda asks about using beeswax to coat your cheese
  • Stefan gives me some encouragement
  • Tony asks how long does feta last when marinating in oil,
  • Vanessa would like to know which countries do we ship our cheese making products to?

ASK A QUESTION FOR THE PODCAST

Don’t forget that you can leave a voicemail message that I will answer and feature on the show.  Just remember that I cannot answer them straight away, so please don’t expect an instant reply.

This podcast is sponsored by Little Green Workshops where you can pick up cheese making kits and supplies.  We stock a large range of cheese making gear and ship to Australia and most countries throughout of the world.

lgw-email-header

Until next time Curd Nerds, Keep Calm and Make Cheese!

Will this article help someone you know? If so help them out by sharing now!

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Filed Under: Milk, Podcast

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Podcast Reviews

  • Perfect for Cheesemakers of all levels!
    by Viki Leeasa from Thailand

    I love that this podcast does not just have helpful tips and tricks on cheese making, but also stories and news from the cheese world, as well as nice little anecdotes from the host. A big fan from Thailand!

  • If you think you want to make cheese, listen to this!
    by paulsaw from United States

    Gavin Webber’s Little Green Cheese is By Far the best podcast I have ever heard! A truly informative and quality production!

  • Great program
    by p37dg9q14 from United States

    Very informative and enjoyable podcast. I started at episode 1 and currently listening to 25. I’ll be giving cheesemaking a go in the next week. Mike J from Oceanside CA

  • Great podcast
    by nicole_elias from Australia

    I have a long commute to and from work and have worked my way through the back catalogue of these podcasts. Enjoyed every one of them and hope for many more to come. Thanks Gavin! Keep up the great work. Cheers, Nicole

  • Excellent!
    by emeldridge from United States

    Looking to take up cheesemaking sometime soon and this channel has provided all the information necessary to get started!

  • Great Resource!
    by olivestones from United States

    I have been learning to make cheese for the past year. Gavin's podcast and video series has been a tremendous resource for me. His love for the cheese-making craft is evident in the amount of research he will perform in order to answer a listener's cheese question. All thumbs up for the amount of time and energy he puts into his quality podcast! ...And he cracks me up with his attempts at pronunciation!

  • Outstanding Info on Cheesemaking!
    by Sablwolf from United States

    If you are interested in anything to do with cheese, this is the podcast for you. Host Gavin Webber takes you through an aspect of cheese making, interviews with other people who are doing it, a current cheese-related news segment, and answers questions listeners have submitted in each episode. I've been quite amazed at his depth of knowledge, and he's provided answers to several problems I've encountered as well. Top rate!

  • So great!
    by jimjiminyjim from Canada

    Absolutely fantastic. My favourite cheesemaking resource out there. Listen from episode one, and by the time you’re done, you’ll have learned as much or more than you might at a professional cheesemaking intensive.

  • Fantastic podcast to compliment your YouTube videos and website
    by Paul from Brisbane from Australia

    Thanks Gavin. I have learnt a lot about cheese making from your podcasts which compliment your YouTube Videos and cheese book. Thanks

  • Super interesting!
    by Lenka S from Australia

    Gavin's podcast is so interesting and informative, he knows so much about home cheesemaking and he shares his knowledge with his listeners and answers listener questions on the show which is also extremely helpful! I am listening to them all for the second time and finding lots of new useful pieces of information. There are also interesting bits of cheese news from around the world. Thank you Gavin!

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