Yesterday I started the first batch of cheese from Edna's milk. I picked a soft goat cheese because it was easy, no molds, no pressing etc. I sanitized my pot on the stove with boiling water and then dumped it in the sink and set my cheese pot in the sink. Heated 6 quarts of milk to 88 degrees, (supposed to be between 72 and 80 depending on whose recipe you look at, but it got ahead of me on the temp) so I cooled it to 78. Added 1 packet of direct set mesophilic culture. Let it set for 5 minutes, then top stirred very slowly and up and down. I added 1 drop calf rennet diluted in 60 mL of spring water, stirred and moved the pot where it wouldn't be disturbed. The room temp was between 69 and 71.
This AM about 5, I lifted the lid, smelled light and buttery with a hint of lemon. Let it go, had to go to the store and do chores. When I got ready to drain the cheese, it was 10:00AM, so the cheese set for 18 hours. It had pulled away from the sides and curds were nice a shiny solids. I used one of my cheese molds to scoop out the curds and drain in a bag. Hung it from the microwave handle over a cake pan. After most of the dripping was done, I moved it, to drip over a bucket and get it out of the way.
I looked a numerous recipes and came up with the formula above based on several. I'm going to let it drain 6-8 hours but can go up to 24 (again depends on whose recipe you look at). I want it to be thicker, so will probably let it go at least 8 hours if not a little longer.
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