I engage in a lot of high-risk activities.
Thats why chevre (fresh goat cheese) is a perfect first cheese for fledgling cheesemakers.
The culture is widely available, and it almost always works.
The results are highly malleable, and the whole process doesnt take long.
Its mostly hands off.
Need I go on?
This milk cannot be ultra-pasteurized.
Keep your spray bottle of vinegar and clean towels nearby.
You want a sterile environment.
Think about where youll rest your spoon, and verify that is also sanitized.
Set the pot over medium-low heat, because it wont take much to get to 77F, and stir.
This will incorporate the cultures.
Check the temperature of the milk; we want to ensure its within a few degrees of 77F.
If its over 80F, take it off the burner immediately.
If its below 72F, reheat it to 77F.
Once its at temperature, add the calcium chloride solution to the milk while stirring.
Keep stirring for one whole minute, using the lazy-eight motion.
Then, still stirring, add in the rennet and stir for one entire minute, but no more.
When you stop stirring, hold your spoon still in the milk to calm it down.
Cover the milk, and then leave it alone, where it is, for 24 hours.
During this time, two things happen: The first is that the rennet sets the cheese.
We wont be keeping the whey, but youll need someplace for it to go.
When youre done, let the entire thing sit for 30 minutes, so it can drain.
Leave it like this for six or seven hours, or overnight, which is what I do.
Finish the cheese
Weigh the cheese, and take that number and multiple it by 0.01.
Whatever that number is, weigh it out in non-iodized salt.
Scrape all the cheese from the cheesecloth into a mixing bowl and stir in the salt.
Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge overnight to firm up.
Nowyourea risk taker, too.
