Cheese not so good

[Bubbas Boys]

We are rsising our first nubians and have of them bred and the othrrs going this week. My family and I are very excited about the milk cheese and soap. My wife was at a local Amish store and decided to buy a block of cheese for us to try. Terrible! !!! Now she is worried that we wont like ours. I am wondering if the transfer from cows to goats milk and cheese is usually hard. We drink 4 gallons of milk a week and prob eat 3 lbs of cheese. It did have a buck like after taste if that makes since. Haha

[homstdr74]

Originally Posted by Bubbas Boys

We are rsising our first nubians and have of them bred and the othrrs going this week. My family and I are very excited about the milk cheese and soap. My wife was at a local Amish store and decided to buy a block of cheese for us to try. Terrible! !!! Now she is worried that we wont like ours. I am wondering if the transfer from cows to goats milk and cheese is usually hard. We drink 4 gallons of milk a week and prob eat 3 lbs of cheese. It did have a buck like after taste if that makes since. Haha

Never had that problem when we were milking goats and making cheese. A couple of things might be in play here--the goats could have gotten into something like wild garlic and that might put the flavor off; but since you mentioned that it tasted "goaty", I'd be willing to bet that they did not cool the milk down fast enough. Maybe they like it that way, I don't know, but I don't much care for "goaty" cheese. Ours never had that problem unless the milk wasn't cooled down fast enough or wasn't fresh enough.

As soon as you milk the goats, strain the milk out of course, into clean jars and get it into the refrigerator as fast as possible. That's the key to keeping it fresh tasting. Don't make cheese with "old milk" that's been in the 'frig for more than, say, three days.

Another thing---sometimes the udders of the does get dirty with whatever stuff they're laying in. That's why it's always a good idea to wash the udder before milking. Keep the hairs around the udder trimmed down so they don't fall into the milk, 'cause if they do, it's a-gonna taste "goaty".

BTW: the milk we took from our goats always tasted fresh and milky, not off flavored at all. If it's fair to equate it with cow's milk, I'll do that, too. We always preferred Swiss Alpine and especially Toggenburgs, but had trouble with Nubians because of their incessant noise.

[mygoat]

Some cheese recipes call for the addition of an enzyme called Lipase which cleaves fatty acids from the glycerol base of the triglycerides in the milk. The free fatty acids are what taste 'goaty'. They're even named things such as 'caprylic' and 'capranoic' acid and such, and are named that because in it's pure form, it SMELLS 'goaty'. My organic professor knew I raised goats and showed some to me.

That being said, some goats NATURALLY produce high amounts of Lipase NATURALLY. My alpines do this. Some breeds like Toggs are known for the 'strong' taste, but that same strong taste made them very popular for cheesemaking. I also have old lines of French Alpine and they do the same thing. Most American alpines have been selected for good drinking milk, nowadays.

To correct this, either don't add the lipase according to the recipe, OR if it's NATURALLY produced, PASTEURIZE the milk immediately after milking. This denatures the enzyme and thus, it cannot separate fatty acids from the triglyceride and leaves the flavor intact for weeks. You'll know if it's naturally produced by your goats easily - if your milk tastes good straight out of the goat but turns goaty over a day or so in the fridge, there's a good chance it could be Lipase. Keep in mind poor milk handling affects flavor for the same reason.

[Hollowdweller]

If you make your cheese with raw milk you will get more of the goaty aftertaste.

If you let the milk set around unpasteurized your cheese can taste goaty also as well as aging will sometimes give it that flavor.

Certain strains of goats, especially alpines and toggs will have a more goaty aftertaste.

Saanens and nubians tend to have the least goaty milk.

Most commercial goat cheeses have a more goaty taste due to the fact that agitation releases the goaty flavor and the milk sets around in the bulk tank and stuff before it's pasterized and made into cheese.

Your best bet is to make sure your goats are wormed and have enough selenium and vitamin E. Milk with the least agitation possible and filter and pasteurize any milk right away you want to make into cheese. Milk and cool the milk of each goat individually periodically to screen for does producing milk flavor you don't like.

In my experience milk flavor is hightly heritable and you can select for it. I don't mean just the goaty thing. Some milk to me is nutty, some sweet, some really neutral and that tends to go along family lines.

One of the reasons you have better milk with Saanens IMO is that that is the breed that is the favorite of commercial dairies, so a lot of the lines with off flavor have been screened out. However you can breed for milk flavor in any goat, most small breeders don't take the time to do it though.

[Sam Burton]

Fact is, I just don't like goat cheese. I love goat's milk when it's fresh, raw and COLD. I love goat milk ice cream even more. I like the yogurt as well. I have never had a bite of goat cheese, from any source that I liked. We have customers, though, who absolutely love the cheese and my wife has no trouble moving it.

[SkeeterBlue]

You can make any cheese from goat's milk that you can make from cow's milk - Mozzarella, Cheddar, Swiss, Guyere, Romano, Parmesan, Ricotta, Cottage... any kind. I'm planning on trying my hand at an acidic, crumbly Lancashire type cheese. I don't happen to like most goat cheese - too salty and if it is from bucky flavored lines, yuck! The flavors depend on the goat, yes, but also on the additives used to make the cheese, like lipase powders, bacterial and yeast cultures, and also how it is handled and how it is aged.

[Tim D Pruitt]

We have made Chèvre, cheddar, feta, ricotta and mozzarella from our Nubians without a problem with any goaty taste. Handling the milk properly is very important. Pasteurizing milk helps to make certain that only the culture you put in is the dominant bacteria needed for cheese making.

Tim D Pruitt
www.pruittvillefarms.com

[Pinehollow]

Doesn't pasteurizing kill some of the good stuff in milk?
we're going to be new to milking in the spring if all goes well...

[BarbadosSheep]

Originally Posted by Pinehollow

Doesn't pasteurizing kill some of the good stuff in milk?
we're going to be new to milking in the spring if all goes well...

yes, pasteurizing will kill off some of the good stuff, but it also kills off the bad stuff. I low-temp pasteurize. I heat to 140 and hold it for 30 minutes, then fast chill it. It tastes exactly the same as fresh but hold up longer in the refrig.

[hiddensprings]

Originally Posted by Hollowdweller

If you make your cheese with raw milk you will get more of the goaty aftertaste.

I've never gotten the "goaty" taste thing. I've never noticed it with my girls. My milk and cheese taste like, well, milk and cheese I have Nubians, they are on pasture, good quality hay, and grain.....

We love homemade cheese because you can control what you put in it. For example, I do not care for Feta when I buy it in the store. But like it made with my goat's milk because I don't have to make it so salty.

[aart]

I wonder if there are just certain people who are much more sensitive to the 'goaty' taste......
....kinda like only some people are sensitive to tasting boar taint in hogs?

[southerngurl]

Yes, I believe some are more sensitive. Also, as you get older your taster doesn't always work so hot and also little kids don't notice off tastes as much.

[Hollowdweller]

Originally Posted by aart

I wonder if there are just certain people who are much more sensitive to the 'goaty' taste......
....kinda like only some people are sensitive to tasting boar taint in hogs?

I think so. After years of drinking goat milk I can taste the "Cow" taste in milk that is too old really well but most don't notice it because we are so used to it.

[ozark_jewels]

And some goat cheese that I have bought was just plain nasty.
Some was FANTASTIC.
I always liked our homemade goat cheese.
It varies greatly.
Your homemade cheese should be good. We made goat cheddar that was amazing.
Just like most of the goat milk in the store tastes TERRIBLE, some goat cheeses do to. Don't judge all goat cheeses by this one.

[InHisName]

I can add this, if you make a cheese cake with raw unpasteurized milk, dont leave it in the fridge 3 days before serving to guests.