Non-UHT or Ultra pasteurised Milk for cheese making.

[Karooneet1]

Hi,

I know people have asked this before, but after sifting through loads of comments I still don't have an answer.

I have been trying to make cheese using store-bought milk, but I can't get my milk to curdle properly. I've been using Chokchai milk as I believe it is the least processed milk in Thailand ( This is my own opinion. I have no facts about this at all, but it goes off faster than the other brands, indicating a more nutritious milk.)

I'm basically looking for a brand of milk that is pasteurised at lower temperatures which would be better for making cheese.

Thanks.

[ezzra]

Since you didn't clarify what cheese you're trying to make, what methods and what experience

you have, take a look at this website that have loads of useful cheese making advice, tools,

equipment bacteria and enzymes you need to make cheese, milk is not everything in cheese

making..

http://www.cheesemaking.com/

[thatguy]

http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Cheese/CHEESE.HTML

I think you are right about Chokchai milk, I wanted to try it myself. If you are near the farm, you might be able to get it raw. if the calcium has been bound up, calcium chloride might help, you can adjust PH with citric acid. There is a goat farm in Pattaya that makes cheese

http://asiagoat.com/

Good Luck

[TheWizardofRnR]

We make our Ricotta cheese with the 5 liter Milk available at Villa or Makro I think it is Chokchai but also one brand that comes from outside Thailand too I think

You probably should contact them directly if your making a lot of cheese to buy the milk direct , there is a bunch of info on Google Thailand that might help you or maybe requesting from Villa or Makro management to order for you.But there is always trying each Brand and see which is the best outcome.

Found the name we use its Meiji , I think its the best tasting Milk and I been a Milk Man for 67 years !

Edited November 30, 2014 by TheWizardofRnR

[carib102]

I too have had problems getting milk to curdle at lower temps, though if I go above 120F it curdles somewhat...enough to make fresh cheese types such as mozz and our favorite queso fresco. I'd be interested to see if anyone else has any input on this as none of the brands here in Thailand have worked well for me. This is despite the addition of calcium chloride and doubling or even tripling the amounts of rennet and enzymes. We were at Chokchai farm several months ago and they do not sell raw milk. Goats milk I think is available, and you could also try using buffalo milk for hard cheeses (should work well though you may have to make adjustments for the high fat content when aging)...we got buffalo milk from here http://www.murrahfarm.com/ (outlet on Ramkamheng soi 112).

[Burl Ives]

Hi Guys,

where to buy rennet in Pattaya?

[thatguy]

I don't know if you can buy "Junket rennet " in Thailand, hard to find offline in the US, used to be in the pudding aisle. Try the goat farm mentioned above.

[Strangebrew]

Ask Costas for some badger milk

[Karooneet1]

I too have had problems getting milk to curdle at lower temps, though if I go above 120F it curdles somewhat...enough to make fresh cheese types such as mozz and our favorite queso fresco. I'd be interested to see if anyone else has any input on this as none of the brands here in Thailand have worked well for me. This is despite the addition of calcium chloride and doubling or even tripling the amounts of rennet and enzymes. We were at Chokchai farm several months ago and they do not sell raw milk. Goats milk I think is available, and you could also try using buffalo milk for hard cheeses (should work well though you may have to make adjustments for the high fat content when aging)...we got buffalo milk from here http://www.murrahfarm.com/ (outlet on Ramkamheng soi 112).

Thanks carib102. I too have more success when making products at higher temperatures. Yogurt with Thermophilic cultures works very well at those temperatures. Thanks for the link. It's a pity there isn't better cows milk available in Thailand.

[Karooneet1]

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the replies. I still haven't made a decent batch of cheese. My milk did curdle more when I started using a mother culture rather than adding the freeze dried culture directly to the milk, but still not enough.

Anyway I'm leaving Thailand soon and I wil be selling my cheese making supplies.The items are not for sale individually. I want to sell it all as a whole. It includes:

1. Mesophilic Starter culture Probat 222 - Enough for roughly 250L of milk.
2. Camembert Penicillium candidum spores (white mould spores) - For 250L
3. Rennet Powder (30g) - For 1500L
4. Calcium chloride flakes (500g)
5. Non-Iodized Salt (1kg)
6. Linen Cheese Cloth.

Total price 2000 baht. Pick up from Thong Lor BTS

I'm leaving on the 30th of March.

Edited March 20, 2015 by Karooneet1

[Raphaeleh]

Hello all cheese enthusiasts,

Here are some of my insights into making cheese in Thailand, specifically Chonburi. I have tried all the basic milks here, Dutch Mill, Meji, Chok Chai and Magnolia from Makro. I have had some decent results from Magnolia and Chok Chai, with doubling the rennet in the recipes. Recently Dairy Home milk has provided the best result to date. I am making semi to hard cheeses, cheddar, gouda, jack, I have purchases rennet and culture through the web, as well as calcium chloride and lipase. I believe one should be able to purchase calcium chloride from medical supplies stores in major Thai cities. If you purchase a mesophilic culture that is able to be re cultured, basically the same as with yogurt. You will now be able to avoid purchasing mesophilic culture again.

One milk I have not been able to find is "Umm MILK" from the original Chok Chai Farm, very different apparently than the basic Chok Chai milk available everywhere.

I am still nor sure if any of these milks are ideal for cheese making, I believe they all have been heated to a temperature that is too high for great quality cheeses. Although i continue to make cheese. I am only 6 weeks in and have not tried any of the hard cheese yet. I have had a few decent Ricotta's.

So i am still in search of a raw milk supply in the Pattaya area, I have beat the the bushes hard to no avail. I did find a goat farm here in Pattaya but they refuse to sell any milk, they make their own cheese.

I have searched Thai Forums, blogs and stuff, seems Thai people are not big on making cheese, go figure, . Lactose intolerance could be the problem? Anyway, hopefully this was somewhat helpful. Still I continue to search for a better quality of milk, ideally raw.

[roban]

^^

I am in the same boat, finding decent (raw) milk for cheese making.

With all shop bought milk, I wasn't able to get a firm curd (used Mesophilic cultures, rennet and calcium chloride)

All my former attemps ended similar like here (Ricotta style cheese):

http://www.cheesemaking.com/ultrapasteurizedmilkforcheese.html

There is a Dairy Cooperative in Ban Buang (Chonburi), which should sell raw milk.

Here are a few links:

http://www.coopthai.com/banbuang/cont.html

https://www.facebook.com/banbungdairy/photos

But as usual in Thailand, no exact location or even a Google Maps link, only these childish drawings...

However, I will check this out on my next trip to Chonburi.

Edited July 7, 2015 by roban