Making raw whey & cream cheese... help please!

[Erinz]

OK... so I decided to try this for the first time. The raw milk took about a week to separate out. I strained it overnight last night and then put the whey in one container and used the "cheese" on a piece of bread this morning and it's nothing short of disgusting. My husband actually gagged. It just tastes like spoiled milk.

What am I doing wrong? Or is it just an aquired taste?

I put some photos in a photobucket album hoping they would aid in advice giving:
http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...Making%20Whey/

Thanks

[dogmom327]

While the method you use does technically make a sort of cheese--I would venture that most people would agree with you and your husband on the taste. It tastes like spoiled milk because that essentially what it is unfortunately. To make cream cheese and whey I would suggest adding a known culture, let the milk thicken and then strain it through cheesecloth, a towel, etc. You could use a yogurt culture, a buttermilk culture (or a little yogurt or buttermilk from the store), or a soft cheese culture. Alternatively you could use kefir grains to make kefir then strain that. Any of those will give you known bacteria that are known to actually taste decent.

[TheRobinsons]

I have only made whey and cream cheese once with this method. I also didn't really like the taste (I made a cheesecake with the cheese) and did feel a bit uncomfortable putting the whey in my baby formula.

I much prefer to make yoghurt, and then strain the yoghurt into whey and cream cheese. The cheese I have made like this is absolutely delicious, and the whey had a much nicer smell to it. It is actually easier to make a simple yoghurt with the raw milk and strain it, then to wait almost a week for the milk to separate.

I hope your husband hasn't been put off for good and all goes better for you next time.

[Magelet]

mind you a yogurt cream cheese will still taste sour like yogurt, which comercial cream cheese I don't think does, but I agree. yogurt cream cheese is delicious!

[Erinz]

Thank you!! for the replies. I'm relieved to know I didn't screw anything up and it's supposed to be gross

I will try the yogurt cheese next!

We have adventurous pallettes, and my husband is always willing to try whatever I make but I'm thinking he may ask me to take the first bite with the yogurt cheese! I can't blame him!

[ltlmrs]

I've made cream cheese and whey in this way before, but it took me only a little less than 48 hours to get the cheese and whey to separate out. The cheese was mild and not at all bad. If it took a week then it is definitely too cold, put it in a warmer place next time. We actually don't like yogurt cheese, but we like the plain raw cream cheese.