UKC

I've been making baby steps into the arcane world of making cheese.

Very basic so far - 2l. of whole goats' milk, heat to c88°C, add 50ml of citric acid, stir for a bit, strain through a colander lined with double layer of cheesecloth adding a little salt and maybe something else (pepper / garlic so far), some squeezing and pressing. 

This leaves me with c300g of cheese and c1000ml of whey (superb for making up a protein shake). Not complaining about the result, just wondering where the rest of the 2000ml goes? The angels' share?

I suspect it's all in your wheying

That was a cheesy gag.

It's in the cheesy rag

Tread Caerphilly.

Yep, I suppose it's a feta compli.

Have you checked the Bishop's finger? 

You've gouda be missing something.

Isn't that a beer rather than a cheese?

I thought this was going to be "which is the only cheese that's made backwards"...

Blessed are the cheesemakers.

does it float?

https://goo.gl/eKfz5J 

Does that mean you have to burn it?

Your yield is now inline with recipes using 1 L to start.

Fresh cheese is about 80% water, so 300 g = 60 g solids. Densities of all are close to 1, so g and mL interchangable.

Milk to what reduced solids from 13% to 7%.

So 1 L milk gives you 300 g soft cheese and 700 mL whey. You do appear to be either missing solids.

Are you washing your fresh cheese or squeezing it and not collecting the whey?

Evaporated water?

I think streapadair started this thread looking for cheese puns and edam well knows it! 

Crickey, a serious answer! After yon crowdie comedians. Thanks.

I'm getting a full litre of whey, touch more even but not much, collecting every drop I can, so it's 2000ml - (300g + 1000ml) = 700ml?? Just squeezing and pressing till it's semi-firm.

There must be some evaporation, but nowhere near 650-700ml's worth I'd have thought. It's a mystery.

malk - can't say I've tried floating it but I'd be surprised if it did, it's fairly dense.

Wet cloths?

You have to leave it a long time

They sell cheese in Tesco, you know. Can't you just spend your spare time taking beautiful photos for the rest of us to enjoy?

You must know that the best cheese is madE backwards.

Just remember that when DIY cheese making goes wrong, it goes horribly wrong. Keep your emergency numbers on speed dial and make sure you have lots of bog roll on hand

i can imagine big losses cooling slowly from 88C to room temp, esp wide pan covered with teatowel..

Mmm, not half a litre's worth of wet surely? I'll quantify it the next time, weigh the cloth dry and wet.

Very generous of you, Rob, but I think my mojo died with Kodachrome. Can't be doing with all that HDR business - fashion or the future?

Aye, but the maturing process is when things can go tits up. Mine gets matured for about half an hour.

As it happens I've got a tale to tell about this general subject, but not here and I don't think cheese was involved.

As much as that? Still, it must be going somewhere.

I was half joking up thread, thinking of the specific gravity of whey, but I don't think it's that heavy to account for over half a kilo!
Try again with more careful measurements

and all that stirring while bringing a wide open pot up to nearly boiling? i've just experimented with a litre of water up to 90C with some stirring and it appears 250g/25% has been lost to the angels already..

ps have you tried the simple way of just adding vinegar. i think i'm gonna give it a go

Does look like the least unlikely solution. I'll do some more weighing next time - panful of milk at start and finish.

I've only used citric acid so far, try other curdling agents some time.