Fresh mozzarella yield

[pcampbell]

Just curious, if you are making fresh mozzarella  from scratch with unhomogonized whole milk... approximately how much (weight)  might you get from 1 gallon?

[Bill/SFNM]

I figure 1/2 - 1 pound depending on how much moisture you want to squeeze out.

[norma427]

Just curious, if you are making fresh mozzarella  from scratch with unhomogonized whole milk... approximately how much (weight)  might you get from 1 gallon?

pcampbell,

From my one time experience in making mozzarella, that tdeane (Terry), gave instructions for, I got about 1 1/2 lbs. from 2 gallons of  raw milk. I am going to a mozzarella making class this week and will ask the other people there what their experiences are in making mozzarella. 
If you are interested you can see what I used and how the mozzarella turned out starting at Reply #205 http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,7561.200.html
If there are any questions anyone wants me to ask at class, let me know.  They use fresh raw milk from the same day they make the mozzarella.

Norma

[tikidoc]

It depends to some extent on the type of cow your milk comes from.  We have 2 milk cows.  Our pure Jersey, who's milk had about 2 cups of cream/gallon milk, gave us a little over a pound per gallon.  Unfortunately, we have had trouble getting her pregnant again and she is no longer milking.  We are currently milking a 3/4 mini-Jersey 1/4 Dexter, and her milk is considerably leaner and thinner.  She gives us maybe 12 ounces of cheese/gallon. 

[tdeane]

I get slightly over one pound per gallon but one pound per gallon is pretty standard.

[scott123]

Are there methods one can follow to maximize output? Quantity rather quality?

[Crider]

Not much you can do, but you can get ricotta from milk solids in the whey and use the remaining whey to replace water in your dough. Pizza dough made with whey is super delicious.

[Glutenboy]

It depends to some extent on the type of cow your milk comes from.  We have 2 milk cows.  Our pure Jersey, who's milk had about 2 cups of cream/gallon milk, gave us a little over a pound per gallon.  Unfortunately, we have had trouble getting her pregnant again and she is no longer milking.  We are currently milking a 3/4 mini-Jersey 1/4 Dexter, and her milk is considerably leaner and thinner.  She gives us maybe 12 ounces of cheese/gallon. 

Have you tried taking her on vacation or buying her jewelry? 

sorry...

[norma427]

The lady that was teaching the apprenticeship class on fresh mozzarella making today, said today that you can expect 1lb of cheese for a gallon on milk.

Norma

[GotRocks]

The lady that was teaching the apprenticeship class on fresh mozzarella making today, said today that you can expect 1lb of cheese for a gallon on milk.

Norma

So without playing around with a calculator or writing things down, I am guessing that 1LB of cheese derived  from 1-gallon of milk is about a 12.5% yield? What does a gallon of raw milk weigh on average? I guess that you'll need to take cream percentage into account for exact figures, so I am just looking at a ballpark weight/gallon

I Live in rural Wisconsin, and we are unable to purchase raw milk in this state. Farmers have been fined extraordinary amounts for selling raw milk products in the past. There is legislation in the pipes to try and change the prohibition, but I doubt it will be successful.
 

[Pete-zza]

What does a gallon of raw milk weigh on average?

GotRocks,

According to nutritiondata.com, at http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/69/2, a quart of whole milk with 3.25% milkfat weighs 976 grams. So a gallon would weigh 4 x 976 grams, or 3,904 grams. That is equivalent to 137.71 ounces, or 8.61 pounds. I assume that that value is for processed milk, not raw milk, but I think that value is close enough for your purposes.

Peter

[GotRocks]

Wow,  looking at the cost of milk per gallon (or by the pound) I find it amazing that cheese is as affordable as it is considering the labor and time involved to produce it.

Thank you for providing the math and a link. That is one of the many reasons why I love this forum.

[dms]

The price you pay at the grocery for a gallon of milk is only very roughly related to the price of fluid milk.  There are lots of people between you and the farmer (or even the processing plant). 

[scott123]

Also, a substantial part of the cost of milk and cheese is transportation. A pound of cheese takes up a lot less room and weighs a lot less than a gallon of milk.

[GotRocks]

Well here lies the problem if you live in Wisconsin like I do, it is against Wisconsin state law for a anyone to sell, give away, or possess raw milk unless you have a valid  "Milk, or milk products Production license".
There have been citations issued, products and equipment confiscated, all kinds of nasty goings on from the state government and many challenges in the courts, and there are more court challenges coming up. You can read about the current situation here---->  http://www.realmilk.com/happening.html
Isn't that just friggin amazing?? We live in the famous dairy state of Wisconsin, and we are forced to purchase our milk, which must be pasteurized first  through wholesale or retail outlets only unless we hold a license to purchase otherwise. Seriously WTF?

People have tried to form milk co-op's only to be shut down the our state govt. And in the dairy state of all place.


So that leaves me the only option of buying pasteurized, homogenized, milk through either a wholesale or retail entity. the dept of Ag has even set-up sting operations to nail dairy farmers for this.

I apologize for the rant, but I thought you just might find it interesting.