Fresh / lactic · Mesophilic
Cheese Culture for Chèvre & Fresh Goat Cheese
Chèvre is a culture-set cheese: mesophilic bacteria slowly acidify goat milk to pH 4.6 while a whisper of rennet firms the curd. Flora Danica gives the fullest flavour; MM 100 the classic profile. Add Geotrichum and time, and the same milk becomes wrinkly-rinded Crottin style.
At a glance
| Family | Fresh / lactic · Mesophilic |
| Primary culture | MA 11, MM 100, Flora Danica or a chèvre pack |
| Adjuncts | Geotrichum candidum only if ageing into Crottin / Sainte-Maure style |
| Temperature logic | Long, slow lactic set at room temperature to about 86°F — often 12 hours+ |
| pH notes | Lactic cheeses set at about pH 4.6 — acid does the work, rennet is a tiny texture assist |
| Ageing | Fresh: drain and eat in days. Aged lactic styles: 1–3 weeks with Geotrichum |
The shopping list
Primary culture
Flora Danica Mesophilic Culture
$20.95
New England Cheesemaking · checked October 23, 2026
Also needed
Geotrichum candidum — Rind Culture
$9.95
New England Cheesemaking · checked October 23, 2026
The make, in short
Long, slow lactic set at room temperature to about 86°F — often 12 hours+. Fresh: drain and eat in days. Aged lactic styles: 1–3 weeks with Geotrichum.
The one pitfall
Using rennet like a hard-cheese make. In lactic cheese, acid is the setter — rennet is measured in drops.
Making a different cheese next?
The Culture Finder covers 27 cheeses and cultured staples — starter, adjuncts, temperature logic and pH gates for each.