Should I use raw or pasteurized milk starting out?

[Superior_Xemnas]

I'm brand new to cheesemaking and just picked up David Asher's Art of Natural Cheesemaking. A lot of his recipes call for raw milk, and I get that people say it makes the cheese taste better. But I'm also a little nervous about the safety side, especially since I'm still learning.

Is raw milk really that much better for the end result, or is pasteurized good enough when you're starting out? I don't want to cut corners on flavor, but I also don't want to screw up and make something unsafe. How did you guys approach it when you first started... play it safe with pasteurized, or go straight into raw milk?

 

[cheese.face]

When I started, I stuck with pasteurized milk, it’s way safer while you’re learning and you can still get great flavor, and once you’re comfortable with the process, experimenting with raw milk is way easier

 

[cholowao]

You can use pasteurized milk, but not UHT. But remember to use Calcium Chloride

 

[longstaff_34]

You can use pasteurized milk, but not UHT. But remember to use Calcium Chloride

Been making cheese at home using store-bought milk but didn’t know about the Calcium Chloride part. How much do you usually add per gallon? and does it change the taste or just help with curds?