Thanks for trying the recipe! A couple of things can affect curd formation, it’s all about the milk proteins separating from the whey properly. 

Here are a few things to check: 1. Milk temperature: The milk needs to be heated to the right temperature (about 185 °F / ~85–90 °C) before you add the acid. If it’s too cool, the curds won’t fully form. 2. Amount and type of acid: Lemon juice can vary in acidity, so sometimes using white vinegar or a bit more acid helps the curds separate more reliably. 

After adding the acid, how long did you let the milk sit?

If you ended up with mostly whey, you can try gently reheating the leftover whey to about the right temp and adding a little more vinegar or lemon juice — sometimes that helps pull out more curds. 

Hope that helps! Let me know how your next batch goes.

I’ve not tested that brand, just the Lactaid brand but I think any lactose free milk will work to make this.

Traditional cottage cheese relies on the curdling of casein protein found in cow’s milk. Almond milk doesn’t contain this protein.The process of making cottage cheese involves separating curds (solidified milk proteins) from the whey. Almond milk, without added ingredients, doesn’t coagulate in the same way so I really can’t advise on this.

The leftover liquid whey contains most of the milk sugars (lactose), which is why my homemade cottage cheese curds are so low in carbs and higher in protein than store-bought. Because I used lactose-free milk, the leftover whey likely contains slightly fewer sugars than if I had used regular milk. But it’s important to remember that lactose-free milk still contains natural milk sugars — they’ve just been broken down into simpler forms (glucose + galactose). Those sugars stay in the whey, so even though it’s easier to digest, it’s not zero-carb and likely not ideal for strict keto use — but it’s great to share with your dog if they tolerate dairy well!