Wiki: Manufactured Cultures

Danisco's Choozit Product Line, MM100, 250 Dose Mesophilic Lactice Acid Producing Starter Culture - CheeseForum.org

This wiki article is a listing of commercial manufactured freeze dried individual or mixed cultures organized alphabetically by culture type and including where available their contents, what they develop and their uses. As the listing is long, there is a clickable menu below to jump to the individual cultures.

Mesophilic Starter Cultures

Danisco's Choozit Product Line, MM100, 250 Dose Mesophilic Lactice Acid Producing Starter Culture - CheeseForum.org
Danisco's Choozit Product Line, MM100, 250 Dose Mesophilic Lactice Acid Producing Starter Culture - CheeseForum.org

Thermophilic Starter Cultures

Ripening & Aroma Cultures

Mesophilic Starter Cultures

Danisco's Choozit Product Line, Geotrichum Candidum, 10 Dose - CheeseForum.org
Danisco's Choozit Product Line, Geotrichum Candidum, 10 Dose - CheeseForum.org

Abiasa’s Mesophile Aromatic Type B

  • Contains:
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies cremoris
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies lactis
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies biovar diacetylactis
    • Lactococcus mesenteroides

Abiasa’s Mesophile Type II

  • Contains:
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies cremoris

Abiasa’s Mesophile Type III

  • Contains:
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies cremoris
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies lactis

CHR Hansen’s Flora Danica

  • Contains:
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies lactis
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies cremoris
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies lactis biovar diacetylactis
    • Leuconostoc mesenteroides subspecies cremoris

Danisco’s Choozit Kazu

  • Contains:
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies lactis
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies cremoris
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies biovar diacetylactis
    • Lactococcus helveticus

Danisco’s Choozit LM057, LM059

  • Contains:
    • Leuconostoc mesenteroides subspecies cremoris

Danisco’s Choozit MA011, MA014, MA016 . . . MA019

Danisco's Choozit Product Line, Penicillium Candidum VS, 2 Dose - CheeseForum.org
Danisco's Choozit Product Line, Penicillium Candidum VS, 2 Dose - CheeseForum.org
  • Contains:
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies cremoris
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies lactis

Danisco’s Choozit MA4001/4002

  • Contains:
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies lactis
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies cremoris
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies biovar diacetylactis
    • Streptococcus thermophilus
  • Notes:
    • Diacetylactis releases aromatic gases during aging providing random small eyes as well as buttery flavour quality.
  • Uses:
    • As an adjunct to provide increased buttery flavour.

Danisco’s Choozit MD088 & MD089

  • Contains:
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies biovar diacetylactis
  • Notes:
    • Diacetylactis releases aromatic gases during aging providing random small eyes as well as buttery flavour quality.
  • Uses:
    • As an adjunct to provide increased buttery flavour.

Danisco’s Choozit MM100 & MM101 & BT001 & BT002

  • Contains:
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies lactis
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies cremoris
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies biovar diacetylactis
  • Notes:
    • Builds acid quickly.
    • Diacetylactis releases aromatic gases during aging providing random small eyes as well as buttery flavour quality.
  • Uses:
    • Multiple cheese types.
    • If using for Camembert, provides close to the strong flavor of the traditional classic Camembert de Normandie.

Danisco’s Choozit MT1

  • Contains:
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies lactis
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies cremoris
    • Streptococcus thermophilus
    • Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies bulgaricus
  • Used:
    • For making Feta.

Danisco’s Choozit RA Series

  • Names:
    • RA021, RA022, RA023, RA024 . . . RA026
  • Contains:
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies lactis
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies cremoris
    • Streptococcus thermophilus

Danisco’s Choozit SMADL

  • Contains:
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies lactis
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies cremoris
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies biovar diacetylactis
    • Lactococcus mesenteroides

Thermophilic Starter Cultures

Danisco's Choozit Product Line, Penicillium Candidum VS, 2 Dose - CheeseForum.org
Danisco's Choozit Product Line, Penicillium Candidum VS, 2 Dose - CheeseForum.org

Abiasa’s Thermophilic Type B

  • Contains:
    • Streptococcus thermophilus
    • Lactococcus bulgaricus
  • Used:
    • Soft and semi-soft type cheeses.

Abiasa’s Thermophilic Type C

  • Contains:
    • Streptococcus thermophilus
    • Lactococcus helveticus
  • Used:
    • Italian and farmstead type cheeses.
  • Develops:
    • helveticus provides sweeter – nuttier flavour than bulgaricus.

Abiasa’s Lactococcus Helveticus

  • Contains:
    • Lactococcus helveticus
  • Develops:
    • Sweeter – nuttier flavour than bulgaricus.

Danisco’s Choozit ABY-2C

  • Contains:
    • Streptococcus thermophilus
    • Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies bulgaricus
    • Lactobacillus acidophilus
    • Bifidobacterium longum

Danisco’s Choozit LH100

  • Contains:
    • Lactobacillus helveticus
    • Lactobacillus lactis subspecies lactis

Danisco’s Choozit LH340

  • Contains:
    • Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies bulgaricus

Danisco’s Choozit MY087 Series

  • Contains:
    • Streptococcus thermophilus
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies lactis

Danisco’s Choozit MY800

  • Contains:
    • Streptococcus thermophilus
    • Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies bulgaricus
    • Lactococcus lactis subspecies lactis

Danisco’s Choozit MYE Series

  • Contains:
    • Streptococcus thermophilus
    • Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies bulgaricus

Danisco’s Choozit TA050, TA052, & TA054

  • Contains:
    • Streptococcus thermophilus
  • Used:
    • For stabilized cheese.

Danisco’s Choozit TA060, TA061, & TA062

  • Contains:
    • Streptococcus salivarius subspecies thermophilus
  • Used:
    • For hard cheese.

Ripening & Aroma Cultures

Danisco's Choozit Product Line, Penicillium Candidum Neige, 2 Dose - CheeseForum.org
Danisco's Choozit Product Line, Penicillium Candidum Neige, 2 Dose - CheeseForum.org

Abiasa’s Proprionic Bacteria

  • Contains:
    • Proprionibacteria freudenreichii subspecies shermanii

Abiasa’s B. linens

  • Contains:
    • Brevibacterium linens

Danisco’s Choozit Cornybacteria

  • Names:
    • LR, SR3
  • Contains:
    • Brevibacterium linens
  • Used:
    • “LR” contains strains of Brevibacterium linens that are more aromatic.
    • “SR3” contains strains of Brevibacterium linens that are less aromatic.

Danisco’s Choozit Geotrichum candidum

  • Names:
    • GEO13, GEO15, GEO17
  • Contains:
    • Geotrichum candidum
  • Used:
    • Creates a cream color rind, often a preferred trait below white mold in Penicllium candidum cheeses like Camembert & Crottin.
    • GEO13 contains strains of G. candidum that produce mold like appearance and intermediate aroma/flavour.
    • GEO15 contains strains of G. candidum that produce yeast like appearance and mild aroma/flavour.
    • GEO17 contains strains of G. candidum that produce mold like appearance and very mild aroma/flavour.

Danisco’s Choozit Penicillium candidum ABL

  • Contains:
    • Penicillium candidum
  • Develops:
    • ABL contains special strains of P. candidum that produces white mold.

Danisco’s Choozit Penicillium candidum HP6

  • Contains:
    • Penicillium candidum
  • Develops:
    • HP6 contains classic strains of P. candidum that produces white mold.

Danisco’s Choozit Penicillium candidum Neige

  • Contains:
    • Penicillium candidum
  • Develops:
    • Neige contains classic strains of P. candidum that produces white mold with a strong aroma/flavour.

Danisco’s Choozit Penicillium candidum SAM3

  • Contains:
    • Penicillium candidum
  • Develops:
    • SAM3 contains anti mucor strains of P. candidum that produces white mold.

Danisco’s Choozit Penicillium candidum VB

  • Contains:
    • Penicillium candidum
  • Develops:
    • VB contains classic strains of P. candidum that produces white mold.

Danisco’s Choozit Penicillium candidum VS

  • Contains:
    • Penicillium candidum
  • Develops:
    • VS contains classic strains of P. candidum that produces white mold with a mild aroma/flavour.

Danisco’s Choozit Penicillium album

  • Contains:
    • Penicillium album
  • Produces:
    • White-grey mould.

Danisco’s Choozit Penicillium Roqueforti

  • Names:
    • PJ, PV.
  • Contains:
    • Penicillium roqueforti
  • Develops:
    • PJ contains strains of P. roqueforti that are slower acting and produce lighter more greener blue-green mold with milder aroma/flavour.
    • PV contains strains of P. roqueforti that are fast acting and produce intense dark blue-green mold with very piquent aroma/flavour and creamy texture.

Wiki: Making Brine

Cold household fridge stored saturated water based brine and water based brine ripening feta in plastic containers.

This wiki article discusses making brine which is used in cheese making both temporarily bathing formed pressed cheeses for salting (examples are washed curd cheeses such as Gouda) or permanently brining formed unpressed cheeses during ripening (examples are Feta). Other Wiki articles on brine are Wiki: Brine Bathing CheesesWiki: Maintaining Brine, and Wiki: Brine For Ripening Cheese. Wiki articles on salt are: Wiki: Salt Types, and Wiki: Salt’s Function.

Brine is a combination of water and common NaCl salt, in making cheese other parameters are acidity and calcium levels of brine.

Salt Amount

Cold household fridge stored saturated water based brine and water based brine ripening feta in plastic containers.
Cold household fridge stored saturated water based brine and water based brine ripening feta in plastic containers.

Many cheese making procedures, when using brine for salting cheese, call for brine between 18 & 23% salt. This is because:

  1. The range of brine resistant spoilage and pathogen type microorganisms that can survive in brine increases significantly at less than 16% salt and 18% provides a safety margin. Weak brines are notorious sources of contamination and thus if used, should be disposed of after using and not re-used. Weak brines also result in less moisture loss from the cheese surface, resulting in several possible defects:
    • As less salt, the body of the cheese will be higher water content and thus weaker and softer than desired.
    • Initially soft/swollen cheese from less brine inhibition and a slimy, greasy, or “melting” surface of the newly formed cheese.
    • As less salt in the cheese, the acidity development will be less retarded, resulting in higher acidity (lower pH) will favour the growth of spoilage organisms. For aged type cheeses you can get sticky and discoloured rind patches, varying from straw to bright orange, red or brown. Also, the surface will be prone to show growths of the black or grey mucor molds (poille de chat).
  2. Brines above 23% salt increases the risk that moisture will be lost too rapidly from the surface of the cheese. This can result in a very dehydrated surface layer which may hinder or reduce the further uptake of salt into the body of the cheese to reach the correct % salt in cheese, depending on cheese type.

However, some home type cheese making recipes call for brining with saturated (typically 26% salt at 60°F/15°C) brines. This is because saturated brines:

  1. Are easier to make accurately and maintain than lower % salt brines.
  2. As easier to make accurately they provide an easy standard against which future cheese making batches can be measured.

Brine Additives

Four pound Gouda brining in saturated water based brine in stainless steel stockpot.
Four pound Gouda brining in saturated water based brine in stainless steel stockpot.

Freshly made brines, will when first used for brining a cheese, exhibit cat ion exchange whereby the calcium and hydrogen ions in the cheese surface will transfer to the brine until the brine and cheese reaches equilibrium. This transfer will cause the casein in the cheese surface to absorb water and swell resulting in a soft slimy surface layer that in aged cheeses leads to rind rot during aging. To mitigate this transfer:

  1. Acidify the new brine to a pH of ~5.0, or roughly the same pH as the cheese. This can be done by several methods listed from optimal to least preferable:
    1. Using drained whey instead of water for base of brine.
    2. Adding Citric Acid to water.
    3. Adding Acetic Acid (vinegar) to water.
  2. Add food grade CaCl2 to the brine until reach 0.1%.

Brine Tank

Brine tanks should have the following properties:

  1. Sturdy to avoid failure from the weight and pressure (if large tank) of dense brine fluid.
  2. Be large enough for the brine plus the cheese(s) plus the cheese insertion or removal device (i.e. hand and arm or metal device) plus a free area for mini-waves when placing and removing cheese.
  3. Made of a salt corrosive resistant material, such as plastic or high quality stainless steel. Note, most stainless steel stockpots are not of high enough quality steel to avoid corrosion and also often have easily corrodible aluminum rivets attaching handles.

Making Saturated Brine

Stockpot after used as saturated brine bath tank, handle rivets erroding.
Stockpot after used as saturated brine bath tank, handle rivets erroding.

To make a saturated salt solution:

  1. Boil amount of water you want to make into brine and pour into brine tank.
  2. Add roughly 1 part additive free (non-iodized, no dessicant) NaCl salt for 4 parts boiled water.
  3. Stir until salt is fully dissolved.
  4. Allow brine to cool to ~60°F/15.6°C application temperature or lower if storing. This will result in some salt precipitated back out of solution, demonstrating that brine is saturated.
  5. Add enough vinegar to reach a pH of 5 or to roughly equalize pH with that of cheese, typically 1 teaspoon per US gallon / 1.33 ml per liter water of standard 5% white (clear) vinegar.
  6. Add CaCl2 to reach 0.1% to reduce cat ion exchange, typically 1 tablespoon/US gallon / 4 ml/liter water of 30% CaCl2 solution.

Making Non-Saturated Brine

To make non-saturated Sodium Chloride brine:

  1. Pour amount of cool ~60°F/15.6°C water into brine tank that you want to make into brine.
  2. Choose your desired % Brine from column #1 of the table below.
  3. Determine the corresponding weight of non-iodized NaCl salt you need per unit of water from column #2 or #3.
  4. Scale up the weight of table salt to your volume.
  5. Weigh that amount of salt, pour into water, and stir until dissolved.
  6. Add enough vinegar to reach a pH of 5 or to roughly equalize pH with that of cheese, typically 1 teaspoon per US gallon / 1.33 ml per liter water of standard 5% white (clear) vinegar.
  7. Add 0.1% CaCl2 to reduce cat ion exchange, typically 1 tablespoon/US gallon / 4 ml/liter water of 30% CaCl2 solution.

Notes:

  • In brines, % salt is a measure of the weight of salt divided by the weight of brine, i.e. if you dissolve 1 kg of salt in 5 liters of water, the brine will weigh 6 kg and you will have 1/6 = 16.7% salt brine.
    • Example Metric Calculation: Say you want to make 5 liters of 16% brine. Table below says 0.1905 kg salt/liter water for ~16% brine. Thus combine 5 liters water and 5 x 0.1905 = 0.9525 kg salt and stir until dissolved.
    • Example American Units Calculation: Say you want to make 2 US gallons of 10% brine. Table below says 0.1111 pounds salt/US gallon of water for ~10% brine. Thus combine 2 US gallons water and 2 x 0.1111 = 0.2222 pounds salt and stir until dissolved.
  • When salt is dissolved in water, it makes the resulting volume of brine slightly bigger depending on the amount of salt. For example the above 16% brine examples will be about 5% larger volume that the original amount of water used.
  • A very fresh egg will float in a 20% salt solution and often used as very reliable method in home brine making.

Brine Making Table

The table below is at standard conditions of 60°F/15.6°C and only goes up to 26% as at 26.395% brine is fully saturated (at 60°F) and any additional salt will not dissolve.

% NaCl Salt kg NaCl Salt / liter Water pound NaCl Salt / US gallon Water
0 0 0
2 0.0204 0.17
4 0.0417 0.347
6 0.0638 0.532
8 0.0870 0.724
10 0.1111 0.925
12 0.1364 1.136
14 0.1628 1.356
16 0.1905 1.586
18 0.2195 1.828
20 0.2500 2.082
22 0.2820 2.349
24 0.3158 2.630
26 0.3513 2.926

Wiki: Ash

Versaille, France, Open Air Market, Valencay.

This Wiki Article discusses Ash (Cendré in French, Cenere in Italian) which is often used as a light rind coating or interior layer for France originated soft lactic acid cheeses to create a white mould friendly environment.

Versaille, France, Open Air Market, Valencay.
Versaille, France, Open Air Market, Valencay.

Common examples of ashed cheeses are:

  • Ashed Rind Cow’s Milk: Montbriac, Rochebaron.
  • Ashed Rind Goat’s Milk: Bûche Noir, Coupole, Chevre Cendré, Monte Enebro, Rutulin, Selles sur Cher, Valençay AOC, Wabash Cannonball.
  • Ashed layer in middle of cheese: Cow’s Milk: Morbier AOC.
  • Ashed rind and middle: Goat’s Milk: Humboldt Fog, Monocacy Ash.
  • Aged Under Ash Cow’s Milk: Sottocenere.

Description

Ash is a food grade somewhat tasteless and odorless alkaline charcoal that is often called activated charcoal. It is a form of carbon that has been processed often by partially burning normally hardwood such as oak, vine, mesquite, cherry, or coconut hulls to make it extremely porous and thus to have a very large surface area such that one gram of activated carbon has a surface area of ~500 m2/5400 ft2. The very high porosity makes activated charcoal excellent at adsorption and is frequently used in drinking water filters. Ash was originally made from oak charcoal and comes in several formats, black powder, granules, or pellets.

Modern ash for making cheese is food grade from wood or vegtables and is ground into a fine powder.

Functions

Versaille, France, Open Air Market, Chevre Cendre & Frais.
Versaille, France, Open Air Market, Chevre Cendre & Frais.

Acidity Control

Excessive acidity in cheese can harm the ripening process. Coating cheeses with alkaline ash can somewhat neutralize the surface acidity, aiding ripening and additionally creating a more mold friendly surface for Pencillium candidum or Geotrichum candidum, if used.

Many people find using ash really helps P candidum to grow more evenly and helps to prevent slipskin.

Lactic acid coagulated cheeses often have high acidity and thus the popularity of using ash on them for pH control.

Interior Ash Layer (Fly Control)

French Morbier AOC cheese was historically made from two separate batches of cow’s milk curds from two separate milkings.

To protect the surface of the curds while waiting for the second batch, Morbier makers would sprinkle ash from the firepit onto the curds to protect it from flies. Modern Morbier is made from charcoal in a single batch of curds.

Appearance

Ash coated or interior lined cheeses have a distinctive grey exterior and or interior line appearance.

Application

Application Timing

Immediately after removing cheese from forming hoops and still wet from draining whey.

Application Methods

Versaille, France, Open Air Market, Losange Cendre.
Versaille, France, Open Air Market, Losange Cendre.
  1. Apply by hand by patting the outside of the soft cheese with a moisened hand or food grade glove dabbed in the ash.
  2. Apply by using a powdered sugar duster, available from a confectionery store.

The resultant covering should show plenty of the white cheese. Sometimes ash is mixed with salt before application. As the white Penicillum candidum mold blooms over the ash, the colour of the cheese will change from black spotted to grey.

Safety

The primary safety concerns are skin contact and inhalation in the form of dust. The dust may cause eye irritation, slight skin irritation, and possible respiratory tract irritation that can cause coughing or sneezing. Wash skin thoroughly after handling.

Storage

Ash is a very innert material and will keep a long time if stored dry in a sealed container to keep moisture out, and in a well ventilated area away from strong oxidizers (chlorine, permanganate and ozone, etc.), ignition sources, combustible materials, and heat.

Availability

Commercially Manufactured Product

Purchase “food grade” activated charcoal which is washed several times, sometimes washed with acid, to remove a high percent of the remaining minimal elemental salts make the carbon  highly pure, and thus flavourless. Some sources are:

  • Drugstores.
  • Health food stores.
  • Dietary supplement stores.
  • Cheese making supply stores.

Homemade

You can make several pounds of ash for a few dollars and some labour:

  1. From local store purchase hardwood charcoal used for grilling/BBQ (NOT briquettes, the real deal, mesquite is nice).
  2. Plug in old electric kitchen blender outside (for dust reasons), fill with about 1/3 water, add charcoal (you want to add enough so that final sludge is saturate with charcoal and thus need to remove minimal amount of water) and blend to crunch up large bits.
  3. Puree at high speed for 5-10 minutes.
  4. Take the resulting goo and place container in the microwave. Nuke for 10-15 mins. It will first turn into a sludge, then will turn hard. Other options are an oven or food dehydrator or leave in sun for a few weeks.
  5. Take hard chunk of activated charcoal and mash it up.
Versaille, France, Open Air Market, Morbier.
Versaille, France, Open Air Market, Morbier.
Houston US Grocery Store, US Cypress Grove's Humboldt Fog Chevre.
Houston US Grocery Store, US Cypress Grove's Humboldt Fog Chevre.

To update this Wiki Cheese Making article, please read this.

Wiki: Oil Types

Several oils used on rinds to protect against moisture loss and against unwanted surface micro-organisms.

This Wiki Article discusses different oil types use to oil rinds of aged cheeses. Oiling cheeses is, along with having a rind with high salt and low moisture, a traditional method of protecting cheeses from unwanted surface micro-organisms. Why, frequency, and methods of applying oil to rinds are discussed in the Wiki: Oiling Rinds article.

Selection of oil type for aging oiled rind cheeses is a personal preference, any edible oil (when used in moderation) with relatively long shelf life before oxidizing and going rancid will work. Oxidation can be mitigated by adding citric acid to the oil. Saturated fats like tallow or lard are the most resistant to rancidity. Mostly monounsaturated oils like olive oil and canola oil have long life before going rancid. Mostly polyunsaturated oils like grape seed oil go rancid quickly.

The following list is of oil types and their pros and cons effects, listed from most to least popular.

Olive Oil

Several oils used on rinds to protect against moisture loss and against unwanted surface micro-organisms.
Several oils used on rinds to protect against moisture loss and against unwanted surface micro-organisms.
Olive Oil is about 75% monounsaturated oil (liquid at room temperature and semisolid or solid when refrigerated).

  • Extra Light Olive Oil imparts a light flavor.
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil imparts a strong fruity flavor.
  • Herb infused olive oils will impart additional flavors. Basil is good for stronger cheeses, dill or crushed fennel for milder cheeses.

Rapeseed Oil

Rapeseed (canola) oil is about 58% monounsaturated and imparts a mostly neutral aroma and flavor.

Peanut Oil

Peanut oil, slight odor and flavor.

Butter

Butter has heavy saturated fats that last a long time before going rancid. However butter also contains proteins that over time degrade causing the oil to go rancid and thus it is not popular for oil sealing cheese rinds.

Butter does impart a popular buttery flavor.

Clarified Butter / Ghee

Clarified butter (commonly known as Ghee in India) is unsalted butter that has the milk solids and water removed so all that remains is pure liquid golden-yellow butterfat. The heavy saturated fats in clarified butter make it last a long time before going rancid. As clarifying removes the protein, it is comparable to lard.

As the process of clarifying the butter removes the milk solids, clarified butter imparts a light less rich buttery flavor than regular unsalted butter. But it can provide a nutty caramely “beurre noisette” aroma and flavor depending on how much the butter was cooked in the clarifying process.

Clarified butter or Ghee is available commercially or can be made at home from unsalted butter from recipes on the web.

Lard

Two 4 pound Gouda's at 30 days age with oiled rinds, one cleaned of mold, second with blue surface mold due to improper aging humidity.
Two 4 pound Gouda's at 30 days age with oiled rinds, one cleaned of mold, second with blue surface mold due to improper aging humidity.
Lard (pig fat), is about 40% monounsaturated fat and comparable to clarified butter.

Grape Seed Oil

Grape seed oil is high in polyunsaturates which can quickly go rancid thus it is only good for short aged cheeses as it will leave off flavors in cheeses aged for several months.

Sesame Seed Oil

Sesame seed oil has similar longevity issues to grape seed oil, it imparts a sesame flavor and additionally darkens the rind.

Other Oils

  • Soy Bean Oil
  • Avocado Oil, mostly monounsaturated fat.

Wiki: Salt Types

US 1 Pound Rock Salt

Chemically there are many types of salts, the ones used in cheese making are common household eating salt, a mineral composed primarily of Sodium Chloride (chemical abbreviation is NaCl) and is essential for human and animal life. Salt is usually produced from evaporating sea water or by mining ancient seabed rock deposits. It is manufactured into different forms:  

  • Raw sea salt which is bitter due to magnesium and calcium compounds and thus is rarely eaten. These are common in bathing additives and cosmetic products.
  • Refined salt which is ~99% Sodium Chloride.
  • Refined flourinated and/or iodized and/or anticaking salt.

Flourinated Salt

US Made Morton Brand Iodized Salt - CheeseForum.org
US Made Morton Brand Iodized Salt

Flourinated salt is manufactured in some countries to promote dental health. The effect of this type of salt used in making cheese is unknown.  

Iodized Salt

Iodized or iodised salt is regular crystalline NaCl salt mixed with a minute amount of various iodine-containing salts such as potassium iodide, sodium iodide, or sodium iodate. Many commercially manufactured table type salts are iodized to help prevent iodine deficient diseases in humans such as mental retardation and thyroid gland problems such as goiter.  

However, iodine also will retard or kill the growth of the cultures in cheese and thus should not be used in making cheese.  

This can be an issue in some countries where all manufactured table salt is iodized by law. However often in those countries special non-iodized “canning and pickling” salt is often manufactured for making brine used in pickling vegetables as iodine can be oxidized by the foods and darken them.  

Anticaking Salt

US Made Kroger Brand Non-Iodized Free Flowing Kitchen Salt - CheeseForum.org
US Made Kroger Brand Non-Iodized Free Flowing Kitchen Salt

Many manufactured salts are anticaking and are often labeled as “Free Flowing” or “Table Salt” as they are made with NaCl salt and anticaking ingredients such as sodium aluminosilicate, sodium ferrocyanide, potassium ferrocyanide, calcium carbonate, or magnesium carbonate. These additives prevent the formation of lumps caused by moisture “melting” salt crystals together and thus provide easier packaging, transportation, and consumption.  

Some anticaking agents are soluble in water; others are soluble in alcohols or other organic solvents. They function either by absorbing excess moisture, or by coating particles and making them water-repellent, calcium silicate, adsorbs both water and oil. Anticaking agents are also commonly used in manufactured cake mixes, powdered sugar, non-dairy creamers, dry cheese products, and many other dry mixes.  

Because of the properties listed above, anticaking salts should not be used in direct salting cheese as they can affect the moisture content of cheeses and/or the dissolution of salt in the cheese. However they can be used in brines where the intent is to imbibe salt into the cheese and to dehydrate the surface to build a cheese rind.

Recommended Salts

US Made Morton Brand Non-Iodized Canning & Pickling Salt - CheeseForum.org
US Made Morton Brand Non-Iodized Canning & Pickling Salt

Common retail grocery store food grade dry salts that can be used in making cheese are: 

  • Regular salt, if non-iodized and no anticaking additives.
  • Canning or Pickling Salt which normally is non-iodized and no anticaking additives and is manufactured fine-grained to accelerate its dissolution when making brine.
  • Rock or Kosher Salt, which is large crystal normally non-iodized and no anticaking additive.
  • Food grade swimming pool or water softener salt for brines as as large size pellets.
  • Flaked flat crystal salt normally non-iodized and no anticaking additive which packs lighter than common sand crystal type salt, melts easily, and does not easily bind together. Sometimes called “cheese salt” and is often not readily available in grocery stores. Note, there is no advantage to this salt when used to make brine.

US Made Kroger Brand Non-Iodized Free Flowing Kitchen Salt With Sodium Silicoaluminate
US Made Kroger Brand Non-Iodized Free Flowing Kitchen Salt With Sodium Silicoaluminate

US made Morton brand 25 pound bag of non-iodized Table Salt with anticaking sodium silicoaluminate
US made Morton brand 25 pound bag of non-iodized Table Salt with anticaking sodium silicoaluminate

US 1 Pound Rock Salt - CheeseForum.org
US 1 Pound Rock Salt

Wiki: Salt’s Function

US Made Morton Brand 25 Pound Non-Iodized Salt - CheeseForum.org

Salt is an essential ingredient in cheese making. This article is about salt’s function in cheese making, primarily: Moisture control, rind formation, control of production of lactic acid, texture improver, microbiological control, and flavour enhancer. Information on different salt types, and methods of applying salt is contained in other articles.

US Made Morton Brand 25 Pound Non-Iodized Salt - CheeseForum.org
US Made Morton Brand 25 Pound Non-Iodized Salt - CheeseForum.org

Salt is almost always applied to the cheese towards the end of the cheese making process. The earliest being after whey is drained from the curds as salting prior to this point will pre-maturely inhibit the growth of the starter culture.

Salt is commonly added as an ingredient in cheese making in four ways:

  1. Dry salt mixed directly into curds (Cheddar, Blue).
  2. Applied to, or rubbing rind with dry salt (Camembert, Brie).
  3. Brine soaking (Gouda, Edam, Havarti).
  4. Brine preserved (Feta, Halloumi).

Salt has many effects on the cheese, some immediate when applied, and some long term during aging. The amount of salt used and it’s different effects have significant influence on the cheese produced. Therefore the amount of salt used by one of the above methods should be accurately measured.

Moisture Control

When salt is applied directly to the cut curds or to the fresh rind, it starts to dissolve into the water phase of the curd. This draws water in the form of whey to the surface of the curd. Depending on the method, this surface water (whey) is then either drained away if added to cut curds, or evaporated if applied to rind, or into the brine if brined.

Thus salt aids in dehydrating cheese to that cheese types required moisture content for proper development, thus in turn, each cheese type has a narrow required % salt content.

Rind Formation

Two 2 kg Gouda's in whey based 18 percent brine bath - CheeseForum.org
Two 2 kg Gouda's in whey based 18 percent brine bath - CheeseForum.org

As moisture is diffused out of the curd’s surface from dry salting the curds or brining or evaporated off of the curd’s surface by dry salting a formed cheese, the surface of the cheese becomes dehydrated and the rind is formed.

The rind’s thickness and density can be controlled by varying the salting or brining conditions and the humidity and temperature during and after dry salting or brining.

In addition to a rind that is dehydrated, dry salting or brining of cheese results in a rind that is also of high salt content. This acts as a selective environment that strongly controls the microbiological activity on the rind. This is especially important for surface ripened cheeses such as Camembert and Brie.

Lactic Acid Production Control

For some cheeses, the addition of salt temporarily disrupts the starter culture’s fermentation into lactic acid. This can control the pH from becoming too low during pressing (if pressed) and the early stages of ripening.

As whey is lost due to salting, the whey carries out lactose, which if left can result in excessive lactic acid resulting in unwanted very low pH and unwanted fermentations during aging.

Texture Improvement

During early aging, loosely held water in the casein matrix becomes absorbed by the casein (the largest protein group in milk) resulting in a change from a moist curd to a drier softer more mellow cheese.

Microbiological Control

In general, the lower the salt content, the higher the number of microorganisms that can survive inside the cheese and conversely, the higher the salt content, the lower the number that can survive. Thus salting to the correct target % for the type of cheese is key to developing the cheese.

In addition, for some cheeses, salt also inhibits food poisoning microorganisms and thus is important for food safety.

Flavour Enhancement

Salt, first as normal has a savory, seasoning affect enhancing cheese’s flavour. Second via the Microbiological Control mechanism detailed above, changes a cheese’s flavour. If the salt content is not correct for the cheese type, these flavor compounds may not be produced in the right amount or ratio resulting in abnormal flavour for that cheese type.

In some highly salted cheeses such as Feta or Blue, the salt increases the action of lipase enzymes resulting in piquant flavour and aroma.

Wiki: Rennet

USA Old Kirk & Kirk Rennet Storage Bottle - CheeseForum.org

The roots of the term rennet come from rennet derived from animal parts, but in cheesemaking, with modern manufacturing the term is now used broadly to describe a range of chymosin and pepsin based coagulants. This general rennet article discusses formats, storage, amount, and preparation; specific rennet types, their formats and concentrations are in the Rennet Types, A To Z article.

USA Old Kirk & Kirk Rennet Storage Bottle - CheeseForum.org
USA Old Kirk & Kirk Rennet Storage Bottle - CheeseForum.org

Rennet through the ages has been made from the abomasum or fourth stomach, in young un-weaned milk fed calves and contains the rennet enzymes chymosin and pepsin. Due to high cost of manufacture and as calf based rennet does not qualify for some diets and may concern some for animal welfare reasons, starting in the 1990’s other forms of coagulants were manufactured.

Formats

Rennet normally is manufactured and available in a liquid, paste, and powder formats with liquid being the most common by far.

Storage

Most calf based based rennet manufactures recommend:

  1. For liquid calves rennet, store at temperature below 3-7C / 38-45F, i.e. in household fridge, not in normally warmer cheese cave. Store away from direct sunlight to preserve maximum activity (ultra-violet rays in sunlight destroy the rennet activity). Product’s strength will decline at 0.5% per month if ideal storage is followed for all times between manufacture and use.
  2. For powdered calves rennet, store at 38 to 45°F in closed container away from sunlight. This can give high, greater than 1 year shelf life.

Amount

Malaka Brand Vegetarian Liquid Rennet Drop Bottle - CheeseForum.org
Malaka Brand Vegetarian Liquid Rennet Drop Bottle - CheeseForum.org

As rennet can come in different strengths, any specified amount of rennet in a cheese making procedure should be ignored and the amount of rennet used per volume of milk based initially on the manufacturer’s directions. These directions can be found either on the product’s container or from their website (many of these files are posted in CheeseForum.org’s Library in the Forum). This amount should be increased or decreased with the users experience and results with the type of milk they are using.

Note:

  • Rennet degrades based on age and storage best practices, adjust as appropriate.
  • In general, store bought manufactured pasteurized and homogenized milk is requires more rennet than raw milk.

Preparation

  1. For single strength liquid calves rennet, dilute in cool un-chlorinated water at ratio of 15-20 parts water to 1 part rennet by volume.
  2. For powdered calves rennet, dissolve in 400 times it’s weight of non-chlorinated cool water, let sit for 30 minutes with occasional agitation for complete dissolution.
CHR Hansen Brand 75 liter Packages Of Powdered Microbial Fermented Fungus
CHR Hansen Brand 75 liter Packages Of Powdered Microbial Fermented Fungus

Wiki: Rennet Types

CHR Hansen Brand 75 liter Packages Of Powdered Microbial Fermented Fungus

The roots of the term rennet come from rennet derived from animal parts, but in cheesemaking, with modern manufacturing the term is now used broadly to describe a range of chymosin based coagulant. This specific rennet article reviews the different types chymosin based milk coagulants, general information on is in the Wiki: Rennet.

Animal Based

USA Old Kirk & Kirk Rennet Storage Bottle - CheeseForum.org
USA Old Kirk & Kirk Rennet Storage Bottle - CheeseForum.org

Animal based rennet is made from the abomasum of un-weaned milk fed calves. The abomasum is also known as the fourth stomach, and in young animals, the “rennet-bag” or “vell”. The tissue secretes acids and the rennet enzymes chymosin and pepsin. New-born calves have 95% chymosin (sometimes referred to as rennin) and 5% pepsin, as the animal ages and its diet changes from milk to grass, the ratio changes such that at about nine months of age, the ratio has reversed to 10% chymosin and 90% pepsin.

Animal based rennet typically contains 90% chymosin and 10% pepsin in purified form and is considered by many cheese makers to be the preferred rennet. Different ratios are available such as 92-85% chymosin and 8-15% pepsin.

Note, calf based rennet does not qualify for some diets and may concern some for animal welfare reasons.

Formats

Animal derived rennet is normally available in a liquid, paste, or powder formats with liquid easily being the most common.

Liquid format animal rennet contains, in addition to the enzymes chymosin and pepsin, trace proteins, sodium chloride brine, acetate, propylene glycol, caramel color, and flavour preservatives sodium benzoate, and potassium sorbate.

Powdered format animal rennet contains, in addition to the enzymes chymosin and pepsin, sodium benzoate and sodium chloride.

Manufactured liquid calf based rennet is often shipped in large i.e. 5 US gallon containers, and thus hobby Cheese Making Supply Stores often repackage into smaller containers.

Note, rennet paste is normally animal based and made of ground stomachs and brine. As it uses the whole stomach it is also rich in lipase which results in a piquant cheese such as Feta, Provolone, and Romano. Another choice to achieve this effect is to use liquid refined rennet and dried lipase powder.

Concentration

Liquid calf rennet is normally produced in a very concentrated form because when diluted, the enzymes become unstable and lose strength.

Liquid calf based rennet is normally available in single, double strength, and triple strength. To complicate matters, single strength in Europe is different from that in USA.

In the mid 1990’s a new standardization measurement (IDF Standard 157:1992) for rennet was adopted based on IMCU/mL or International Milk Clotting Units per ml of milk.

Fermentation

Malaka Brand Vegetarian Liquid Rennet Retail Box - CheeseForum.org
Malaka Brand Vegetarian Liquid Rennet Retail Box - CheeseForum.org

Until 1990, the only source of chymosin was calves. Around 1990, scientists created a system to make chymosin that doesn’t require calves. Using genetic engineering, the gene for chymosin was cut from a calf cell and inserted into the genomes of bacteria and yeasts such as Kluyveromyces lactis. The microbes replicate and grow rapidly, can be grown continuously, and make an exact copy of calf chymosin.

It can be argued that these rennets are not genetically engineered as nothing was changed in the gene.

This product is often certified Halal or Kosher and suitable for vegetarians.

Approximately 70% of the cheese made in the U.S. are coagulated using fermentation produced chymosin.

Formats

Fermentation produced rennet is normally available in concentrated liquid and powder formats.

Concentration

Fermentation produced rennet is 100% pure chymosin however it can be combined with pepsin to make a more natural animal based type product.

Microbial

Several forms of milk coagulating enzymes are based on microbial fungal sources, the most popular being Rhizomucor miehei, others being Cryphonectria parasitica or Endothea parasitica. Here the mold is grown in large vats and the enzyme extracted and purified and stored with salt.

While microbial rennets are effective at coagulating milk, they are not as good at making aged cheeses as their pathway after coagulation develops poorer flavor and texture than animal based rennet.

In general, microbial based rennets are cheaper than animal based rennets.

Formats

Microbial rennet is normally available in concentrated liquid, powder and tablet formats.

Tablet microbial rennet normally also contains microcristaline cellulose and sodium chloride (table salt).

Concentration

Liquid microbial based rennet is normally available in single or double strength.

Animal Based

CHR Hansen Brand 75 liter Packages Of Powdered Microbial Fermented Fungus
CHR Hansen Brand 75 liter Packages Of Powdered Microbial Fermented Fungus

Examples include thistle or fig leaf.

Formats

Concentrations

Wiki: Calcium Chloride

USA Wisconsin Dairy Connection's Food Grade CaCl2 Aqueous Solution - CheeseForum.org

Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) is frequently added to milk at the start of cheese making as a coagulation aid. This article discusses calcium’s role in mik and coagulation, and properties, availability, and storage of Calcium Chloride.

USA Wisconsin Dairy Connection's Food Grade CaCl2 Aqueous Solution - CheeseForum.org
USA Wisconsin Dairy Connection's Food Grade CaCl2 Aqueous Solution - CheeseForum.org

Calcium & Milk

Milk can have different rennet coagulation abilities and this can be caused mainly by different particle sizes of casein, the main protein in milk. The higher the milk’s content of calcium, the bigger the casein particles will be. The bigger the particles are, the better the coagulation ability of the milk. Secondarily, casein particle size also influences the ease by which cheese curds shrink and releases whey. If the casein particle size is big, the network is open and coarse, and whey drains more readily.

Different factors influence the calcium content of milk:

  • Milk that is stored at low temperatures releases calcium. Thus the pasteurization process of heating and then rapidly cooling milk reduces calcium.
  • Late lactation season milk has low calcium.
  • Milk from diseased animals has low calcium.

To compensate for precipitation of calcium, calcium chloride is frequently added to milk as it is effective, low cost, and has long shelf life.

Calcium Chloride Properties

Calcium Chloride (chemical formula CaCl2) is a salt compound of one calcium and two chloride atoms. It is highly soluble in water and is a deliquescent meaning that in dry form it has a strong affinity for moisture and if left unsealed, will absorb large amounts from the atmosphere and will in time form a liquid solution. CaCl2 is a common additive in the food making industry. Common uses are for salty taste in sports drinks, as a preservative and to maintain firmness in canned vegetables, especially pickles, and in cheese making primarily when using processed – pasteurized milk.

Calcium Chloride Availability

Oil Business Non-Food Grade Calcium Chloride For Making Well Killing Brines - CheeseForum.org
Oil Business Non-Food Grade Calcium Chloride For Making Well Killing Brines - CheeseForum.org

Food grade Calcium Chloride is available from Cheese Making Supply Stores in solution format. It is also available in highly refined form for use in salt water aquariums, but it is not known if those products are human food grade quality.

Note, if the salt (NaCl) content in the milk is too high, ion exchange occurs, so that the calcium is displaced from casein by sodium, which to some extent decreases the milks’ coagulation ability. This is normally not a problem as salt is not normally added to cheese until after rennet coagulation.

Calcium Chloride Storage

In it’s crystaline dry form it should be stored in a dry location where as highly inert it can be kept indefinitely.

In it’s aqueous form it is still enert and requires no special storage.

Wiki: Acids

Table Vinegars For Direct Acidification & Coagulation - CheeseForum.org

In general, three forms of coagulation are popular in making cheese, rennet coagulation, starter culture lactic acid coagulation, and direct acid coagulation. This article discuses different popular food grade acids used in direct acidification of milk, their availability, and the cheese type they are commonly used in making.

Citric Acid

Store Bought Juices For Direct Acidification & Coagulation - CheeseForum.org
Store Bought Juices For Direct Acidification & Coagulation - CheeseForum.org

Citric acid (sometimes called Sour Salt) is a weak organic acid that are in a variety of fruits and vegetables, most notably citrus fruits, with lemons and lime having the highest concentration. Citric acid is commonly used as a natural food preservative, to add an acidic, or sour taste to foods and soft drinks. Most commercially used citric acid come a bacteria and sugar process and is sold as a white crystalline powder or in solution with water.

Availability

  • Canning or ethnic or spice sections sections of large grocery stores.
  • Large bakeries.
  • Wine, beer, and cheese making supply stores.
  • Candy making section of cake supply stores.

Uses

  • Ricotta Cheese
  • Paneer/Panir Cheese

Citrus Fruit Juices

Key Limes For Direct Acidification & Coagulation - CheeseForum.org
Key Limes For Direct Acidification & Coagulation - CheeseForum.org

Citrus fruit juices are used in cheese making due to their high natural citric acid content and as they impart their flavour on the cheese. Commonly used citric fruit juices are from lemons, limes, grapefruit, and oranges.

Availability

  • Made by hand by squeezing fruit.
  • Buying from grocery stores.

Uses

  • Lemon Cheese
  • Paneer/Panir Cheese

Tartaric Acid

Tartaric acid is colorless, odorless, and transparent white crystalline organic acid that occurs naturally in many plants such as grapes, bananas, and tamarinds and is a product of fermentation in wine. It’s primary uses are in the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. In food it is used as an additive to give a sour taste and as an antioxidant. Cream of tartar, often used in cooking, is a derivative of tartaric acid and thus not the same as tartaric acid.

Availability

  • Wine, beer, and cheese making supply stores.

Uses

  • Marscapone Cheese

Acetic Acid (Vinegar)

Table Vinegars For Direct Acidification & Coagulation - CheeseForum.org
Table Vinegars For Direct Acidification & Coagulation - CheeseForum.org

Pure vinegar is a combination of acetic acid and water and is made by the fermentation of ethanol. Common grocery store table vinegar is 5% by volume Acetic Acid, pickling vinegar can be significantly higher. Commercially there are many flavoured vinegar available such as apple cider, balsamic, fruit, malt, rice, white, and wine vinegar. Different cheese making recipes may call for different ones, and normally refer to table type acetic acid concentration vinegars. The word vinegar is derived from French “vin aigre”, or “sour wine”.

Availability

  • Almost every grocery store.

Uses

  • Queso Blanco
  • Ricotta

 

Wiki: Annatto

Adding Pre-Diluted Annatto To Milk - CheeseForum.org

Milk is naturally white and most cheese making (except blue cheese) does not significantly change the colour and thus without colourants most cheese would be white. Many colourants can be used in making cheese, there is a separate general article on Wiki: Colourants. This article is specifically about Annatto, the most common colourant added to milk in cheese making for it’s common yellow > orange > red colour.

General

USA Based CheeseMakingcom's 2 Fluid Ounce Annatto Solution, Pre-Diluting In Water - CheeseForum.org
USA Based CheeseMakingcom's 2 Fluid Ounce Annatto Solution, Pre-Diluting In Water - CheeseForum.org

Historically, yellow cow’s milk cheese was thought to be higher quality and thus more desirable as it was made from milk rich in butterfat. However, the yellow colour is actually from the amount of carotenes in the butterfat, and secondarily from the globule size of the butterfat in the milk. Carotene is a pigment from green foods such as grass and is more noticeable when cow’s feed changes from winter to pasture in the spring. The amount of carotene is also a function of the type of cow. Goat’s and ewe’s / sheep’s milk contain no carotene and thus their cheeses are normally white. To cater to public demand for the yellower cheeses and to be cost effective, cheese makers started adding colourants or dyes to cheese rather than have using high carotene butterfat’s. This evolved to the modern popular cream coloured Gouda, orange coloured Cheddar, and reddish coloured Leicester cheeses historically through the addition of a colourant called Annatto.

Annatto is by far the most common colourant in cheese as it imparts minimal flavour, is reasonably benign to the cheese making process, and depending on dosage amount, will impart a cream to orange to deep red colour. Annatto is made from the seed of the Achiote tree, native to tropical America, and while it can be purchased in it’s raw seed format, most Annatto for cheese making is sold in aqueous form with varying concentration. Note, Annatto is also available in an oil soluble form where it is used for cooking such as in some Latin American dishes. This form of Annatto is not used in cheese making as it imparts flavour.

Amount To Add

Pre-Diluted Aqueous Annatto - CheeseForum.org
Pre-Diluted Aqueous Annatto - CheeseForum.org

When added to milk, Annatto imparts little colour change, this is because it generally attaches to the fat in the milk, and effectively hides. However, the colour becomes darker due to three effects:

  • Removal of whey either through draining or expulsion in rennet coagulated cheeses.
  • As the cheese ages it becomes more acidic as the remaining lactose is consumed by the lactic bacteria (starter culture), this results in a darker colour, somewhat similar to how a phenopthalien dye in acid test kits (popular in swimming pool test kits) changes color depending on how basic/acidic the solution is.
  • If used in an open rind cheese, as it ages the cheese will dehydrate, resulting in a smaller cheese and more concentrated dye.

Therefore do not over-dose even though there is minimal initial colour change in milk. For illustration, see two pictures to right of cut curds with Annatto and resultant Gouda cheese at brining stage. Common dosage rates guidelines for Annatto are:

  • 1 drop per liter / 3 drops per 1 US gallon milk for Gouda
  • 2-3 drops per liter / 8-12 drops per 1 US gallon milk for Cheddar
  • 4 drops per liter / 16 drops per 1 US gallon milk for Red Leicester

Notes:

  • Annatto solutions are not standardized, your product’s strength may easily vary.
  • Some CFO members have reported needing lower rates when using store bought pasteurized milk.
  • Colour is subjective, a cream coloured Gouda may appear white to one person and yellow to another.
  • Adjust dosage rate up or down depending on your results.

Availability

Adding Pre-Diluted Annatto To Milk - CheeseForum.org
Adding Pre-Diluted Annatto To Milk - CheeseForum.org

Annatto seeds in grocery stores, aqueous form from Cheese Making Supply Stores.

Storage

Standard room temperature as Annatto is quite inert.

Wiki: Colourants

Common household kitchen food colouring, pre-diluted in water.

Most cheese, unless a colourant is added is the colour of milk, white. This article is about colourants which are normally added to the milk before coagulation in cheese making to obtain non-white coloured cheese. There is a separate article on the most common colourant Annatto, Wiki: Annatto.

Common Household Kitchen Food Colouring, Pre-Diluted In Water - CheeseForum.org
Common Household Kitchen Food Colouring, Pre-Diluted In Water - CheeseForum.org

General

Milk is naturally white and most cheese making (except blue cheese) does not significantly change the colour and thus without colourants most cheese would be white. Thus to distinguish cheeses, non-flavouring colourants have historically been added. Popular are orange coloured Cheddar and red coloured Leicester commonly through the addition of Annatto, the most popular colourant in cheese making. Colouring is so ingrained in consumers minds that it can affect their perception and appreciation of cheese even though colourants are normally non-flavouring, and thus the effect mostly psychological. For example, some people will not buy or eat white cheddar.

Colourants for cheese can be divided into three categories:

Colourants From Flavourings

  • Chilies.
  • Herbs.
  • Wine washed rinds.

Common Colourants From Natural Food Dyes

  • Green: Chlorophyll.
  • Yellow: Turmeric, Lutein.
  • Orange: Annatto, Cochineal.
  • Red: Carmine.
  • Pink: Anthocyanin, Beet Red.
  • Brown: Caramel, Malt.
  • Black: Carbo.

Colourants From Artificial Food Dyes

  • Common in cake and cookie/biscuit making.

Amount To Add

Common Household Kitchen Food Colourants - CheeseForum.org
Common Household Kitchen Food Colourants - CheeseForum.org

Amount to add is dependant on effect wanted and type and concentration of colourant, adjust as necessary.

How To Add

Food dyes are normally very concentrated and thus adding it directly to milk will result in generally unwanted pockets of colour. Therefore, pre-dilute your colourant in ~20 ml cool water per liter of milk/~0.25 cup cool water per one US gallon, then trickle into milk while stirring to distribute evenly.

When To Add

Many food dyes including Annatto, can retard rennet’s effectiveness. To minimize this, natural and artificial food dyes are normally added to the milk rather than being added to the rennet before adding to the milk.

Note, a common step after adding food colouring is adding rennet, do not use the same container to pre-dilute rennet in as it can reduce the rennet’s strength.

Availability

  • Cooking food dyes in grocery stores.
  • Annatto seeds in some grocery stores such as Latin grocery stores.
  • Cheese making aqueous Annatto from Cheese Making Supply Stores

Safety

Food colourants are normally very concentrated and can easily stain almost anything. Thus best safety practices are:

  • Store in a secondary external container or zip loc type plastic bag.
  • When using, wear disposable (i.e. latex) gloves.
  • When pre-diluting, use non-stainable container such as glass or china.

Wiki: Lipase

Danisco Brand Mild Calf Lipase, 16 Ounces - CheeseForum.org

This article is about an Aroma or flavouring type culture called Lipase that is frequently added to milk in cheese making.

Lipase (pronounced lie-paze) is a naturally occurring water soluble enzyme that performs essential roles in the digestion, transport and processing of dietary lipids (e.g. triglycerides, fats, oils) in most, if not all, living organisms (i.e. plant and animal). Raw milk (i.e. whether it’s cow, goat, or sheep’s milk) has over 60 different enzymes including Lipase, the amounts of each being dependant on animal and it’s diet.

Danisco Brand Mild Calf Lipase, 16 Ounces - CheeseForum.org
Danisco Brand Mild Calf Lipase, 16 Ounces - CheeseForum.org

The flavour of all cheeses comes mainly from enzyme activity during aging and not from the flavour of the enzyme itself or from starter culture lactic acid producing bacteria. In milk, some enzymes make it through pasteurization, but many are deactivated or damaged, including Lipase. To compensate for the deactivation Lipase is commonly added in cheese making when using pasteurized milk to breakdown of milk fat (called lipolysis) and develop stronger more piquant flavoured cheeses such as brine preserved Feta type cheeses and most Italian type cheeses.

Lipases’ benefits are: flavour enrichment, a better scent (more persistent and characteristic), and a reduction of the ripening time.

Types

Lipase from an animal should be exactly the same thing as Lipase from a plant. The problem is that plants produce very small quantities, so it’s not practical to extract it. Therefore most Lipases are derived from kid-goats, lambs, and/or calves sources. The component that animal lipase is made from is generally proprietary, but sources in literature say drying and grinding of pre-gastric glands at the base of the calves tongues.

Common Lipase types and their use in cheese making are:

  • Calf (Cow), creates a delicate and mild “piquant” flavour, which is well perceptible and has a pleasant butter scent, lightly spicy.
  • Kid (Goat), creates a string sharp “piquant” flavour typical of Provolone, a well perceivable and persistent scent, lightly spicy.
  • Lamb (Sheep), creates a strong and marked traditional flavour typical of Pecorino Romano, a well perceptible in the mouth with a good persistence flavour, medium spicy.
  • Microbial (Fungal), primarily if want more vegetarian cheese.

Note: Mixtures such as Kid & Lamb are often available.

When Add

Lipase should always be added to the milk before the milk has started to coagulate:

  • Before adding acid in fresh direct acid coagualted cheeses.
  • Before significant acidification in lactic acid coagulated cheeses.
  • Before adding rennet in rennet coagulated cheeses.

How Add

To maximize dilution and avoid pockets of high Lipase activity, Lipase should be:

  • A fine grind size (normal with manufactured commercial Lipase).
  • Pre-dissolved in cool water, amount of water being dependant on amount of Lipase being used.
  • Thoroughly mixed with the milk.

Dosage Rate

Lipase dosage rates vary based on:

  • The initial strength of the product and the age and storage history of your product.
  • Fat content of the milk, the curdling temperature, the milk pH and the temperature of the cheese in the presses.
  • Whether the cheese maker wants a sweet, medium, or strong flavour.

A common starting dosage (vary up or down depending on taste results) is:

  • 1.25 ml per 8-12 liters milk.
  • 1/4 teaspoon per 2 US gallons.

Storage

For maximum longevity, Lipase should be stored:

  • Away from light.
  • In an air tight container.
  • Is heat sensitive and while tolerates warmer temperature for up to a month while shipping, should be stored at colder temperature, thus in freezer is common.

Commercial Manufacturers

Some commercial manufacturers of Lipase are:

Availability

Unless making your own, manufactured commercial Lipase is a specialty product and normally only available from cheese making supply stores.

Wiki: Culture Manufacturers

Danisco's Choozit Product Line, Geotrichum Candidum, 10 Dose - CheeseForum.org

This article is a listing of commercial starter culture manufacturing companies, their base country and their starter and any other culture product lines. The companies names are clickable and linked to their companies web homepage.

Abiasa

Danisco's Choozit Product Line, Geotrichum Candidum, 10 Dose - CheeseForum.org
Danisco's Choozit Product Line, Geotrichum Candidum, 10 Dose - CheeseForum.org
  • Canada based company.
  • Website in English, French, & Spanish.

CHR Hansen

  • Denmark based global company.
  • Mostly commercial size cultures, except in Brazil where package retail sized portions.

CSK Food Enrichment BV

  • Leeuwarden Netherlands based global food dairy ingredients company.
  • Ceska-star cheese cultures product line.
  • Flavour Wheel cultures product line.
  • Dairy Safe cultures product line.
  • Opti Strain cultures product line.

Danisco A/S

  • Denmark based global company.
  • CHOOZIT cheese cultures product line.
  • YO-MIX yogurt cultures product line.
  • Products in freeze-dried, frozen or liquid culture forms and in Direct Vat Inoculation (DVI) or in Bulk Starter (BS) formats.

DSM Food Specialties

  • Division of Netherlands based global Royal DSM N.V. company.
  • Animal based rennet, Fermentation Produced Chymosin (FPC), & Fromase® microbial coagulant derived from fermentation of the fungus Rhizomucor miehei product line.
  • Delvo line of cheese cultures.
  • Piccantase® animal and Piccantase® R non-animal based Lipase product line.
  • Plastic and wax cheese coatings product line.
  • Delvocid® mould prevention product line.

Rhodia Food

  • Rhodia Inc was a France based global chemicals company with a food additives division. The dairy cultures section was bought by Danisco A/S in 2004.
  • EZAL cheese cultures product line.
  • EZAL labeled products still available as of 2009, thus assume Danisco is still producing Rhodia cheese culture product line, (hate to assume Cheese Making Supply Stores are selling very old stock).

Wiki: Starter Cultures Function

Cultures are bacteria that are in the air, naturally in the milk (especially in unpasteurized) and intentionally added at the start of the cheese making process. They consume the milk’s lactose, producing lactic acid which makes the milk more acidic or sour and thus creating the best climate for the curd to form. The more acidic the milk becomes, the easier it is for the curd to expel the whey. They also play a key role in the aroma, texture, and flavour generated as the cheese is matured.

As milk naturally has bacteria, if left too long it will naturally sour and curdle, if left uncovered and warm it will pick up airborne bacteria and quickly become sour. In cheese making, specific cultures are intentionally added at the start of the cheese making process to accelerate this process and to create, with aging, a certain aroma, texture, and flavour.

There are two groups of these starter cultures:

  • Mesophilic Cultures can only withstand up to 30 C/102 F and thus are commonly used when the curds are not heated above that temperature such as when making Gouda and Cheddar.
  • Thermophilic Cultures can withstand up to 55 C/132 F and thus are commonly used when the curds are not heated above that temperature such as when making Swiss or harder Italian cheeses.

There are two formats of these starter cultures:

  • Mother Culture.
  • Direct Set Culture.

For beginner cheese makers, the simplest way to start is to use store bought buttermilk that contains live culture for a mesophilic starter or store bought yogurt for a thermophilic culture. The next stage in Cheese Making is to additionally use some cheese that you are trying to make to provide that bacteria or inoculation. The third is using refined commercial cultures like the commercial cheese makers do.

The commercially cultures are made in a variety of choices from a variety of manufacturers with a variety of product lines using a variety of natures many many bacteria. This results in a large range of confusion as many cheese making recipes name manufacturers’ products rather than the actual culture or cultures required. These products are in general not available in small hobby-craft cheese making dosage sized packages as the market size is too small. Thus cheese making supply stores sell amounts that they divide or the smallest packages available and ask their customers to divide. The following section is to aid in some organization and understanding of this subject.