Cheese # 30, Traditional Mozzarella # 2
Ingredients:
2 gallons paturized, non homogenized cream top milk pH 6.6
¼ tsp thermophillic blend from Cheesemaking.com (C201)
½ tsp lipase in ¼ cup water
¼ tsp calcium chloride in ¼ cup water
1.75 ml rennet (Mad Millie)
2 rounded Tablespoons salt
Flocculation multiplier: 3.5
pH target to rennet 6.4, target to drain 6.1, target to stretch 5.2
9:50 Milk to temperature at 90 degrees. Stirred in starter and covered.
11:30 Temp 85 so heated a bit, pH 6.5
12:35 Temp 90, pH 6.4 Lipase stirred in, calcium stirred in, then rennet in with flocculation at 10.5 mins. Multipler of 3.5 used, and curd cutting started at just over 35 mins. Curd was cut in 2 inch squares, rested 10 mins, then cut at ½ inch, rested 10 mins, then very gentle stirring with breaking up larger pieces.
1:45 Pot placed into sink with water at 120 degrees, stirring a few mins, then resting 10 mins, stirring, then resting, stirring, then resting for about 40 mins.
2:40 pH 6.3, temp 104 Curd stirred gently occasionally to prevent matting
3:30 pH 6.3, temp 102, curd stirred gently a few strokes. Curd squeaky but not firm
4:20 pH 6.1, temp 100. Curd squeaky and firm
4:30 drained into cloth and strainer, and returned to empty pot in warm sink
5:00 whey which drained off measured at 5.4 pH
5:15 whey pH 5.3
5:25 whey pH 5.2
Small piece place in 120 degree water and it did stretch!
Half of curd wrapped and placed in freezer. Other half cut into short ½ inch strips and placed into empty pot. Two quarts of whey were heated to 180 degrees with the salt added into the whey, then poured against the side of the pot with the curds. After about 10 mins the curd could be gathered into a ball and stretched and shaped.
6:00 Cheese in the frig!
7:00 Caprese salad!
Now my questions... 1: The make went pretty well, though same as last time, I would like to know why it took such a long time for the pH to drop sufficiently to meet the markers, much longer than it seemed to me like it should have taken.
2: I really wanted a softer cheese this time, so I increased the flocc multiplier from 3 to 3.5 and made sure to stir very gently, and to not let the temp get above 104 degrees. Unfortunately, the cheese again was much more firm than what I was looking for, and almost rubbery. However the flavor was good!
3: On the cheesemaking.com website, there is a suggestion to make the mozzarella softer as follows: "Temperature can be reduced to 86-90F and a mixed meso/thermo culture such as MA4002 can be used , curds cut larger to 1-1.5 inches." Has anyone tried this? Would the pH markers still be the same?