Gunna try this again deleted the first post on this stupid phone.
Anyway. Adjust citric acid to age of milk. My uber fresh raw milk requires 2 tsp of citric acid. Older milk say 3 weeks old 1/2-3/4 tsp. Add cultured buttermilk to milk at 1/4-1/2 c per gallon. Warm and continue. You should get some floating peices within 10 mins, if not add a bit more. Always dilute in water
Warm curds slowly don't pound them with hot water at stretch time. 140f then 180f ect. Then drain and pour 212f water. Work, streching and flatening over hand to cook curds. Uncooked curds, no matter what the PH will NOT strech more than an inch or two.
Once you have good strech and you see it go from shiny to satiny or silvery ball it up and submerge in a saturated brine. I don't go more than 5-10 mins. Brine must be COLD. This stops the internal cooking. Over cooked cheese will be touch and chewy. Towel dry after the brining.