Author Topic: Mozzarella Making - Recipe/Method Questions  (Read 3746 times)

svprcheese

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Mozzarella Making - Recipe/Method Questions
« on: November 17, 2012, 04:10:46 AM »
We have 2 failed attempts of trying to make mozzarella and ending up with something like ricotta.  Here is my procedure for the both trials:
Trial 1:
1. Got Five Liters (1.32 Gal) of Fresh milk (Not sure it is from cow alone or water buffalo alone or mixed)
2. Check specific gravity to be around 1.03
3. Checked milk temperature to be at 91 degree Fahrenheit using a laser temperature gun
4. On a stainless steel pan, slightly heated the milk,  to 95 degree Fahrenheit
5. Added added Half tablet of dissolved rennet and slowly mixed the milk
6. Curds formed
7. Heated to 110 degree Fahrenheit
8. Cut the curds,
9. Slowly drain the whey
10. Stared to kneed the curd
11. Ended up with loose non-stringy ricotta looking stuff

Trial 2
1. Got 1 liter (0.26 Gal) of raw milk same as before
2. Refrigerated the milk overnight
3. The next morning added 1 tsp of dissolved citric acid
4. Heated the milk to 88 degree Fahrenheit
5. Curds started forming
6. Added Quarter tablet of dissolved Rennet
7. Heated to 110 degree Fahrenheit
8. Drained curds and the whey
9. Microwave the curds for 1 mins
10. Added 1 tsp of sea salt
11. Kneed the curd
12 Microwave the curd for another 30 sec
13. Still ended up with something that looks like Ricotta

Here are my questions:
1. Why am I not getting mozzarella
2. How critical is the temperature since I am using a temperature gun
3. What to do with the Ricotta looking stuff




sigurdur

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Re: Mozzarella Making - Recipe/Method Questions
« Reply #1 on: November 21, 2012, 02:48:55 PM »
Hi there.

A couple of quick tips:
1. Use an immersion thermometer, surface temperature doesn't always tell you what the actual temperature is (plus, laser temperature measurements are inaccurate on reflecting surfaces)
2. Heat the milk slowly
3. Follow the recipes accurately.
4. Use a pH meter.

Trial 1:
You didn't acidify the milk so the pH was too high for the mozzarella to be proper.

Trial 2:
Try to not get curds forming until after you add rennet. I find it best to get the milk moving and add the acid slowly while stirring the milk.
You used way way way too much citric acid which results in a too low pH for Mozzarella. If you are able to get a pH meter, use that as a guide

To get a proper Mozzarella stretch, aim for a pH 5.1 - 5.3

You can follow this recipe here to get a decent result .. make note of how much citric acid is used - 1 1/2 tsp in 1 gallon.
If you're using 1 liter of milk to get a mozzarella

What type of rennet tablets are you using? Junket? Proper rennet?
If you use proper rennet (not junket) then don't use so much of it.
My rennet tablets are so strong that 1 tablet is enough to coagulate 50 liters of milk..!!

When you get better at this, use a pH meter to get closer to your target pH since not all milk is the same (the pH of milk is different).

Good luck :)

linuxboy

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Re: Mozzarella Making - Recipe/Method Questions
« Reply #2 on: November 21, 2012, 02:54:13 PM »
What recipe are you following? Because neither of those are mozz recipes.

svprcheese

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Re: Mozzarella Making - Recipe/Method Questions
« Reply #3 on: November 28, 2012, 06:05:44 AM »
Thank you sigurdur.  I will try to slow down the temperature as much as I can and use a immersible thermometers if I can find one here in India.  May have to use a medical thermometer for now which only goes up to 108.  I am using a stainless steel pot and gas stove to heat the milk so it is heating up too quickly and the room temperature here is over 88 (hottest part of India).  Should I refrigerate the raw milk then heat it in a secondary pot inside a primary pot with water?
I suspected the acid level is not correct but unfortunately I don't have PH testing kit or meter.  I read somewhere, that leaving the milk sit will acidify it so maybe I will try more trials at different waiting time.  I am using Fromase 50 rennet tablets and they suggest I use Half tablet per US Gallon.  I will do another trial tonight and will let you know the result.
Linuxboy:  I don't have a single recipe that I follow, It is a collection of information from the net.  I could not find any Indian raw milk mozzarella recipe.  If you do have a recipe that use raw milk please share.  I am not sure if a fixed recipe will work in India due to mixing of cow and water buffalo milks.  Eventually I would like to perform quality assurance tests such as temperature, specific gravity and acidity in each batch to achieve consistent results. 

sigurdur

  • Guest
Re: Mozzarella Making - Recipe/Method Questions
« Reply #4 on: November 29, 2012, 09:05:28 AM »
Quote
Should I refrigerate the raw milk then heat it in a secondary pot inside a primary pot with water?
That's a good idea.

Quote
I suspected the acid level is not correct but unfortunately I don't have PH testing kit or meter.  I read somewhere, that leaving the milk sit will acidify it so maybe I will try more trials at different waiting time.
Well, I don't know how the pH level of your milk, but for milk here in Iceland, I use 1/2 tsp of dissolved citric acid per liter when I'm making mozzarella and that gives me a good mozzarella.
You used 1 tsp per liter in your second recipe and that's way too much for the milk here, I suggest you reduce the amount of citric acid.

When I say citric acid, I mean (pure) citric acid crystals, not lemon juice.

Quote
I am using Fromase 50 rennet tablets and they suggest I use Half tablet per US Gallon.  I will do another trial tonight and will let you know the result.
How did it go?

Good luck! :)