Author Topic: fatal Feta BRINE ERROR?  (Read 3322 times)

goatcheezer

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fatal Feta BRINE ERROR?
« on: November 17, 2012, 11:55:40 PM »


MADE 4 GALLONS OF 20% BRINE WITH 75% FRESH WHEY AND 25% FILTERED(NOT BOILED)WATER with 4.4lbs seasalt
added cal chlor and adjusted ph to5. Had planned to strain  re -use for lots of future use. The brine was from a 145 degree of past goat milk. Color of whey was like creamy chicken soup! forgot to boil water but it was filtered and since the whey was not boiled (extracted from 145degree milk) did I Blow it? Many pounds of feta are in it now! AUUGH!

cheeseslovesu

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Re: fatal Feta BRINE ERROR?
« Reply #1 on: November 23, 2012, 12:25:22 AM »
I have always used brine from cooled boiled rain tank water to make my brine. I have never been brave enough to use whey in brine.
I also only use 15% brine solution for goat feta.

I am sure the cheese brainiacs will be able to let you know whether you have stuffed it.

Jabber

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Re: fatal Feta BRINE ERROR?
« Reply #2 on: November 23, 2012, 07:12:06 PM »
I have a gallon of saturated whey brine and its cloudy and the color of chicken soup.  Has worked fine for a year now :)  I wouldn't worry at all.  The only way I'd worry is if one was trying to do a much lower salinity brine.  Preservation may be an issue then.  In my case I generally keep a second weaker brine in a tupperware to transfer a few peices into that I plan to eat soon.  It helps to pull out some of the saltiness.  I replace this brine more often though as less salt = less stable. 

Offline NimbinValley

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Re: fatal Feta BRINE ERROR?
« Reply #3 on: December 04, 2012, 08:03:57 AM »
Making feta brine from the whey of the make gives a far superior flavour to the cheese in my opinion, with the added bonus of not having to adjust the pH.  I only do a 10% solution.  If you are going to continually reuse the brine to add cheese to then I would probably go for a higher concentration or even saturated if you are not going to store the cheese in it for any period of time.

NV

T-Bird

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Re: fatal Feta BRINE ERROR?
« Reply #4 on: December 06, 2012, 01:49:53 AM »
I brine in whey, 1 cup Kosher salt per gal whey. Let the whey acidify at room temp  for 2 hrs after the make, then salt, then refrigerate.I add the cheese after it has been cut into cubes and has been sitting, salted on the outside, for 3 days in a covered container at room temp. I refrigerate the cheese in the brine for 30 days( at least) before eating. Never any melting or other probs. I am eating some now that was made in July. It's better now than it was at 30 days. MY feta tastes great! This is the simplest cheese that I have encountered to make better than you can buy.

bbracken677

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Re: fatal Feta BRINE ERROR?
« Reply #5 on: December 06, 2012, 02:07:36 PM »
The reason you shouldn't have the "melting" problem with whey is that you are already pH matched as well as calcium matched with the cheese...that is the best/easiest solution.