I also only have MA11 for ripening cultures. I really should get some others that everyone seems to be using. I need a recommendation on which (several?) I should get!
I know there have been discussions in the past about what cultures a new cheesemaker might get, but I don't seem to have that link at hand. Can anyone else point Andreas to the right info? It's something that should be in the FAQ board.
I have found reasonable success with the following:
- TA-61 thermophilic for Swiss, Parmigiano, Romano, Mozzarella
- Alp D meso/thermo mix (LL, LLC, LLD, ST, LBH, LBL) for semi-hard and hard cheeses
- Aroma B or Flora Danica mesophilic (LL, LLC, LLD, LMC) for Havarti, Baby Swiss, Gouda, Edam
- MA4000 meso/thermo mix (LL, LLC, LLD, ST) for Brick, Cheddar, Gouda, Colby, Camembert, Brie
- MM100 meso (LL, LLC, LLD) for Gouda, Edam, Cam
- Propioni shermanii for eye/hole development in alpines
- PLA (B. linens, Arthrobacter nicotianae, Geotrichum candidum, Debaryomyces hansenii) for morge treatment of rinds in hard cheeses
- SR3 (Brevbacterium linens) for rind development and protection and paste maturation(orange)
There are certainly a lot more cultures available, but these have been the framework for a lot of the cheeses I have made. I keep them in their original foil pouches and vacuum-seal them after opening to protect them from moisture in my freezer. Seems to work very well. The TA-61, Alp D, Aroma B, and MA4000 were also mother-cultured to extend/expand the culture and save a little money.
I didn't include Penicillium roqueforti (PR) or Penicillium candidum (PC) because you can grab them from store-bought cheeses.
I've grown really fond of
Alp D and
PLA. They're wonder cultures for me.
HTH.
-Boofer-