Author Topic: New to cheese making  (Read 1179 times)

jld1989

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New to cheese making
« on: May 06, 2013, 08:09:51 AM »
Hi, I am new to cheese making and am starting off with a mozzarella recipe. I have tried making two batches with horrendous results. If it's not to much trouble maybe someone can shed light on where I am going wrong. I am not using the best ingredients however I am not certain if one or all of my ingredients might be the issue or if I am botching the recipe along the way. My first attempt used a gallon of whole milk (store bought), 1 tablet of junket rennet and about half a cup of vinegar. I would add the vinegar and water then heat the milk up to 90 degrees F. At this point I would add the rennet dissolved in water and let it sit for about 5 minutes. A curd had formed and I was able to cut it up fairly well. After which I heated the curds up to 105 degrees measuring the internal temp of the curd. After straining and cooking the curd the end result was a lot like cottage cheese. I was unable stretch or form it as it would run in-between my fingers. After reading a bit more I tried using a second tablet of rennet and let the cheese curd form for 10 minutes after adding the rennet. The curds seemed to hold together better however the end result was about the same. Would such a result be caused by the milk I am using or could it be something else?

BobE102330

  • Guest
Re: New to cheese making
« Reply #1 on: May 06, 2013, 11:29:00 AM »
Sounds like you may have ultra pasteurized milk. Try a different brand. I've found that store brand and name brand milks often come from the same plant so you might change stores. Look for the dairy code on the bottle.

Not sure if it makes a difference but I add citric acid after the milk is warm.  Vinegar is an acid so should work too. If you get a solid curd that won't stretch add some more acid.

bbracken677

  • Guest
Re: New to cheese making
« Reply #2 on: May 06, 2013, 11:43:50 AM »
Often organic milk is ultra-pasteurized. If you are using that, thinking it is a superior milk, then that is your problem.  Here in Dallas I have only found a couple of organics that can be used for cheesemaking.  I have since found that a good quality, but cheaper alternative, will do just as well as the pricier stuff.




jld1989

  • Guest
Re: New to cheese making
« Reply #3 on: May 07, 2013, 06:25:11 AM »
Ok, so I just tried another batch with a low temp low pressure pasteurized milk that is not homogenized and the results seem to be much better. I am also using citric acid now. I was able to stretch it fairly well after cooking the curd. I plan on eventually using the mozzarella to make pizza however I noticed that the end result was still a little doughy. Does it just need to sit in the refrigerator over night to get to a more solid consistency or am I little off somewhere in the process?

BobE102330

  • Guest
Re: New to cheese making
« Reply #4 on: May 07, 2013, 10:37:47 AM »
Stretch longer at slightly higher temperature and you should end up with something more like commercial mozzarella that can be grated. To get all the way there you may need to go with a more traditional cultured process. That will give you more flavor, too.