Author Topic: Help! Did I screw up royally?  (Read 1828 times)

bobbymac29649

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Help! Did I screw up royally?
« on: July 21, 2013, 06:35:14 PM »
I wanted to start my first Caerphilly yesterday but wound up picking 50 lbs of cukes and about 25 lbs of tomatoes so had to deal with canning tomatoes the rest of the day.
I had just started the cheese, had the 2 gallons of milk at 90 and was getting ready to add the culture.  Just then I had a hysterical 4 yr old granddaughter come bursting into the kitchen crying.  While holding her and getting the culture out of the freezer I accidentally grabbed the C1 Mesophilic starter used to make a mother culture instead of the C101 Direct Set. 
I used 1/2 t of the Mesophilic and 1/2 t Flora Danica.
I let it set for 30 minutes and then added the rennet (1/2 t)
It's now been 14 minutes and it's pretty firm.  Not quite clean break but not too far off.  The pH is 6.71
Is my cheese ruined?   >:(

MrsKK

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Re: Help! Did I screw up royally?
« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2013, 09:25:41 PM »
I know this is probably too late to help, but your cheese should be just fine.  Life sure doesn't stop just because we want to make cheese, does it?

bobbymac29649

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Re: Help! Did I screw up royally?
« Reply #2 on: July 21, 2013, 09:57:10 PM »
Hi Karen,
Thanks for getting back to me.  So far it's done everything it's supposed to do.  It's being pressed under 15 lbs of weight right now, the Ricotta I made from the whey seems to be ok as well.
Normally I'm very organized in the kitchen, but a sobbing four year old in my arms sort of threw me off track!
I guess we'll find out in a few weeks!
Take care..
Bobby