Milk Acidification & Curd Forming Temperature - How Maintain?

[Mary Ruth]

Forgive me if already covered, searched and I couldn't find answer.  I am a newbie cheesemaker and for the life of me I can't figure this out through Carrol's cheesemaking book or videos online.  If you are making, say, farmhouse cheddar and have added the starter and achieved 90 degrees, you are suppossed to let it rest for a period of time.  What do you guys do....wrap the milk container in towels to try to keep it warm or consistently check the temp to try to keep it as close to the desired temp?  In the second scenario it would be in warm water bath.  I know this  is basic but I just don't know the answer.  I made one batch of cheese and wrapped it in towels and somehow achieved a clean break, I was thrilled....now I will have to be patient for end product.  Have made some real diasters so far but I WONT GIVE UP!!!!!!!!!

[homeacremom]

Hi there! If your room temp is 70+*F the warm cultured milk will hold it's temp for quite awhile- at least an 1 hr. In cooler room temps, very small batches the other options you mentioned like wrapping in towels or setting in a 92* bath will work as well.

[Cheese Head]

Mary Ruth good question, and Home Acre Mum, good response.

To add my 2 cents . . . I normally make 1-3 US Gallon milk batches and the larger volumes do definitely hold their temp better, for smaller volumes, I just check the temp every 15-30 min and if required give it a 20-20 second burst of gas as it's already sitting on our stove. Double boiler - water bath would be better, I'm just too lazy. Some people use sink with hot water as their bath.

On your other batches where you didn't get a good curd set, feel free to post your method, ingredients, and results, there are several people here who could try and identify any causes.

Hope you don;t mind but I've changed your post's Subject so thta more user friendly to others with similar question.

[Mary Ruth]

Thanks you two That really helped clear up my puzzlement...I noticed some recipes say "put pot back in water" and others didn't so I am grateful for a clear answer.  And of course I don't mind you moving my post John. I am just a baby cheese here that has found this site to really, really be educational and friendly.

[Mary Ruth]

Being much more of a cook than an artist (as in cheese) I tend to study recipes.  I am learning  cheese science here no doubt.  I have certainly learned that cheese making is quite precise for temperatures and learning how to make it is a challenge, one I will learn, or die tryin' lol.  Optimistically speaking, got myself a nice new and very cheap dorm fridge for all my future cheeses to age in the right temperatures from Craigslist.  And of course a thermometer to put in it......ok, rambling now...

[Brian]

I just made a 3 gallon batch of cheese yesterday with the ambient temp of the kitchen at roughly 70 degrees.  Once the pot reached 90, I turned off the burner and it stayed at 90 for the hour the starter was working, and the hour the rennet was doing it's work.
Liquids retain heat longer.  I do use a sink of heated water after the curds are cut though.

Brian

[chilipepper]

Mary Ruth, I too struggled with the milk heating issues for the first few batches.  Based on some discussions here and in reading I've done, I've really found the water bath method to be the most gentle on the whole process.  First off the milk likes to be warmed slowly and if you look at many of the recipes you will see it call for 'no more than 3 degrees every 5 minutes' or something similar.  This definitely will make it interesting on a stove where direct heat is applied to the kettle. 

My process starts with warming the milk from refrigerated temps to room temp on the counter over several hours.  Dave (likespace) did some of the original posts regarding this and it's effect on curd set.  Basically he noted the curd set was much better with this gradual method rather than a out of the fridge and into the fire approach.

From the carton (now at or close to room temp) I add the milk to my stock pot and place it in a laundry sink.  I cover the pot and add water to the sink at roughly 10 degrees higher than my desired culturing temp.  This initial water may cool off quite quickly depending on the volume of water and milk as well as any stirring or agitating you do to facilitate heat transfer.   This process will usually take up to another 45 minutes. 

I now leave the water in the sink, or replace it with water roughly 2 degrees higher than my resting temp and add my cultures.  If you are doing a 90 minute ripening period you may need to refresh this water once during the rest to keep the milk within a couple of degrees of your desired temps.  I do the same for the renneting as well.

For cooking the curd you just keep replacing the sink water as needed to gradually bring the curd up to the desired temp.  For something like Parmesan you may need to do this several times to get it to the 120+ degree temps needed.  My hot tap water comes out at about 145 degrees so it works out pretty well for most everything I've made. 

I do wish I had another sink at times for washing/rinsing/etc.  There are a few guys here that have added heating elements to a water tank for a water bath.  Then by utilizing small pumps to provide some circulation they can maintain very accurate temps. 

Anyway, my $.02 on the subject, hope it helps!

Ryan

[Mary Ruth]

Yeah, that's what I've been doing, the water bath business in the sink.  I was just confused of whether to leave it in water or take out but that issue is now clarified, thank you.  I was worried about temp fluctuaction and how it would affect final product.  Oh dear, I just started thinking about humidity and  how that  would go....gets pretty humid in NH in the summer.  That sounds like another thread entirely...lol

[wharris]

Great thread,

I use a water bath that i can partially pull my vat in and out of depending on what i need to do

I have a pulley over my vat, and my vat (bucket) is suspended underneath it..


This gives me the ability to slightly raise, or lower the vat in and out of the bath.