Author Topic: A good selection of cultures from Danisco (Choozit)  (Read 3724 times)

Offline Danbo

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Denmark, Europe, Earth, Universe
  • Posts: 1,277
  • Cheeses: 116
A good selection of cultures from Danisco (Choozit)
« on: November 11, 2014, 04:03:57 PM »
Hi there,

Until now I have been making cheese with a mesofil starter and a mixed mesofil/thermofil starter (do not know the brand).

I want to have a stock of different types from Danisco (Choozit). Can anyone advice me on what to pick?

I'm thonking about ordering the following - or at least some of them:

- MA4001
- Kazu
- MD088
- MM100/MM101
- LH100
- TA060/TA061
- Feta B

I want to be able to produce all kinds of different cheeses - from soft to hard...

Also what are the differences between rennet from calves, sheep etc.?

:-) Danbo

Offline H-K-J

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Southern Oregon
  • Posts: 1,776
  • Cheeses: 145
  • Act as if it were impossible to fail.
    • Cookin with uh dash dogs hair
Re: A good selection of cultures from Danisco (Choozit)
« Reply #1 on: November 11, 2014, 04:16:18 PM »
I'm thinkin you got it covered Dude
Never hit a man with glasses, use a baseball bat!
http://cocker-spanial-hair-in-my-food.blogspot.com/

Offline Danbo

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Denmark, Europe, Earth, Universe
  • Posts: 1,277
  • Cheeses: 116
Re: A good selection of cultures from Danisco (Choozit)
« Reply #2 on: November 11, 2014, 05:12:53 PM »
Hi H-K-J,

Thank you for your fast reply. :-)

Do you think that it is overkill? Should I just choose 2-3 cultures?

:-) Danbo

Offline awakephd

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: North Carolina
  • Posts: 2,351
  • Cheeses: 240
  • compounding the benefits of a free press
Re: A good selection of cultures from Danisco (Choozit)
« Reply #3 on: November 11, 2014, 05:17:47 PM »
Looks like a good selection, but yes, there is some possible overlap. For comparison, I keep TA061, LH100, MA011, MD088 on hand. I don't recall exactly what is in MA4001, Kazu, or MM100, but I think the four cultures above let you (in theory) reproduce most if not all of them ... except for the fact that they don't publish the proportions. :( However, I have happily played with the proportions that I use for different cheeses, and have been pleased with the results.

I also keep Proprionic Shermanii (for making Swiss style cheese) and calf lipase (for the flavor profile of Manchego, plus I plan to use it in my next make of a Parma style) in the freezer. I plan soon to add some molds to my collection (e.g., for blue cheese, and I'm tempted to try Brie).
-- Andy

Offline Danbo

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: Denmark, Europe, Earth, Universe
  • Posts: 1,277
  • Cheeses: 116
Re: A good selection of cultures from Danisco (Choozit)
« Reply #4 on: November 11, 2014, 06:22:37 PM »
Hi Awakephd,

I started out with Feta and Brie (I didn't have the right moulds or press then)... It is fun to make bries/Camemberts. In a week I have some Cabozolas ready (a combo of White and blue molds). :-)

I had some problems oversalting some of my bries. In the future I will springle them with salt and not use a brine.

Do you just use the amounts in various recipes? For example 0,2 g or something...

:-) Danbo

Offline awakephd

  • Old Cheese
  • *****
  • Location: North Carolina
  • Posts: 2,351
  • Cheeses: 240
  • compounding the benefits of a free press
Re: A good selection of cultures from Danisco (Choozit)
« Reply #5 on: November 11, 2014, 09:17:28 PM »
I started out by calculating from the usage amount printed on the packet -- e.g., it says that 1/2 tsp of culture will innoculate 6-12 gallons of milk. So I started using a basic go-to measurement of 1/16 tsp per gallon (1/2 tsp / 8 ), and that has seemed to work well. For recipes that need more than a single culture, I generally use the full 1/16 tsp or just a bit less of the primary culture, and add lesser amounts of the other cultures. For example, MM100/101 has L. Lactis, L. Cremoris, and L. Diacetylactis. MA011 has just Lactis and Cremoris, and MD088 has just Diacetylactis. So instead of using MM100/101, I might use 1/16 tsp MA011 + 1/32 tsp of MD088 per gallon.

Here is a chart that helpful lists the cultures (though again, not the proportions) in a large number of products: http://www.artisancheesemakingathome.com/pdfs/cultures.pdf

Andy
« Last Edit: November 12, 2014, 06:29:32 PM by awakephd »
-- Andy

Spoons

  • Guest
Re: A good selection of cultures from Danisco (Choozit)
« Reply #6 on: November 12, 2014, 01:04:41 AM »
Like awakephd mentionned, if you want to save yourself a bit of money:

MA4001 = MM100 + TA061
Kazu = MM100 + LH100

In this example you can avoid buying Kazu and MA4001. For a hobbyist that's good enough. But in reality, some of those strains aren't the same and will impart a slightly different profile. Flora Danica or Aroma B are a perfect example of this, they have the same culture mix as MM100 or Probat 222 but do not function the same way.

Confusing, I know...

I would recommend adding an aromatic culture such as FD or Aroma B. I love those so much, I sprinkle them on my Cheerios for breakfast ;) Seriously though, they are great additions to Gouda and caerphilly.