Mozzarella sucess!

[lazyeiger]

I was nervous about this Mozzarella make as  I have read many failure stories on the forum!

I followed this recipe from the Washing Cheese Guild http://www.wacheese.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48:traditional-mozzarella-howto&catid=43:moderate-cook-temp&Itemid=66

Ingredients are

2 Gallons whole P/H milk
2oz Thermo B mother culture
2oz Thermo C mother culture
2.5cc CaCl
1.5cc Rennet

Jon

[pastpawn]

Nicely done.  Love the graph.  It's posts like these that keep me trying to make mozz.  I'm a glutton for punishment. 

[Danbo]

Lazyeiger: Do you use some kind of datalogger for PH and temp.?

[lazyeiger]

Lazyeiger: Do you use some kind of datalogger for PH and temp.?

Danbo,

Just a good old note book and pen! then I transfer it into Excel.

There are some Ph/temperature data loggers out there, like this "low cost" one from omega http://www.omega.com/pptst/OM-CP-PH101.html of course then you need a $160 Ph probe. Don't think I will be lashing out on that! 

Temperature is no problem, I wonder if there is a Ph probe out there somewhere that is really low cost and has a voltage out, I have a USB A/D converter I could use......you have got me thinking!

Jon

[Danbo]

Uh... That's expensive! Pen and paper suddently seems like a really good idea! :-)

[shaneb]

How about this one instead?

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=131409641941&alt=web

You're still up for a probe though.

Shane

[Danbo]

Hi Shane,

It looks like you have found a new must-have-toy. I just wonder if the precision is adequate: Range: 0-14 ph . Error +/- .2ph

:-) Danbo

[shaneb]

Yeah, that may be an issue. I'm not sure how practical it would be to keep a ph probe permanently in your pot either. It would be in the way for many of the processes.

Shane

[OzzieCheese]

HI Shane,

Been looking for a while at pH meters and finally bought one of these  Extech ExStik® PH100 pH meter from http://www.perfect-cheese.com/ph-meters
I know postage is a bit of killer to OZ from the US  but, the same piece of kit here is over double the price at some places ranging from 189.00 to 227.00. even with a crappy exchange rate at the moment it comes out at about 120.00 + Post.

And John's real nice to deal with --- Hi John 

-- Mal

[shaneb]

I have one of these ones http://www.tdsmeter.com/products/ph200.html which is a great device and the guy I deal with there is brilliant also, but I need to replace the probe for it as it's dried out.

I also have one of the $12 cheapies from eBay. To be honest, I'm happy with the cheapie off eBay. Do you need 0.01ph resolution? Each time I've calibrated it the readings have been bang on. It is very quick to give you a reading also.

Shane

[pastpawn]

There's a recipe in Karlin's book that starts by adding EXACTLY 7 teaspoons of distilled vinegar to get the milk to the correct pH.  Why isn't this the norm?  I would assume that most milk is about the same pH, most vinegar is similarly comparable, so that suggested ratio should always get you the right pH.  I guess you could say the same regarding citric acid. 

I'm going to try it that way next time and see how it works out.

[H-K-J]

I have one of these ones
Shane

REALY

[shaneb]

Yep. Just noticed silly autocorrect made my probe drying out into the price drying out.

Shane

[KenK2]

I may have a dumb question..  The Washington Guild Recipe doesnt call out for the CaCl however you added it..  Any reason why?

Ken

[pastpawn]

I may have a dumb question..  The Washington Guild Recipe doesnt call out for the CaCl however you added it..  Any reason why?

Ken

Two part answer (which is a guess actually).  Calcium is usually added to pasteurized milk to replace the calcium that was removed or destroyed in the pasteurization process.  This is necessary for the curds to form properly.  So, if the milk is not pasteurized, CaCl is not added. 

However, it's been told to me that when making mozzarella, CaCl is actually counterproductive, and shouldn't be added.  This is because the calcium acts as an agent to bind the curds into tight groups, whereas you want the curds to remain pliable. 

This is a bunch of stuff I heard.  I don't know anything.  Good luck, I completely suck at making mozz.