Author Topic: Another question about brining  (Read 1021 times)

Offline Bernardsmith

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Another question about brining
« on: May 06, 2016, 11:50:15 AM »
How do folk on this forum store their brine solutions? Is it necessary to store the brine in a fridge? Should I boil the brine each time I remove a wheel of cheese from it? Do you always make a fresh brine from the whey that has been expelled from the curds in the current batch or do you make your brine with water? Thanks

jwalker

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Re: Another question about brining
« Reply #1 on: May 06, 2016, 05:05:05 PM »
With proper ph and enough salt it should last forever , keep it cool , pasteurizing occasionally certainly won't hurt either.
Like I said , mine is three years old now and it keeps getting better , gives any cheese brined in it quite a depth of character.
Check this out:

From the professionals.

6.1 Brine Creation
Making a new brine requires adding the right amount of salt to warm water to dissolve the salt, as well as adding Calcium Chloride and acid to properly balance the pH
6.2 Brine Recipe
Brine for cheese is made in the range of 18-23lbs of salt per 100lbs of brine. .1%CaCl liquid is added, and enough vinegar or food grade citric acid or food grade lactic acid to bring pH to equilibrium of cheese entering the brine ( usually between 4.9-5.3).
Slowly dissolve salt into warm water, stirring constantly. Add CaCl. Measure pH, then add citric acid or vinegar to bring pH of the brine to 4.9-5.1
Cool brine before use. Check salinity before first use. 18-23% salt concentration is desired, depending on which style of cheese you’re brining. This equates to 70-88% saturation.
6.3 Brine Storage
Store brine in a cool room, ideally between 10-14°C (50-60°F). Usually brine is stored in the aging room.
6.4 Brine Use/Cleaning
Stir brine before use with stainless steel paddle.
Once cheese is placed in brine, sprinkle exposed surfaces with salt. When ready to remove cheese, dip the cheese below the surface of the brine, to allow excess dry salt to dissolve back into the brine. This helps replace the salt that is taken up by the cheese.
After use, use a stainless steel colander and small pail to strain out any pieces of curd that were left behind after brining. Then use a clean cloth or scrubber with a small container of sanitizer. Wipe down the exposed sides and top lip of the brine container with sanitized cloth or scrubber. When finished, the brine should be clear and there should be no pieces of curd or soil on the walls or top of the brine container.
6.5 Brine replacement
Brine that is clean and well-maintained can be used for a long period of time. It is properly balanced for pH/minerals and shouldn’t be discarded unless a problem is seen.
It is possible to pasteurize or treat brine with UV in order to clean and continue using old brine.
If brine is found to contain pathogens or is excessively dirty, and pasteurization or other treatment is not possible, the brine should be discarded and replaced with new brine. Ensure the new brine is carefully pH balanced so that the cheese entering the brine is the same pH as the brine itself. Rind problems will occur if pH isn’t balanced.

Offline Bernardsmith

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Re: Another question about brining
« Reply #2 on: May 06, 2016, 06:12:18 PM »
Many thanks , Jwalker. This was very useful indeed.  Thank you.

wattlebloke

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Re: Another question about brining
« Reply #3 on: May 06, 2016, 09:46:22 PM »
One of the first interesting cheese-related science facts I learned concerns the solubility of salt in water. Common sense tells you that you can dissolve more salt in hot water than you can in cold. But can you? Actually, the difference between solubility of common salt in water at room temperature and boiling point is not that great, only about 10% difference: roughly 30 grams/litre...

Offline Bernardsmith

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Re: Another question about brining
« Reply #4 on: May 08, 2016, 02:12:26 AM »
But presumably as the warm water cools to room temperature the additional salt that was dissolved in the water now precipitates out of solution...