Author Topic: MA 11 recipe vs package guidelines  (Read 2019 times)

Offline Susan38

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MA 11 recipe vs package guidelines
« on: January 15, 2020, 10:08:16 PM »
Recently I tried Caldwell's "cool-water washed curd" recipe which calls for "1/4 MA or MM" for the culture.  The guidelines on the MA 11 package are "1/2 teaspoon will set 6 to 12 gallons of milk". I was in a quandary as to which to use, but ultimately decided to follow the recipe as I've had good luck with other recipes in the book.

All I can say is, I'm really glad I have a pH meter!  The pH curve turned out to be quite steep in the cooking phase, and once I found that out I was chasing it during the rest of the make, with wayyyy shortened times in each remaining process.  I ended up with a pressed version of 5.1, which is much less than the recipe recommendation of 5.4-5.5, but at least is should not end up as a totally inedible sour crumbly mass (I hope not anyway).

I tried again, unfortunately with a different milk, so the comparison could be similar to apples and oranges, but.  THIS time I used 1/8 teaspoon MA 11, which are within the package guidelines, and the pH curved hummed right along with the recipe timing guidelines.

So the question to be asked here, is should one always follow package guidance when there is a conflict with the recipe? 

Offline awakephd

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Re: MA 11 recipe vs package guidelines
« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2020, 08:15:07 PM »
I'd say that both the package and the recipe are guidelines, to be adjusted by experience - and in particular by experience with the particular milk that you are using. IOW, you're doing it right by watching the pH and adjusting accordingly!
-- Andy

Offline scasnerkay

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Re: MA 11 recipe vs package guidelines
« Reply #2 on: January 16, 2020, 08:59:59 PM »
It depends....

With store bought milk, I generally use 1/8 teaspoon per gallon, with pretty much any of the cultures or makes.

With raw milk, which is what I am lucky to use most of the time, I usually use 1/16 tsp per gallon, with the various cultures.

But, I also tend to know the milk. Periodically I test the start pH. If the start pH is lower, I use less. If it is higher, I might use a bit more.
Susan

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Re: MA 11 recipe vs package guidelines
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2020, 12:38:20 AM »
When in doubt start with the dosage on the package. There are slight variations in how much active culture is in each measured amount of culture. I think I ran across this in linuxboys posts a while back but the amount of culture in a bag of culture can actually vary quite a bit from batch to batch.The company takes each batch of culture and uses a measured amount to graph the pH curve then determine the DCU of the culture and measure an amount of culture per bag to distribite to set an amount of milk. The recipe amounts are usually a good start but if the culture package says something a lot different use it's recommendations first.

Offline mikekchar

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Re: MA 11 recipe vs package guidelines
« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2020, 02:00:09 AM »
If I understand correctly, I think the difference can actually be quite dramatic sometimes (i.e. sometimes the culture is twice as strong).  This is why I've been thinking that we write recipes poorly.  I've lately moved to making mother cultures from my DVI cultures and freezing them.  Then a day ahead making yogurt from a "culture cube" and using the yogurt as my starter (at a nominal rate of 15g of yogurt per litre of milk).  I've been very pleased with the results.  Of course I've likely upset the balance of my MA4000 culture as a result, but I have to say that I can't tell the difference in flavour.  For the small cheeses I make (4L max), measuring the DVI culture is essentially impossible.

Offline Susan38

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Re: MA 11 recipe vs package guidelines
« Reply #5 on: January 19, 2020, 12:33:23 AM »
Thanks a bunch for all the great feedback!