Author Topic: Calcium Chloride - Adding In Advance?  (Read 2829 times)

Sailor Con Queso

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Calcium Chloride - Adding In Advance?
« on: October 30, 2009, 03:45:54 PM »
Actually, this is an idea from another post by Baby Chee. I usually use raw milk. However, I do use some cheap store bought pasteurized for cheeses such as Mozzarella, etc. I am thinking of adding in the CaCl2 into the jugs of milk the day before I use them. My thought is that this gives it plenty of time to do complete the chemical reactions and stabilize. What's the downside to doing this?

Part of my reason for considering this - I too have noticed that CaCl2 seems to effect the dispersion ability and effectiveness of Annato. (NO, I don't use Annato in Mozzarella).

Offline Boofer

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Re: Calcium Chloride - Adding In Advance?
« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2009, 08:15:54 PM »
That's what I'm curious about. I'm no expert, but it just seems like the chemical action should have a proper time to complete without being given the "hurry-up" by us cheesemakers. Seems like overnight would be a reasonable period of time for such a process to complete and then the following morning we could proceed to more effectively create curds, improve yield, and make fabulous cheese.

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Alex

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Re: Calcium Chloride - Adding In Advance?
« Reply #2 on: October 30, 2009, 10:13:54 PM »
I have no idea about pros and cons when to add CaCl. If I pasteurize the milk, I add it right at the beginning of cheese making.
It is recommended to add annatto diluted with water, as the first ingredient and stirring well.

Baby Chee

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Re: Calcium Chloride - Adding In Advance?
« Reply #3 on: October 31, 2009, 12:58:52 AM »
It's been working for me so far.  I get better results with the CaCl2, but I only added it way before the other stuff.

My method is to leave the milk out in the SS pot (covered, naturally) to warm up over 8 or 10 hours at night.  When I put it in the pot I add the CaCl2.  The milk is never that warm in the morning, even in the summer weather it never got very warm. 

It certainly doesn't hurt, from what I am getting in results of the curd and flavor and texture.

milkprotein_fat

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Re: Calcium Chloride - Adding In Advance?
« Reply #4 on: December 04, 2009, 03:48:44 PM »
Adding CaCl2 before pasteurizing or heating (at high temperatures) of milk could be risky as it may curdle milk and precipitate protein if used above certain concentrations. So, I'd add it after pasteurization when milk is cooling down.