question on LinuxBoy's mozz recipe

[clherestian]

I made LinuxBoy's fresh mozz recipe on wascheese.com. I used the dvi cultures mentioned in the amounts called for. My issue is that the cheese acidified much more slowly than the recipe indicates. Instead of the ph reaching 6.1 in 3 hours, it took 5 or 6 hours. I believe that was partly caused by the ph of the milk being on the high end to start with - 6.8.

I would like to try the recipe again this weekend, but I'm not sure how to adjust. Should I just add more culture? If so, how much more. Part of the issue could be that the cultures are a bit old. One is about 6 months and the other a year. But they have been stored in good conditions in my freezer.

[linuxboy]

Yep, use more culture or a different culture to get a faster acidity buildup.

Mozz is a really delicate sort of cheese. Those times and amount work pretty well for a fast-acidifying TA culture with a little LH added to it (traditional italian recipe). But people sent me notes and asked me to include buttermilk and meso cultures and yogurt and and, so I tried to do that. Unfortunately, that introduces a lot of variability. It still makes a mozz, I tried everything out, but it varies in flavor and texture and time. The big thing with pasta filata is to

- hit the whey drain pH, so it's not below ~6.0 by the time the curd is in slabs and
- Watch the pH, aiming for a pH target of about 5.2 when you stretch
- Don't overheat/overwork the curds. Use 175F water and don't knead.

Do you think I should change the make instructions and make it not so inclusive, and make it more like a strict Italian mozz?

[clherestian]

I don't think you should change it your recipe. it is nice to have options. I made the cheese with cultures and had no trouble following the recipe. I'm going to try it again this weekend.

The only other problem I had, and it was my own fault, was with the set time. The last month or so my milk has required a lot more rennet than normal. I knew I should have added extra rennet, but I followed your recipe exactly. It took 20 minutes to achieve flocculation.

[clherestian]

LB,

I made you fresh mozz recipe again. On this make, the texture was closer to what it should be, but it still wasn't right. I have a couple of questions for you:

1. Which TA culture is best? I have TA 50, but I am ordering more cultures Tuesday.

2. What is the ideal flocculation time? Mine was 15 minutes.

3. At one point, you mention to use a floc multiplier of 3-4. If I want a cheese that retains more moisture then the multiplier moves toward 4, and if I want less moisture then the multiplier moves toward 3, right?

4. The  cheese was less hard and rubbery this time. It seems to have retained plenty of moisture and fat, But when you bite into it, it tends to squeak on the tooth. Another way of saying it is that the cheese is too chewy. I know that is a vague texture description, but I am hoping you will know what I mean. Any idea on how to correct that?

Thanks,
Christian

[linuxboy]

LB,

I made you fresh mozz recipe again. On this make, the texture was closer to what it should be, but it still wasn't right. I have a couple of questions for you:

1. Which TA culture is best? I have TA 50, but I am ordering more cultures Tuesday.

Shouldn't matter too much.

2. What is the ideal flocculation time? Mine was 15 minutes.

This is more of a personal preference. 15 mins is a good average number.

3. At one point, you mention to use a floc multiplier of 3-4. If I want a cheese that retains more moisture then the multiplier moves toward 4, and if I want less moisture then the multiplier moves toward 3, right?

Exactly, that's in the curd. You lose moisture during stretching, so that's the other part. Stretch gently, don't knead, and don't go above 175F for the water.

4. The  cheese was less hard and rubbery this time. It seems to have retained plenty of moisture and fat, But when you bite into it, it tends to squeak on the tooth. Another way of saying it is that the cheese is too chewy. I know that is a vague texture description, but I am hoping you will know what I mean. Any idea on how to correct that?

Yes, this is all about acid, if you got the moisture targets right. Mozz is really tough. In Italy, they will often wait until acidity is around 5.0-5.1, which makes a softer cheese. I usually suggest 5.2 for people, because without experience, it's tough to not overacidify. Try to make slightly larger curds, larger floc, and make 1/2 of the curd at your usual acidity target, and the other 1/2 after waiting a little more for the acidity to develop and compare the differences.

Seems like you're really close. You can push mozz up to 60% moisture, maybe even a little higher so don't give up! There's all sorts of little nuances like moisture in curd and acidity at drain with mozz.

[clherestian]

Thanks, LB. From your comments, I am guessing I cut the curds too small on the second cut.

I might have also got the ph a but too low when I stretched,. It was reading 5.05.

[linuxboy]

That pH is fine for a stretch, just cuts into the shelf life. Try bigger curds or not cooking them as long. Although the drain pH also makes a difference. Too high a drain pH and it takes a while longer to acidify correctly, and the final texture is slightly firmer. I wish it was just one thing, but it all makes a difference. Biggest I would say are curd size for final moisture, pH when stretching, and then stretching method.

[clherestian]

LB - I made this recipe a couple of more times, and it is getting closer every time. I seriously want to thank you, LB. You have been a massive help.

I have two more questions, though.

1) If I am using two starters, LH100 and TA50 at a ratio of 1:2. Is there a better ratio?

2) This may be because of not having the starter ratios correct, but the ph curve doesn't match up with what is in your recipe. If I add the rennet at 6.4, then the ph is too low at drain. So, it acidifies too quickly between adding rennet and draining. Will adjusting the starter ratios correct this? Or should I add the rennet at a higher ph, maybe try 6.45?

Thanks in advance.

[linuxboy]

The ratio is one part of the consideration. Another consideration is the rate of acid production by your specific TA strain. I geared that recipe to average acid production rates, which means the timing needs to be adjusted according to your strain. It's very difficult to account for the various strains, so  please forgive me for generalizing. The real answer is that acidification after drain can be as short as 2 hours and as long as ~50. Yes, TA strains really vary that much.

With LH 100 and TA50, a 1:2 ratio is a little high because that strain of TA is meant to be a fast acdifier compared to other TA strains. I would add less LH and use less total mix overall. The other challenge is you are likely making 2-5 gallon batches, and it's more difficult to be exact with smaller milk volumes. Try using less TA if your curve is too fast. Or, keep an eye on the pH and stretch when  it gets to ~5.2

If you acidify too much before draining, that's not a drastic mistake. But it means that your acidity development is rapid and you will need to stretch soon, so pay attention to the acidity development. You can also add rennet a little bit higher at 6.45, to get a more even acidity curve. That is likely the best option because then you have more control over the moisture level via the flocculation multiplier.

Hope this helps. Mozz is not an easy cheese. Focus on balancing two things: moisture level (determined by floc and rennet amount and time before cut and curd size), and acidity (determined by starter amount and ripening before adding rennet and temp)

I want to help you perfect this, so please let me know if it not clear. I have difficulty translating what is about 200 pages of content into 10-15 pages, so my recipes always miss something, so please let me know if it is not clear.

[clherestian]

Thanks for the info; it is helpful.

When you say the culture ratio is too high, you mean there should be more TA and less LH, right?

[linuxboy]

Yes, exactly. I have rarely seen 1:2 ratios of bacilli to cocci. Usually, it's about 1:3 bacilli to cocci. And using helveticus is an acceptable choice, but it's a somewhat specific application. It is more common to see one or more of the L delbrueckii subspecies (lactis and acidophilus, usually). Or in some applications, those are present naturally in milk and only TA is added to help acidify.

Fixing this ratio alone will not change your acidity curve enough to slow it down. Try using a little less culture and/or adding rennet earlier.