Making Mother Cultures - A Photo Essay

[linuxboy]

You can tell by coagulation. Generally, when it has set, it is ready.

[Boofer]

The induction cookers are amazing. Boils water about 3 times faster than even gas.

The induction cooker produces NO HEAT, but uses magnetism to heat the entire pot. So the pot itself becomes the heating element. Aluminum or glass pots or pans do not work with induction. It uses much less electricity and it doesn't heat up the kitchen. VERY fast and you can NOT scald milk or burn chocolate. It has a 210F setting that keeps things just at boiling without actually boiling over. (How many times have we all done THAT on the stove). And when you cut it off, it instantly stops heating with no residual heat. So it's an excellent way to make cheese. Very cool technology. I know some high end restaurants that do all of their cooking by induction. On a professional level, since there is no direct heat, induction cookers can't catch on fire and do not require expensive hoods.

Sailor, I have somewhat of a problem and I think you may have just provided a solution.

My problem is that my dear wife has burned up/melted a number of tea kettles over the years. They are typically porcelain-finished and the porcelain melts as the kettle approaches a warm, glowing red color. Would using an induction cooker reduce the incidence of destroyed cookware of this variety?

-Boofer-

[Sailor Con Queso]

Pots for induction must be magnetic, so copper, etc will not work. Porcelain over steel usually will. Otherwise, yes, the induction cooker can be a wonderful problem solver. You can just set the cooker to 180F and the pot will keep tea near boiling but never overheat.

[Boofer]

Pots for induction must be magnetic, so copper, etc will not work. Porcelain over steel usually will. Otherwise, yes, the induction cooker can be a wonderful problem solver. You can just set the cooker to 180F and the pot will keep tea near boiling but never overheat.

Wow, another problem solved. Boy, this is going to be a great year! 

-Boofer-

[Caseus]

No, weight/volume. It's to account for variation in cheese recipes. Some need 1%, some 1.5%, some 2.0%, etc.

You always use skim milk, milk powder, or whey powder. No fat.

Yes, for example, if you have a gallon of milk, it is 128 fl ounces. You need 1.28 fl ounces of starter for a 1% inoculation rate.

I have included this in some recipes when I specify bulk equivalent. This is the way cheese was made before DVI starters. I've also posted general guidelines before, like starting with 1.5% and have suggested that people customize the inoculation rate to fit their make requirements. You can make most cheeses with anywhere between .5% and 2.5%, depending on the rest of the recipe.

I don't see where weight is a factor in that chart.  It appears to all be volume amounts.

[Tomer1]

Is there such a think as an induction unit with low temp range variation (30-40c)?