Author Topic: Starter Culture, Mesophilic - Options  (Read 5510 times)

fiddletree

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Starter Culture, Mesophilic - Options
« on: November 14, 2010, 10:11:47 PM »
Hi all!

I'm a cheese-newbie, for the most part.  I've been having lots of success with fresh cheeses like paneer, queso fresco, mozzerella, ricotta, seiras, etc, but now I'm feeling ready to move onto cultured cheeses, but I need a push in the right direction. 

The book I'm using asks in many recipes for a 'mesophillic culture', and I've tried searching for that here in Italy (in a variety of places- supermarkets, agriculture stores, pharmacies, etc) with people looking at me like I'm a crazy lady when I ask for such a thing.  One thing that a few people have told me is that I don't need to use it when I'm dealing with raw milk.  Is this true? 

Some of the recipes also call for active culture buttermilk (which seems to be a mesophilic  culture), but buttermilk doesn't exist in Italy, so that's completely off the table. 

The specific cheeses I am asking about are molded cheese rounds (a fresh ripened cow cheese) and chevre.  Is there anything else I can easily find that can be used as a mesophilic culture, or do I need to order a prepared culture online?  Or, if I am starting with raw milk, do I even need it?

Thanks!

Cheese Head

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Re: Starter Culture, Mesophilic - Options
« Reply #1 on: November 14, 2010, 11:16:43 PM »
A mesophilic type starter culture is the name for a broad spectrum of low temperature loving bacteria used to acidify your cheese. The other main grouping being thermophilic or hot temperature loving.

You need to acidify the lactose in your cheese regardless of milk type ie cow, goat or status ie raw, store bought pasteurized etc.

There is a whole board just for starter cultures including some other ideas for meso ones. If you get stuck, there is an Italian manufacturer of cultures, if you phone them they should have some ideas where you can get their product locally in Italy.

How did you make Queso Fresco & Mozz, no starter culture? Also what is your milk source?

KosherBaker

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Re: Starter Culture, Mesophilic - Options
« Reply #2 on: November 15, 2010, 05:15:13 AM »
Hey John. I love Queso Fresco (Blanco?) and make it all the time, and it is indeed made without any starter culture. Just heat the milk to 185F - 190F and add acid (lemon juice, vinegar, ...) Paneer is the same exact cheese only with an Indian Accent. :)
Ricotta also does not need a starter culture.

fiddletree I'm also tippy toeing my way into hard cheeses and one thing I've learned so far is that without a cheese press and a proper mold it's not really a reasonable possibility. Although this has nothing to do with your questions, sorry.

Anyway, there is apparently one dairy called "Mila" from Alto Adige that makes the Latticello (Buttermilk) and conveniently enough they are somewhat in your neck of the woods. Here's the link to the product

Also, Buttermilk is widely used in France, since you are close to the border perhaps you can find a French Buttermilk product?

Lastly, David B. Fankhauser describes how to make buttermilk from scratch here. But I would love to hear a confirmation from the experts whether the process described is feasible and is on the money, so to speak.

fiddletree

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Re: Starter Culture, Mesophilic - Options
« Reply #3 on: November 15, 2010, 01:11:23 PM »
mmm looks like I'll be ordering some mesophilic cultures, then... but, I'm still confused on the matter that Italians keep telling me that I don't need it since my milk is raw. 

My milk source is a barn that is a 5 minute walk from where I live, just right across the cow field.  It's pretty cool, they have a raw milk vending machine right outside the barn (I show pictures of it in my recent posts on my blog www.AppalachianToAlpine.blogspot.com).  I could probably ask to get it straight from the cow, but it is terribly fun to put my milk bottles up to the little spout, put a euro in the coin slot, and have raw milk come out.  They also make cheese there, primarily Fontina, so all of the milk tastes kind of 'Fontina-ish'... aka quite strong!

I'll have to look up french buttermilk... I'll probably be able to get it, then.  Does anyone know what it is called in French?  The link to the Italian buttermilk makers are clear on the other side of the country, about a 9 hour drive, so that isn't very feasible, but thanks.  I looked at the recipe above and it isn't exactly from scratch, because you need to start with some buttermilk to make it!  I think it all just comes down to having the right cultures. 

None of the cheeses I've made so far need cultures.  I use rennet (for the mozz) and acid, the type differing on which kind of cheese I'm making , so either citric acid, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice, and heat them up to the right temperature. 

Thanks, y'all! Any other input would be very much appreciated, as well-
Annie

linuxboy

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Re: Starter Culture, Mesophilic - Options
« Reply #4 on: November 15, 2010, 03:16:09 PM »
Quote
Does anyone know what it is called in French?
Le babeurre ou aussi le lait battu.

Quote
But I would love to hear a confirmation from the experts whether the process described is feasible and is on the money, so to speak.

Yes. You scald the milk, cool, add starter, let it ferment, and you're done.

KosherBaker

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Re: Starter Culture, Mesophilic - Options
« Reply #5 on: November 15, 2010, 06:06:46 PM »
  The link to the Italian buttermilk makers are clear on the other side of the country, about a 9 hour drive, so that isn't very feasible, but thanks.
  Annie the main reason I posted the link to the manufacturer/distributor is so that you can use their website to find retail locations for their product in your area. Either by using their website directly or by finding a phone number/email address you can use to make your inquiry. Rereading my post I realize that I could have made that more clear.  :-[ I also wanted to note that the reason I use buttermilk instead of a culture is because it is so readily available, and of a quality that meets my requirements.
Further down the line of my cheesemaking adventure I can see switching to cultures, maybe even individual ones to gain more control over what flavor the final cheese ends up having.
I looked at the recipe above and it isn't exactly from scratch, because you need to start with some buttermilk to make it!  I think it all just comes down to having the right cultures. 
If you read the page further on, ;) it gives the instructions for making buttermilk from scratch. :) The instructions for cultured buttermilk you are describing are at the top of the page, though. :)

fiddletree

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Re: Starter Culture, Mesophilic - Options
« Reply #6 on: November 15, 2010, 06:35:58 PM »
ah, sorry for responding before reading well!  Have just sent an email off to the Italian buttermilk makers to see if they know how I can buy buttermilk in my neck of the woods.

It would be good to have a buttermilk source anyways, for American baked goods that are far better when made with buttermilk, cheese making or not!

MrsKK

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Re: Starter Culture, Mesophilic - Options
« Reply #7 on: November 16, 2010, 04:32:03 AM »
Here is a link to a thread I started on making clabber.  It is an excellent culture to use in place of buttermilk when you have access to raw milk.

Good luck!

fiddletree

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Re: Starter Culture, Mesophilic - Options
« Reply #8 on: November 18, 2010, 02:55:40 PM »
Thanks y'all!

I just ordered a bunch of starter cultures from the UK a few minutes ago (including one for buttermilk!), so I think I'll be set now.

I have a question about the clabber, though.  How do I know if its working, or if its just gone bad?  Also, my milk isn't straight from the cow the moment it's milked, it's been filtered (I presume) and kept cold at about 2-4 C til I buy it.  Will that still work for clabbering? Thanks!

MrsKK

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Re: Starter Culture, Mesophilic - Options
« Reply #9 on: November 20, 2010, 01:11:36 PM »
I always filter my milk before I clabber it and usually refrigerate it, too, as I normally use skim milk to make clabber, otherwise the cream makes a "seal" on the top that seems to prevent the milk from thickening.  At least that has been my experience.

Clabber that has gone off will smell bad, sickish.  Use the instructions in the thread I posted and it will definitely work as a culture.  The results will probably be different than if you use mass produced cultures, but that is part of the reason I like to use clabber.  I'm not trying to replicate other cheeses, but enjoy the variability of the day to day differences.