Author Topic: mozzarella - curds don't spin  (Read 2617 times)

Offline SayCheese!

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mozzarella - curds don't spin
« on: February 09, 2011, 07:23:37 PM »
Hi Everyone,

I am delighted to find this forum!  I am a newbie from Milford Oh.  Yesterday was my first venture into making the 2 day version of mozzarella.  (Have made yogurt and Paneer in the past).  I was  following the Fankhauser instructions...I also used a youtube video (good pictures) called "Making Mozzarella from Milk" which was similar to Fankhousers recipe and process.

I used 1 gallon of non-homogenized low temp pasturized milk
cultured buttermilk from grocery store
malaka rennet (expiration Feb 11)

First I sterilized the pot and utensils
heated the milk to 85 F
Added 1/4 cup buttermilk
waited one hour
Added 20 drops of rennet mixed with 1/4 cup of reverse osmosis water
Stirred for about 20 seconds

It took 8 hours to get to clean break stage
I cut the curd
Heated it slowly to 97F stirring gently all the while heating
Left it covered at room temperature during the night

In the morning (10 am) I drained the whey and did a spin test
heated some reverse osmosis water to 185 F
added some curd and tried to fold it...no spin, it breaks up into little bits

Checked again at 2 PM, same thing

Hoping some experts here can give me some help as to what might be going on, and if it isn't going to spin ever, do I press it and will it ever become hard cheese?  (Or do I just have more Paneer here?? )

I don't have any way to measure the acidity...(I will have to remedy that! ;) )

Hope I am doing this posting ok...

Thanks, BJ



BJ

MrsKK

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Re: mozzarella - curds don't spin
« Reply #1 on: February 11, 2011, 10:40:21 PM »
The thing that jumps out at me is that you don't have any thermophilic culture in your cheese.  In looking at Fankhauser's Pasta Filata recipe, he doesn't include yogurt in this one and I'm not sure why...

It took an awfully long time for your curd to get to clean break, though, so I'm wondering if that has something to do with it.  I'm not familiar with the brand that you used, though.  As it is now February 2011 and that is the expiration date, it could be that the rennet was too weak to work very well.

You can still drain this and add seasonings to it for a soft cheese.  Sorry I can't be of much more help.

Offline SayCheese!

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Re: mozzarella - curds don't spin
« Reply #2 on: February 13, 2011, 10:52:10 PM »
Thanks for the reply Karen!  I am thinking that it might be a problem with the rennet too.  I bought the rennet locally at Whole Foods.  Next time I guess I will order online from a cheese-making supply company....  Do you think it better to use a thermophilic starter like yogurt instead (or together with) cultured buttermilk?
BJ

MrsKK

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Re: mozzarella - curds don't spin
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2011, 02:35:01 AM »
lSLince mozzarella gets heated up, you really do need a thermophilic culture.  I use yogurt as my culture all the time now and am very happy with it.

I've been using powdered calf rennet that I got through the cheesemaker.com and I really like it.  It is stored in the freezer and doesn't weaken like the liquid rennet I used the first year I was making cheese.

Offline SayCheese!

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Re: mozzarella - curds don't spin
« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2011, 07:28:46 PM »
Hi Karen,

Well, I was just about to order liquid calf rennet from cheesemaker.com, but I think I will try your idea and get the powder instead.  That way I won't be guessing about the strength of the rennet.  I will also order their thermophilic starter.  Hopefully my next attempt will be more successful!  Is the lipase an important addition taste wise?  Again, thanks for the reply!

(I think I was supposed to put my first post in the "introduction and problems" forum....I am glad you offered some suggestions to me!  :-))

BJ

BJ

MrsKK

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Re: mozzarella - curds don't spin
« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2011, 11:26:54 PM »
I've used lipase occasionally when making mozzarella, but I honestly haven't been able to tell much of a difference.  Not as much as when I use it for parmesan anyway.

Mozz can be a challenge even for experienced cheesemakers, so don't get discouraged.