Author Topic: John's Cheese #006 - Mozzarella  (Read 5262 times)

Cheese Head

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John's Cheese #006 - Mozzarella
« on: May 04, 2008, 02:15:42 PM »
Today I tried to make my first Mozzarella using the recipe posted here.

MAY 4, 2008
  • 7:00 AM Warmed the milk and added the Thermophilic Culture I made yesterday/overnight, info posted here.
  • 8:45 AM added diluted 1 gram Calcium Chloride and 20 drops Malaka brand vegetarian rennet and stirred in for 5 minutes with green rubber coated whisk.
  • 10:00 AM Good break, cut the curds. Then slowly started to raise temperature to 105 F / 41 C.
  • 10:45 AM Separated curds and whey via muslin cheesecloth bag lined strainer-colander until somewhat dry, did not hang sock.
  • 11:30 AM Placed curds back in large saucepan (have no large double boiler) and started cooking cheese and removing whey with large spoon.Could not check pH as no test strips.
  • 2:30 PM Placed 1/2 curds into large pot of 170 F / 76.5 C water, waited, curds would not ball like directions. Checked Mozzarella Recipe #2 YouTube video posted here. He uses 185 F water, raised water temp, still no ball like in video. Raised higher to 195 F in case thermometer not calbrated correctly, still no ball. Shut down heat, measure temperature with digital rapid thermometer and older slow mercury style thermometer, same, so calibration not important. Place other half curds in fridge to try tomorrow as per recipe #2.

MAY 5, 2008
  • 5:00 PM Boiled water in kettle, poured in small bowl, added small piece cheese, stretched with thumb, not great but somewhat stretchy!
  • 6:00 PM Heated saucepan of water to 180 F / 85 C, placed half of curds not tried yesterday in water, waited to heat, removed from water, tried to knead like bread like in Recipe #2 video. No work, burn hands, microwave to re-heat, still no work and burning hand. Shut down, used curds in cooking.

THOUGHTS
  • Did not get great clean break, next time use 25 drops of Malaka vegitarian rennet, not 20 recommended on package.
  • You do not need to thoroughly drain the whey from curds in muslin cheesecloth as you will be cooking it at low temperature anyway.
  • Need to measure pH next time, need to buy pH strips.
  • Next time follow video directions of leaving curds in fridge overnight to age.
  • Next time test small cube cheese in almost boiling water as per video to see if stretch.
  • Next time try different millk as Ricki Carroll's recipe says if the curds turn into the consistancy of ricotta then they may have been heat treated at the factory to too high a temperature.
« Last Edit: May 05, 2008, 11:20:45 PM by Cheese Head »

Cheese Head

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« Last Edit: May 04, 2008, 05:03:57 PM by Cheese Head »

Cheese Head

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« Last Edit: May 04, 2008, 05:03:01 PM by Cheese Head »

Cheese Head

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« Last Edit: May 04, 2008, 08:09:39 PM by Cheese Head »

Cheese Head

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Re: John's Cheese #006 - Mozzarella
« Reply #4 on: May 05, 2008, 11:21:17 PM »
Fourth 1 picture . . .