Brining - Why & Low vs High Salinity

[steffb503]

Can you tell me the fundamental reasons for brining?
What is the difference for a heavy brine verses a light brine.
And what happens if your brine does not have the right saturation?

[Tomer1]

What is the difference for a heavy brine verses a light brine
Salt concentration of course,
More salt=quicker salt intake and retarding of fermentation.
You can reach the same level of salt in a cheese with a light brine, it will just take you many hours to do so and remember that traditionally cheese is made daily and you you want the make zone free of cheeses ASAP so you can make more cheese!

[zenith1]

Steff probably three reasons to brine:

1)control the final ph of cheese by the salts effect on the cultures that are still active(some bacteria are more salt tolerant than others)

2) create a natural rind by the brine's drying effect(removes excess whey)
3) flavor, salt=flavor(the cheese will be bland without the addition of some salt)

[steffb503]

So if my brine is say less than the desired concentration I will still have good cheese but not the same as if it was a heavy brine?
Moister, less salty and softer rind?
Or is there some fundamental failure waiting to happen?

[mtncheesemaker]

If your brine is less than 16% salt, it carries the risk of contamination by pathogens. Weak brines also result in greater moisture retention at the cheese surface, resulting in a soft, swollen, slimy rind. (Yuck!) At the other extreme, too much salt carries the risk of moisture lost from the cheese surface quickly, resulting in a dehydrated layer that may prevent further uptake of salt to the body of the cheese.
(Paraphrased from American Farmstead Cheese.)
Pam

[linuxboy]

less than 16% salt

Listeria survives in concentrations up to concentrated brine. Brine is a huge contamination vector. But many other pathogens will taper off at 16-18%.

Weak brines also result in greater moisture retention at the cheese surface, resulting in a soft, swollen, slimy rind.

Only if the caseins are hydrated due to a mismatch of acidity and calcium levels. You can brine in balanced 8% and the rind will be fine, for example.

I will still have good cheese but not the same as if it was a heavy brine?
Moister, less salty and softer rind?

You mean if your other parameters are the same? No, typically, a brine that's 18-22% will result in faster salt uptake because it does not dehydrate the outer layer of the cheese as much. Your rind will not be as hard, that's true. But you should think about brining in terms of total salt percentage in the cheese first and rind formation second because you can manipulate the rind after brining.

[mtncheesemaker]

Thanks for that clarification, LB.
Does maintaining the proper pH, say, by the addition of vinegar, prevent listeria contamination?
Thanks,
Pam

[linuxboy]

by the addition of vinegar, prevent listeria contamination?

No. Proper brine management in plants is to filter out all the solids, and then pump it through a UV pasteurizer, or dose with chlorine (or similar chem), or microfilter to remove bacteria.