Author Topic: re-using brine  (Read 6297 times)

FRANCOIS

  • Guest
Re: re-using brine
« Reply #15 on: December 01, 2011, 04:59:27 AM »
Once a month is always a good rule of thumb.  Be sure to skim and strain it too.  Those chunks and fat globs are where the bugs live.

zenith1

  • Guest
Re: re-using brine
« Reply #16 on: December 01, 2011, 01:49:45 PM »
Great bit of knowledge Francois- I did not know that commercially they chlorine dose their brine. Filtering them certainly makes sense. Is was wondering if that is a  widespread practice especially in cheeses like Parms? I wonder if there is any UV light treatment being used in it's place? I know that in NY the farm markets that sell apple cider in the fall are required to treat it that way(they can't legally sell it untreated anymore).  Just another reason to make and consume your own products,whenever possible buy locally, and know the source.

FRANCOIS

  • Guest
Re: re-using brine
« Reply #17 on: December 02, 2011, 02:01:36 AM »
Newer brine treatment systems do use UV, although I've never seen one in the flesh.

Cloversmilker

  • Guest
Re: re-using brine
« Reply #18 on: December 02, 2011, 02:07:31 AM »
Thanks for the info.  I'll start boiling at the first of every month.  I have only brined pressed cheeses and don't seem to have significant sediment or floaters.    Won't hurt to strain it though.   :)

linuxboy

  • Guest
Re: re-using brine
« Reply #19 on: December 02, 2011, 02:10:14 AM »
Quote
Is was wondering if that is a  widespread practice especially in cheeses like Parms?
Depends on the size of the plant, but most old school parm makers will keep the brine saturated and will leave it alone. Parms take such a long time to brine that the tanks are usually occupied as the cheeses are rotated through. For those thermo style cheeses, it's actually beneficial to leave the brine alone because it develops halophilic lactobacilli and other flora that may help in some cases with flavor development.

Quote
I wonder if there is any UV light treatment being used in it's place?
Same as Francois, I've seen them in newer plants because it's not economical for small shops to do a filter+UV when they can just mix up a new batch or boil. Salt is cheap. Typically, there's a macro filter for large particles, then membrane filter, then in-line UV system. End result is sanitized, clear brine. It came out of the water UV treatment industry, nearly identical equipment.