Adding cream for mozzarella

[Oberhasli]

I haven't been very successful over the years with making a good mozzarella from my goat milk.  I always wanted a nice soft mozzarella, not the hard ball for grating.   I have never gotten consistent results with my goat milk.  I have a friend who is enamored with mozzarella di bufala (the real Italian stuff with buffalo milk).  He wants to try to add cream to the goat milk to simulate the buffalo milk?

I have consulted privately with the mozzarella guru (Mrs. K K), and she though this would be a good forum question as she has never used goat milk for her recipe.  Has anyone had good results adding cream to the recipe for mozzarella (Karen's recipe)? I read that David Fankhauser said "it is very difficult to make a mozzarella that spins from goat's milk".  So, any suggestions about goat milk mozzarella and possibly adding cream to the mix?

Bonnie

[linuxboy]

Look at my recipe (on wacheese site) where I do just that to create a creamier mouthfeel by adjusting the milk PF.

David makes a good point, but there are ways around it. It's tough to make mozz with some goat milk, and especially in late lactation, but not impossible. Works best with summer milk. pH dynamic plays out differently because the goat micelles are so huge, there are more inter-casein bonds to break. Direct acidified mozz tends to work more consistently for goat milk.

[Oberhasli]

So, you are saying to use the citric acid type of recipe where you add it directly to the milk?  Hmmm, I've tried that along with the 30 minute mozzarella, and the micro-wave mozzarella long ago in my cheesemaking attempts at this cheese.  Was not impressed with the results.  I would either get a goo-ball (still edible), or a hard ball I could use playing tennis .  I guess it is back to the drawing board. 

I will look at your recipe though - thanks!

Bonnie

[linuxboy]

So, you are saying to use the citric acid type of recipe where you add it directly to the milk? 

I typed too fast. My real point was that with mozz and goat milk, especially high calcium, large-micelle milk like Nubian, it takes time and acidity to break down the calcium bonds and hydrate them so mozz can stretch. To do this, you can rennet at a lower pH, say 6.4, and drain at a lower pH, like 6.0-6.1, and wait for it to stretch, or pre-acidify while the milk is still liquid. The key is the acid + time.

If you do the direct acidified, after it sets up, let it sit for 20-30 mins so that it has a lot of moisture retention. It will set quickly, in 3-4 mins. The set time and cut size of curds determines moisture retention. And for goat milk, for citric direct acidifed, target pH is 5.7. If using acetic, target 5.6.

[Oberhasli]

I looked at your recipe and it seems straight forward enough.  I don't have a pH meter though.  That was why I was looking at Karen's recipe as a possibility.  As an "old folk", I tend to be rather gadgetless , and try to do without those newfangled things  .  But, I appreciate the info on acid+time being so crucial.  I need to play around with it until I get it right. 

Have you used goat milk when you make your mozzarella?

Bonnie

[linuxboy]

It's usually all I have . Goats all dried up now. But I don't make that much mozz. I usually do bloomies, semi-lactics, and many variants of tommes.

You don't need a pH meter per se, it just takes some of the guessing out.  In my notes, the important details are the floc times so you get the right moisture retention, the heal, and the double cut (cut large, wait, cut smaller, stir). We have some good threads here with mozz troubleshooting.