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GENERAL CHEESE MAKING BOARDS (Specific Cheese Making in Boards above) => Problems - Questions - Problems - Questions? => Topic started by: Crystal on January 04, 2012, 08:30:21 PM
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I did a fetta last week with some un-homoginised milk. It tasted great and had great texture. I usually dry salt mine but decided to brine this one. It was ok for 2-3 days but then when i opened it the next day the outsides of all the cheese was very soft, almost like it was disolving. And the brine had gone all milky.
Now, ive never brined before so i did a 'best estimate' of a saturated salt brine in slightly warmed water, once cooled i poured it over the cheese and fridged it. So, any suggestions as to what went wrong?
Oh, the cheese also had a terribly sour taste that it aquired in the brine, it didnt tast that tangy fresh.
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Crystal it sounds a bit like a brine pH issue. Off the top of my head I can't remember exactly but I think the pH of the brine needs to be about 4.5. Add some vinegar if necessary and get yourself some litmus paper if you don't have a pH meter.
The brine will turn milky anyway as why moves out of the cheese.
Or it just could be that the cheese was too moist when it went into the brine - the curd not drained enough maybe.
They are my ideas - please don't accept them as 100% correct but I think they are in the ball park...
NVD.
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Use whey for the brine; calcium balance was off, cheese leached calcium.
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Thanks guys,
I had read that it could be a calcium issue, and seeing as i am not using raw milk i thought that would be it.
I will use whey for brine next time but do i still need to add vinegar?
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Should be fine without it. Keep the leftover whey so it acidified, then let the feta firm up, make up a brine with the whey, and you should be set. Sometimes, for long-term whey usage, pH needs to be adjusted, but that's rare. Commercially, more often, it's buffered to keep pH steady.
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My cheese is generally gone in under 2 weeks, so thats not a problem! How do i let it 'firm up' though? Just in the fridge for a few days? I drain it overnight on the sink.
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Yes, exactly, fridge so it comes together a little more and stabilizes.
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Great, thanks so much LB, I'll fridge it a bit before brinning!
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A fully salted brine will contain about 200 grams of salt on a liter of water. (20 Beaume) That is the solution I use for brining cheeses like Gouda. For feta most people find that too salty, since feta will pick up more salt due to its texture. Consider also buying a "brinometer".
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Thanks hoeklijn, i dont think ill be buying one of those, im only making it for me and the kids, so if its a bit off i dont mind, all i need is for it to be edible! lol!
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Hi Crystal,
Feta is one that usually works well for me - but I've only ever made it (or any other cheese) with goat milk.
I dry rub 2-3 cm cubes of fresh Feta with coarse salt and let them sit in a covered dish in the kitchen for 2-3 days - draining off the whey that it weeps and resalting 2-3 times per day.
As well as pulling whey this gives the cheese a nice firm outside.
If you're going to eat it up right away I would just fridge it at this point - I put it in brine if I'm going to hold it more than 2 weeks.
To remove salty taste you can put the Feta in milk for a bit before serving - or put it in an oil/vinegar salad dressing the day of use.
I am impressed that you find the time to make cheese and care for your family.
Juan
(http://)
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Wow, thats a cutie!
Oh, i usually dry salt mine, but made a big batch and wanted to keep half longer so was brining. We usually eat it in a few days!
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my book says the brine is not acidic enough Ad Acid in the from of vinegar
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Your probably right, i used water for my brine instead of the whey which i stole for ricotta. Will be using the whey next time though so acidity shouldnt be a big problem!