Matting curds

[ConnieG]

After my first Mozz success yesterday I thought I'd try my luck at Provolone.  Both days after cutting those curds into itty bitty pieces, what do they do with their 10 min. rest time but form back together again!  I try chopping them to get them to keep to themselves but this is not consistent with stirring gently so I've allowed them to gather together.  Now I'm wondering if this is normal? desirable? a mistake?

[ConnieG]

Also, after I was done heating the curds to 144, and took them out to rest in the colendar, they were stretching and shining and so I thought I wouldn't wait and went ahead and pulled the curds and formed them into a jug.  I don't know if this was wrong either.  I fished out a curd in the bottom of the pot and it was tasty, anyway.  >:D

It did seem to be losing cream even as I put it into the brine so who knows what I've done to it?

[clherestian]

If the recipe says to stir every ten minutes to prevent matting, the time between stirs is just a suggestion. The goal is to prevent matting, so stir however often is necessary.

[clherestian]

For your second question, I assume your recipe says to let the curds rest at room temp for a certain amount of time. The goal of that is to get the ph low enough so the curds will stretch. If they will stretch correctly earlier than anticipated, then you need to stretch them. If you wait too long, they will overacidify. If that happens, you missed your window of opportunity and the curds will not stretch.

[ConnieG]

So, if my curds are matting in the rest time after cutting the curd, then perhaps I shouldn't really let them rest too much but proceed with gently stirring. 

Yeah,  by the time I heated them to 144 they were stringing all over and I got a huge stretch and formed a nice jug.  I'm glad to know I'm developing enough feel for this to work it when it was ready rather than doggedly stick to the recipe.

[clherestian]

No, you need to let the curds rest before stirring. Otherwise they are likely to break apart.

After you let them rest and begin stirring, if they are matting quickly, you can stir more often than the recipe calls for.

[ConnieG]

Then maybe I should shorten the resting time because they are already matted after resting and come together even more with stirring.

[clherestian]

How long is the resting time?

[ConnieG]

10 Min.

[DeejayDebi]

If you got a good stretch you were there. Not sure about the loosing cream - was the brine or air hot? Normally I would say heating it to fast but if i was alreeady stretched you should find much fat loss at that point.

[ConnieG]

The brine was refrigerated.  I'm assuming I don't have to throw it (the brine with milk in it) out just yet.  Since I have a traditional cheddar in my press and more milk flowing in by the 1/2 day, I think I'll try Mozz. again. 

This mozz and the ricotta made for an excellent lasagna, anyway. 

[DeejayDebi]

I am guessing by brine with milk in it you mean the whey? Or are you meaning the brine got milkly looking after using it?

[ConnieG]

When I put the cheese in the brine it looked as if milk were coming from the cheese.  Now the brine is cloudy. 

[DeejayDebi]

Have you already made riccotta from the whey?

[ConnieG]

yes.  I find it makes a mess of my cheese cloths but from Mozz it is worth it.  From the hard cheeses, I admit to giving the whey to the chickens.