• Welcome to CheeseForum.org » Forum.

Feta # 5

Started by scasnerkay, January 18, 2013, 05:10:34 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

scasnerkay

Feta
Cheese # 39:  Feta # 5
Reading about feta in my new copy of Caldwell's new book, it seemed like a good time to make this again. I am still wanting to make a feta that is not so hard and able to be sliced. Instead I am looking for crumbly and a bit more tender...
This turned out with nice flavor, though I cannot really tell a difference between using MA4001 rather than MM100..
Unfortunately, it still is more firm and sort of rubbery than I want. I am wondering if the short flocculation causes this to happen.

1 gallon non-homogenized, pasteurized whole milk (Cream-Top Trader Joe's) pH 6.6
Scant 1/8 tsp MA4001 (Changed from MM100 last time per suggestion in book)
1/16 tsp mild lipase (in ¼ cup water)
1/8 tsp calcium chloride (in ¼ cup water)
0.7 ml calf rennet (Mad Millie)
Flocculation multiplier of 4
Saturated Brine
8 percent brine

Targets: from Linuxboy
Rennet 6.5
Drain 6.2
Brine 5.4
Caldwell says brine at 4.6 to 4.8

12:30:  To temperature at 88 degrees.  Starter sprinkled on and rehydrated for 5 minutes. Starter stirred into milk covered and wrapped to keep warm for one hour.
1:45:  Temp 87 degrees, pH 6.5.  Missed my timer, so a little late stirring in my lipase, and calcium chloride for a few minutes.
1:50:  Stirred in rennet. Flocculation too fast at 9 mins. Using multiplier of 4, looking for clean break at 36 mins. I was happy with clean break at 40 mins. 
2:30:  Cut into 3/4 inch cubes, and let rest 10 mins. Then gently started stirring.
3:00: After stirring for 15 mins, pH tested at 6.3, temp at 91 degrees.  After stirring for 20 mins, pH remains 6.3. Let curds rest under whey.
3:30  Testing pH still at 6.3, decided to drain anyway. Curd is feeling a little bouncy, but not springy and firm like when I make pressed cheese. Gently spooned into basket mold.
5:00  Time to turn, testing whey at 6.0.
6:15 Whey testing at pH 5.6
8:00  Flipped cheese and tested whey pH at 5.3
9:00   Whey pH at 5.2.  Cut the cheese into quarters, then soaked in saturated brine 2 hours.
11:00  Overnight on the counter.
The cheese was put into cave on mat to dry for 3 days. Then into 8 percent brine made from the whey.




Susan

linuxboy

#1
QuoteBrine 5.4

For feta? No, for feta, you wait until it finishes acidifying. That should be 4.4-4.5 for bulgarian, 4.6-4.8 for greek.

Where do I say 5.4, need to fix it, typo. You brine continental styles at 5.4.

[edit]

https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,2946.msg24037.html#msg24037

Found it. Wasn't a typo, just an incomplete thought. It's valid for commercial feta that you want to keep firm and that will soften out and acidify over time. For home, it's a bit more authentic to let it acidify completely.

scasnerkay

Thank you LB.
Would letting the pH drop further improve the finished texture, or is that a function of something earlier in the make? For example the fast flocculation.

I am measuring pH of whey coming off the cheese, so I would think that is a little higher than the actual pH of the cheese...?

Will the cheese soften and further acidify while soaking in its 8 percent whey brine if I let it go a few weeks?

On another note, I think I figured out one explanation for my faster flocculation rates recently....  I was not accounting for the amount of rennet in the 3 inch 14 gauge needle I was using to draw up the rennet from the jar... Might be enough to make a difference.
Susan