Yogurt as substitute for thermophilic culture in making mozzarella?

[Gregore]

My ball park guess for using yogurt that is fully  coagulated ( 4.5 or lower ph  ). Or like soft cooked egg whites in texture.  Falls apart easy enough  when stirred

1/4 cup or so less per 1 gallon

Also  if you want to get good at this with yogurt ,( a highly variable starter ) you will have to start keeping records

By the way is this store bought yogurt or home Cultured ?   

[achik1990]

Achik, it is not just a question of how much yogurt to use, but of giving it time to develop the acid as the bacteria works. But temperature and other factors may also affect the timing. Thus, when you are relying on bacteria to reach the correct acidity, you have to keep testing the curds to see if they are ready - either by taking a small bit of curd and trying it out in some hot water, or by using a pH meter.

Overall sketch of the procedure using bacteria (yogurt):

Heat the milk to around 32°C (90°F) and innoculate with yogurt. Let it ripen for a time (not sure how long when using yogurt - maybe 30 min. - 1 hour?)
Cut the curds into 1-2 cm cubes (larger = more moisture); stir gently for a time (again, not sure how long - more stirring = less moisture)
Drain the curds, then keep them warm. Turn them occasionally (much like cheddaring).
Test the curds every 10-15 minutes to see if they are ready to stretch.

what i did was innoculate the milk with yogurt and let it sit there for 1 hour while keeping it at 90f ... the ph drops to 5.8 , but it tends to smell like yogurt.. is this normal? it has a nice tangy smell to it

All of the above is off the top of my head, not looking at a recipe, so this is just the broad outlines.

[achik1990]

My ball park guess for using yogurt that is fully  coagulated ( 4.5 or lower ph  ). Or like soft cooked egg whites in texture.  Falls apart easy enough  when stirred

1/4 cup or so less per 1 gallon

Also  if you want to get good at this with yogurt ,( a highly variable starter ) you will have to start keeping records

By the way is this store bought yogurt or home Cultured ?   

bought cultured yogurt

[AnnDee]

Hi Achik,

I'm in Malaysia too, in KL. I'm happy to see you here. I have few cultures and rennet, you can take some from me if you want
Having said that, have you tried making moz with kefir? I found that it is easier to make trad moz using kefir as the culture and acidifier.

Welcome to the forum!

[achik1990]

Hi Achik,

I'm in Malaysia too, in KL. I'm happy to see you here. I have few cultures and rennet, you can take some from me if you want
Having said that, have you tried making moz with kefir? I found that it is easier to make trad moz using kefir as the culture and acidifier.

Welcome to the forum!

Hi Ann.. thx for the warm welcome.
If i may, where do you get your cultures? Kefir ? Nop, not yet...no idea where to get 1 and haven't got clue for the actual price.

[AnnDee]

I got them online mostly from artisangeek and cheesemaking. Com.
You can make most cheese with kefir as it contains meso and thermo cultures.

[Gregore]

If your using store bought yogurt or kefir I would proof them once then freeze the extra starter for later.

Add 1/4 cup yogurt to about a quart / litter of milk and let sit on counter  over night 70f to 80f  when it gets thick like yogurt  it is ready to use  as your starter .  The rest can be frozen in small cubes to add to lay for other cheeses. Works the   same with kefir .

My wife makes kefir very day so I have no need to freeze  , if I need some she makes extra the night before .

[achik1990]

If your using store bought yogurt or kefir I would proof them once then freeze the extra starter for later.

Add 1/4 cup yogurt to about a quart / litter of milk and let sit on counter  over night 70f to 80f  when it gets thick like yogurt  it is ready to use  as your starter .  The rest can be frozen in small cubes to add to lay for other cheeses. Works the   same with kefir .

My wife makes kefir very day so I have no need to freeze  , if I need some she makes extra the night before .

you can freeze starter culture? 

[achik1990]

I got them online mostly from artisangeek and cheesemaking. Com.
You can make most cheese with kefir as it contains meso and thermo cultures.

aaahh i see. how long does it take for you to get the item?

[Gregore]

I have never frozen it , but to the best of my knowledge yes you can freeze it