Light Cream Cheese - Not Thickening

[Miss Muffet]

I seem to be having real issues with making cream cheese.  I cannot get it to set a curd at all and all I seem to get out of the process is slightly thick milk .

The recipe I was given was to add 1/10th tsp of starter powder) to 1L of milk and incubate overnight in a yoghurt maker.  The people running the class that I got this recipe from make it this way with great success.  I however am struggling.  I cannot get it to set up, even if I add more starter powder. 

All the recipes I have since found both here and in my books suggest the addition of rennet. I also know that my teachers were using UHT to make this.  I am just using store bought milk.  Will that make a difference? 

I love the idea of making it in the yoghurt maker.  Appeals to my lazy side.  But I want to get this right.  Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[KosherBaker]

Hmmmmm. I've never had cream cheese that had the consistency of curds in it. It has always been a thick spreadable like cheese. Are the recipes you are following calling for curd creation? Or have you tasted cream cheese in the past that was made up of curds rather than a thick soft spreadable paste?

Anyway, let's hope the gurus whey in here and offer their suggestions.

[Miss Muffet]

OK, maybe wrong terminology but I cannot get it to thicken at all.  What you describe is what I am after.  I just cannot get it to that stage.  It won't thicken and I can't work out why.  I know it works for the people that taught me the method.  And I am definitely leaving it long enough.  The last batch I watched for over 36 hours and still no major thickening. 

[KosherBaker]

Ahhh I see. Well I've never made cream cheese, not my thing , so I'm of no help to you. I started with Yogurt and Cottage Cheese. If I were you, I would post as detailed a description as possible of the steps you are taking, and then I'm sure one of the experts here will immediately see what's the problem(s).
While you wait, you can catch up on reading the archives of this Problems-Questions forum. There are only 6 pages and I found them extremely informative. Just a great read.

All the best.

[tnsven]

So sorry you are having trouble with your cream cheese! 

Here are some questions:

1) What starter are you using?
2) At what temperature are you incubating in the yogurt maker?
3) Would you describe the thickness (or lack thereof) as the consistency of yogurt?
4) Have you drained it in fine cheese cloth?

If you can answer these, perhaps we can help pin point the problem. I make cream cheese quite often and do add a few diluted drops of rennet. But I also make it with no rennet.

Hope we can help!

Kristin

[Miss Muffet]

Well this is just weird.  I worked out that I had it in the yoghurt maker for 24 hours with no appreciable thickening.  So I stirred in a smidge more starter and left it another 24 hrs.  At this point it was still thinner than yoghurt but I decided to try and strain it and see if I could salvage anything before tipping the liquid.  Most of the liquid went straight through the cloth but I left it draining over night and went to bed.  When I came back in the morning to tip out the liquid, it had thickened up again.  So I poured this back through the cloth and finally seem to have some solids.  This whole process took over 2.5 days, which seems a bit long to me.

tnsven, in answer to your questions:

1. My starter contains Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis & L. lactis subsp. Cremoris according to my supplier
2. I don't actually know what temperature my yoghurt maker runs at & I forgot to measure when it was on last.
3. It is more the consistency of a yoghurt drink rather than proper yoghurt
4. I am draining it through baby muslin which is very fine.

I should also mention that it is winter here (actually first day of spring today), with night time temps around 3 - 11C.  Daytime is starting to warm but I can still average around 16C inside if I am not home with the heater on.  I realise this probably plays a factor but would like to work out how to get around this.  I also read that if I am using pasturised milk I should be using CaCl.  Is that correct?

Any thoughts would be appreciated. 

[coffee joe]

Miss Muffet, I've had similar problems so I'm watching this thread.

By the way, I'm south and waiting for spring as well, September 23, 03:09 UTC

[MrsKK]

My guess is that a part of the issue is that you are dealing with fluctuating temperatures.  Do you have a way of measuring the temperature inside the yogurt maker? 

Also, (but not to be snooty about it) the product you are making would be a low-fat cream cheese type product similar to American Neufchatel, as cream cheese is made with cream.  I make quite a bit, but have to do it in the warmer months, otherwise it doesn't set up properly.

You might want to check out the threads in the Lactic Acid Coagulated board to see if anything there helps you out.

[Miss Muffet]

Thanks Karen.  I had already browsed the other board which is where I got the idea that maybe I should be adding rennet.  But I didn't realise about the cream cheese/American Neufchatel thing so I will go back and read more about that.  Cheers for the pointer.

I can measure the temperature.  I just have to get a batch of yoghurt going.  Been fighting a bad cold so not really felt like it.  But I have a laser thermometer so will put that to use on  the next batch. 

So when you make cream cheese, do you use rennet at all?  Maybe I just need to take you advice and wait until the weather heats up.  Might have to try my hand at something else whilst I wait 

[Alex]

Miss Muffet, try this one:

3 liters raw cows milk
1 liter full fat cream (38-42%)
1 gr CaCl diluted with water
3 ts buttermilk containing live culture
3 drops enzyme (Maxiren 600) diluted with water

Pasteurize milk at 72-74 deg C for 15 sec and cool to 26-28 deg C.
Stir in CaCl, buttermilk and lastly the enzyme.
Let to incubate for 24 hours by wrapping your pot with some blankets to maintain the temperature.
Remove the created whey.
Cut the curd into 5 cm columns and leave for 5 minutes.
Remove again the expelled whey.
Transfer content of pot to a cloth lined collander and let drain for 30 minutes.
Pull cloth up and hang to drain for 12 hours.
Weigh the cheese and stir in 1% salt.
Keep refrigerated.

[Alice in TX/MO]

Is that enzyme rennet?  or a rennet substitute?

[Miss Muffet]

Thanks Alex.  I can't readily get hold of raw milk so I presume I can skip the pasteurisarion stage and just make sure my milk is at 26 - 28 to start with?  Also, do you mean ripened cultured buttermilk rather than cultured buttermilk straight from the store?   

I shall give it a go.  What yield do you normally get from this?

[Cheese Head]

Hi Miss Muffett, I've made several Light Cream Cheese's, there's a recipe here, as it is primarily a lactic acid coagulated cheese, you do not get a solid curd like rennet coagulated cheeses, even though most recipes call for a little rennet which I understand is primarily for those using raw milk as it aids in reducing natural separation of cream while pH is dropping and milk becoming more acidic.

Lactic acid cheeses are as MrsKK says very sensitive to temp and amount/activity level of starter. My last batches records here. I've also found that the separation of whey from curds stage by hanging in cheesecloth is very sensitive to the weave of the cheesecloth, too fine and whey will not drain, too course and will have curds falling through it. I ended up buying an expensive bag from a supply shop. If your draining whey is milky then (assuming as not because cloth was too coarse) the pH was not low enough/it was drained too early.

Have fun!

[Alex]

Thanks Alex.  I can't readily get hold of raw milk so I presume I can skip the pasteurisarion stage and just make sure my milk is at 26 - 28 to start with?  Also, do you mean ripened cultured buttermilk rather than cultured buttermilk straight from the store?   

I shall give it a go.  What yield do you normally get from this?

1. Yes, you can skip the pasteurisation stage.
2. I mean cultured buttermilk straight from the store.

Good Luck!

[Alex]

Is that enzyme rennet?  or a rennet substitute?

It is a vegetarian liquid rennett.