Annyang from The Republic of Korea - trouble making it in the far east

[cheeseinmymouth]

Hello, I live way out in South Korea.  Although I have some experience making cheese (I used to be a cheesemaker for Beecher's
Handmade Cheese in Seattle) I've recently taken a new interest in making my own cheese at home.  As a homebrewer in Korea I've learned that finding appropriate ingredients in the country can be difficult or impossible.  Korea has virtually no cheese culture (human or microbial).  I can always order do from the US but I thought I'd some research first and see what other sources there are for lactococcus.

Buttermilk: Can't be had in Korea.  But I believe this can be used to grow mesophilic starters if I could get my hands on some.

Yogurt: Readily available and is what I plan on using this week for my first few batches of simple cheese.  But it's limited to a thermophilic culture profile some of which produce acetaldehyde which I'm not partial to.

Kimchi: Yes, kimchi, as if it needs another reason to be a wonderfood.  However I read that the active agents in kimchi are Lactobacillus plantarum, L. Brevis, Streptococcus faecalis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Pediococcus pentosaceus.  Can anyone comment on the possible role of these microbes in cheese making?  I recognize L. plantarum but that's all.  Is L. brevis a cheese microbe?

Old cheese: Can cheese be puréed and pitched into milk?  For example, if I want to make brie can I purée some brie and add it to my batch of milk and will the resulting concoction have the right microbes to make more brie? 

I'm aware of jmjmall.com for some limited supplies in Korea but nothing is really as it seems for a foreigner here.  Does anyone have experience ordering and using jmjmall's products?

Lastly, does anyone else on this board live in Korea?

Cheers

[Cheese Head]

Hi and welcome!

OK several questions.

KOREA
You are I believe the second one here in S Korea, see this intro post with some info on jmjmall. You could PM that person to try and make contact. We also have a geographic board for Korea for any local type posts but so far it is empty, feel free to start!

STARTER CULTURES - PURCHASED
On cultures can you get kefir, although very similar to yogurt as a starter I think, or can you get raw milk and make clabber? Our global listing of supply stores is here.

STARTER CULTURES - USING CHEESE
On using cheese to create cheese, I don't think so from a lactic acid perspective but there are some posts on using brie/camembert type cheeses as an innoculant to add P candidum to new makes, for example see this thread, another here there are some other good threads in the Lactic Acid Starter Cultures Board.

Some of our senior members don't check posts in the Intro Board so if you don't get any more answers here you could repost each question in separate posts in the appropriate board or in Problems - Questions.

Hope helps!

[cheeseinmymouth]

John, I found that guy, huffdaddy, by searching as well and even sent him a PM but it appears he isn't active on the board any more.  Maybe the message will get to him eventually.

As for starters, I think I'll search around for someone who'll ship internationally and order some.  I don't have access to buttermilk or whole milk for clabber.

Making cheese out of cheese, yes!  The idea is exciting but cheese isn't quite the same as yeast made products.  I'm excited to experiment with the idea but for now I think I'll stick to more common methods (like purchasing my starters).

I just made my first cheese since I stopped working at Beecher's.  It's a simple vinegar curdled ricotta (impossible to get at the supermarket) for lasagna I'm making today.

Cheers