Am try to decide which of these cultures to choose what is the difference besides the price. I want to choose between Aroma B, Flora Danica, or Porbat 222. If anybody can help me out that would be great.
Well, what cheeses do you want to make?
As far as I know, Aroma B doesn't have too many uses...
Well I want it for a few types of cheese including Gouda, Camembert,and for making blues. A few others I can't think of off the top of my head. Some one mentioned to me that probat has a better flavor and is very versatile also. But it does cost more.
Hi, For something with all 4 main lactic acid bacteria have a look at the Sacco MO 036 R. I use it in my Blue cheese and 'Malemberts'. I wouldn't use it in anything you are planning to have a closed texture as it does create quite a bit of CO2. I haven't made a cheese with eyes yet but I feel it should work well.
Lyofast M 036 R consists of undefined strains of Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis ssp. cremoris, Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis biovar
diacetylactis, and Leuconostoc.
Lyofast M 036 R ensures a uniform and controlled production of fermented milk, fresh cheese, soft cheese, and semihard cheese with fast citrate fermentation.
Spec sheet here http://greenlivingaustralia.com.au/specs/ETS91M036R.pdf (http://greenlivingaustralia.com.au/specs/ETS91M036R.pdf)
-- Mal
Thanks for the info. Reading up on it, it does sound very good. But can I find it here in the states??
Oh I just found some online thanks again!!
Bratrules I would suggest you read the descriptions at Artisan Geek (artisangeek.com). His prices and service are good as well.
If I were to get a selection of cultures, it would be Ma 4001, Meso II, Thermo B and C.
I would agree with Stinky but add Flora Danica. It has a ton of uses and adds a buttery taste to your cheese.
Maybe I pick some up next time? Sounds nice.
Ah, here is a really really valuable resource.
http://www.artisancheesemakingathome.com/pdfs/cultures.pdf (http://www.artisancheesemakingathome.com/pdfs/cultures.pdf)
Realllllly valuable.
I think aroma b and flora danica are the same-----check this chart posted by Sailor https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=7559.0;attach=13005 (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=7559.0;attach=13005) ----I keep a copy in my note book for reference-----there are some other charts on cultures on the site.
Qdog
Ah, I seeeee. I have some aroma. I shall have to use it in place of FD in recipes then.
What do you all put it in?
Quote from: scasnerkay on March 28, 2015, 06:10:42 PM
Bratrules I would suggest you read the descriptions at Artisan Geek (artisangeek.com). His prices and service are good as well.
This is where I plan to buy most of my stuff. The shipping prices are very reasonable!!!
Quote from: Al Lewis on March 28, 2015, 07:57:07 PM
I would agree with Stinky but add Flora Danica. It has a ton of uses and adds a buttery taste to your cheese.
I've made Feta a couple of times with Choozit's Feta B culture following the guidelines in Caldwell's Artisan Cheese Making. The goal pH following draining is 4.6-4.8. Caldwell mentions that this should take up to 12 hours. I hit the goal both times in 11-12 hours at about 4.78. The first batch was with 2 gallons of vat pasteurized whole milk. The second was with 2 gallons of P&H milk. Other parameters (temperature, ripening time, cut curd size, etc.) were pretty much the same. Yesterday I made a third batch using one gallon of each of the above milks. Caldwell's recipe states that Flora Danica can also be used. So, I opened a new un-expired packet and used FD. Being a degreed and somewhat anal chemical engineer when it comes to these kind of things, I pretty much stayed the course following the same parameters as in the earlier batches. Being of this disposition I go through pH buffer solution dialing in my pH meter about as fast as a wino on skid road goes through Thunderbird wine. After 12 hours the pH was still about 5.1 so I let it sit until about 11:00am this morning - a total of 20 hours of draining. The pH had leveled out at 4.92 - the same as it was when I checked it six hours before.
This could be a result of the different cultures. But, I made one other change that might have affected the pH drop but wonder if it could have affected the ultimate pH: The recipe called for cutting the curds at 3/4 to 1 inch. I had used my three quarter inch cutter the first two times. This time I used my new 1-inch cutter - the one that cuts in two directions at once and looks like you could play ping-pong with it or cricket if it were larger.
So, what caused the difference in ultimate pH - the curd size of the starting culture? :o
Kern----I could be wrong-----but even though cultures have the same bacteria----it doesn't mean they have the same amounts of each strain----so aroma b----apparently has more of which ever strain that causes a little faster acid development then the Flora Danica. I believe Sailor has covered this in some older posts. I do know from experience that FD is real slow and that Hansen recommends crushing the pellets before using, and that might make a difference, also.
Qdog
Kern----previous post might be of interest https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,13243.msg102064.html#msg102064 (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,13243.msg102064.html#msg102064)
Qdog
Quote from: qdog1955 on March 30, 2015, 10:40:22 AM
Kern----previous post might be of interest https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,13243.msg102064.html#msg102064 (https://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,13243.msg102064.html#msg102064)
Qdog
Woh! My packet did not have that sticker! It makes sense as I think about it. Thanks for pointing it out. :D One quarter teaspoon of little spheres is going to hold less
that one quarter teaspoon of the little buggers crushed up, that's for sure. As I think back over the batch and toss in a piece of information I didn't have when I wrote my post: I screwed the batch up further when I more or less pitched the curds rather than dumping everything from the vat into the draining cloth on the colander. This affected the way the curds knit in the hung bag. When I cut the ball in half for the brine it had many voids and open areas that the other two batched did not have. So I think that the higher pH may be due to not crushing the Flora Danica & not having enough whey in the curd to supply the bacteria with enough lactose to make lactic acid. Flora, baby, can you ever forgive me for accusing you of being weak? ;)
Oh I love Flora - she really does nice things in my Malemberts. Nice buttery flavors, wee tiny holes and wonderful mouth feel. The MO 036R from Sacco does a great job in open texture cheese like Caerphilly and Fetta.
I never thought in my wildest dreams would I be involved in a discussion about the qualities of the various bacteria but there you go - cheese making !
-- Mal
Quote from: OzzieCheese on March 31, 2015, 03:09:02 AM
Oh I love Flora - she really does nice things in my Malemberts. Nice buttery flavors, wee tiny holes and wonderful mouth feel. The MO 036R from Sacco does a great job in open texture cheese like Caerphilly and Fetta.
I never thought in my wildest dreams would I be involved in a discussion about the qualities of the various bacteria but there you go - cheese making !
Looks like this is National Bacteria Week. Let's all take a bacteria out to dinner tonight! 8)
Well I just received a shipment today from artisan geek containing my SACCO LYOFAST MW 036 R and a manchego mould ;). What I want to know is that for the SACCO LYOFAST MW 036 R is the dose the same as Flora Danica or Aroma B?? BTW I cant wait to try out the mould hopefully i'll have a chance this week sometime!!