I'm really new to cheesemaking - This is my 4th batch of feta I've made - this one with raw cow's milk. I was using David Fankhauser's recipe http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/cheese/Feta.htm (http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/cheese/Feta.htm) but the other batches turned out soft and a bit mushy. This time I pressed the curds more and added more salt to the whey brine. My question is: What is that top white layer? Is this normal or did I do something wrong? (Hoping the pic attaches). Thank you.
I think that's just some residual solids from the milk. You can skim it off.
I have never had this happen to me (I am making feta with 2 gallons of milk every other day...this is my third year). I have never used cows milk though. use raw goat milk. I use the feta recipe on fiasco farms site. I read there that if the feta gets soft in the brine it was not left out at room temp long enough to firm up. Good luck! I personally had a lot of trouble with spongy feta this summer!!! But that is now in the past (fingers crossed!)
You should be able to remove that layer on top and still eat the cheese.
There can be several reasons for feta you mentioned. If the cheese cubes soften and form a slimy outer layer after you add them to the brine, then you need to add calcium chloride to the brine.
I use raw cow's milk for my cheese, and sometimes in these summer months I don't get the same coagulation as other times. A bit of calcium chloride added to the milk fixes this.
If you get good coagulation but the cubes are softer than you want, then your acid development is insufficient. There are many ways to address this. Without knowing your recipe, it is difficult to know the appropriate fix.
The salt % in the brine also plays into this. If you don't have enough salt, not enough moisture will be pulled from the outside of the cubes.
I have a much smaller layer but even after a few months in the brine, I have no mold and no real change in the cheese as best I can tell.
it's real good and it crumbles real well. Great taste.
By the looks of it , bubbly cream , opaque brine, its contaminated . Did you sterilised the bottle ? Dos it has a soury smell?