Milk to curds ratio

[melis]

Anneke-

Thanks for the tip about the PH on the mozarella, did not even know this could be an issue, I'll look into that more. I get an amazing curd and then it all goes well for awhile (using the microwave) and then something starts to go wrong after I get a little stretch. It ends up tasting kind of feta/goat cheese ish and is a bit flaky.

For fresh cheeses I have done or are working on are queso blanco/Paneer (easy!), ricotta, Creme Fraiche, and Fromage Blanc.

I would LOVE to return to one of Ricki's seminars on the hard cheeses, I will consider this when I can do a few more fresh cheeses "in my sleep".

Melis

[gabenevins]

Thanks for asking, jbd. It's been just Cheddar and Mozzarella. Cheddar thrice, Mozzarella twice. I'm able to get to the curds stage but my draining stage is killing me. I've been mixing and matching recipes. Some say pour through a cheesecloth-lined colander, others say drain a cupful at a time. either way I'm not getting dry enough curds

[Anneke]

Gabe, firm cheeses are not just drained, they are cooked and pressed for further whey expulsion. Can you describe what you are doing?

[gabenevins]

Anneke, my guess is that I'm not being pacient enough after my curds 'seemed' drained enough. The Curds are too fragile and wet to consider putting in a press. Again, I guess after the curds are 'visually' drained, I'm missing the cooking stage. Gabe

[OregonYeti]

Often the cheese curd loaves are also sliced to let more whey drain out. I remember seeing that at the Tillamook cheese factory.

[Anneke]

In the case of cheddar - and this is my problem with home-cheddar-making - the COOKED curds are stacked and left to knit together; gravity/weight work to gether to drain the curd while the ph of the curd decreases. THey form slabs which are stacked and flipped incessantly until the right acidification is attained, anf tghe right moisture is reached. Then the slabs are milled, salted and PRESSED. So if you miss cooking the curds, pressing them the first time and pressing them in the mold a second time, you're missing substantial opportunities for whey expulsion. It is next to impossible to make a firm cheese without pressing. Keep in mind, pressing is supposed to be a very slow process, which is kinder to the curd. Cheddar making is les about recipe, and more about technique. Very difficult to do on a small scale.

You are very brave Gabe! Don't give up!!!

[gabenevins]

Thanks Anneke, I've spent long enough on the Cheese-making sidelines, I'm going back in! Gabe

[Anneke]

Contact me if you need a recipe (untested by me).

[Luc_H]

Hi Gabevins,

When it comes to cooking the curds I found that the following method gives the best results.

I have two large stainless steel pots: one larger than the other. I coagulated my milk in the smaller pot then place it in the larger pot. I slowly add water in the large pot. I create a water jacketed cooking apparatus this way. Place the whole thing on the stovetop and heat at low (or med) heat. Using very clean hands, I ever so gently stir the curds to the temperature recommended in the recipes I referred you too.

I use this method to make unripe cheddar cheese curds. Once drained then cut into bit size pieces, the cheese is very dry after resting overnight. When we bite into a piece you get a squeek noise... a sign that I reached my goal. (the proteins are knitted and low humidity)

Question: are you using calcium chloride?
Are you sure your milk is coagulated properly (meaning gelled) before cutting your curds? Do you make the crack test with your finger?

If I find the time, I will post the whole process I developed. It will be a long post and I may be able only next week.

Luc H.

[gabenevins]

Luc H, thanks for the reply. in one of the batches I put home-made calcium chloride. I did the finger test each time. If you do post the whole process, I will use it. Gabe

[Cat Man]

Originally Posted by Luc_H

Hi Gabenevins (and Anneke),

I am chiming in this post.
My experiments have uncovered that when it comes to cheese making at home, the right ingredients, precision and attention to details makes the difference.

Before commenting or even orienting you in any direction, I need to know the following:
what type of milk are you using? fat content? homogenized? store bought milk?
when heating the milk before coagulation how do you do it? directly on the stovetop?

Also instead of using pure mesophilic culture to inoculate the milk, I found out that using freshly cultured buttermilk works better (more gentle, more control). Do you know how to make buttermilk with the mesophilic culture? My ratio is 1/2 cup of buttermilk to inoculate 4L of milk (let's say 1 gal).

By the way, I have experience only with calf rennet. My research pointed out that calf rennet is easier to use from home cheese making. So whatever I will advise will be based on this fact.

Hope to (hear) read from you now.
Luc H

Good comments as always Luc

I'm going to add my two cents here.

Generally speaking, 100 lbs of milk will yield 10 lbs of cheddar.
The higher the fat content in your milk, the softer the cheese will be.
Commercial cheesemakers use what is called class3 milk. The fat content varies depending on variables such as aging, desired texture etc.

Cheddar cheese has a USDA Standard of Identity (meaning somewhat fixed percentages of fat, moisture, salt) You can find this SoI on the USDA website.

Gravity or weights is also important to form blocks or wheels or whatever shape you want but you have to form the cheese from the curds and hold it together.

The Whey will purge, it just natural. Drain it off.

Also, different milks and tempatures (+ agitation) will result in different size curds. Parmasean Reggiano curds are about the size of rice, while cheddar curds are generally nickel to quarter size.

I also agree with Luc regarding animal rennet. Far more reliable and consistent....besides, that's how cheese was discovered in the first place. Milk stored in a goat intestine turned to curd when agitated.

[jlsrpierce]

Hi All & Gabevins

I have also just started making cheese and today I'm on my 6th batch, a mozzarella. Rather than take the huge plunge into the deep end with trying to make Cheddar, I've started easy with Queso Blanco and working up from there.

I just tripped over this website via googling another subject. This is a great website but mostly for cooking, not discussing different cheeses or making cheese.

Back around New Year I was looking for a Cheese Forum but couldn't find one so I built a website and forum about cheese and cheese making! I'm new at this forum so can't post the URL, it's called Cheese Forum Org, just google Cheese Forum and you'll find it.

If you go to the Forum > Cheese Making - General, you'll see my pictures and records of making Mozzarella and the other cheeses, so far I'm 5 for 6, last weekends Gouda doesn't look so great . . . yet.

Hope this is of interest . . .

PS: To answer your OP, for harder cheeses I'm averaging just under 1.1 lb/0.5 kg per US gallon of homogenized whole milk, soft cheeses like Neuchatel I get about 2 lb/1 kg.

[Anneke]

There's never much activity in a cheese forum for some reason. I don't know if cheese people stay away from computers or if they are too busy milking Bessie. Even the ACM one is pretty slow. But it's nice to see that someone has taken the initiative. If you'd like to advertise, please contact our administrators, as I wouldn't want your posts to be taken as spam. Good luck with you site; it's a lot of work but your enthusiasm is evident. Welcome to ChefTalk!

[jlsrpierce]

Hi Anneke

Thanks for the encouragement and support, yep hate for my post to be seen as SPAM, risk I take I guess.

You are right, not much activity in a Cheese Forum, no idea why, topic is too narrow I guess.

Thanks again, John.