[Sca-cooks] A different "Fresh Cheese" question

Kerri Martinsen kerri.martinsen at gmail.com
Tue Jun 3 09:15:19 PDT 2008


also on rennet - always dilute the rennet (whether tablet or liquid) in 1/4
cup of water per gallon of milk.  This allows for a more consistant spread
of the rennet thru the milk and prevents shocking (kinda similar to pouring
bleach directly onto clothes in your washer instead of into the water
first...)

>From what I remember Junket is at best 1/2 as strong as cheese rennet...
And then what Dragon said.

Vitha


On 6/3/08, Dragon <dragon at crimson-dragon.com> wrote:
>
> Terry Decker wrote:
>
> So the question is. what is the science behind the different textures?
>>
>> Euriol
>>
>> I can't tell you precisely what is happening, but I can point out the
>> likely differences.
>>
>> Rennin is an enzyme, that in an acidic environment (such as that created
>> by lactobacilli) catalyzes the coagulation of casein.  As I understand it,
>> this is a slow conversion process that merely accelerates the natural
>> curdling of milk beyond sour cream and yougurt to the more solid cheese
>> curd.  Rennin enables and enhances the conversion, but is not bound up in
>> the process
>>
>> Vinegar is acetic acid.  Strong acids "cook" proteins, causing them to
>> coagulate.  Acids produce a lot of hydrogen ions and I suspect that the
>> coagulation occurs because the hydrogen ions combine with the soluble
>> protein, but I don't have any texts to hand that would clarify the point.
>>
> ---------------- End original message. ---------------------
>
> I believe Bear is essentially correct with this summary.
>
> A few more comments:
>
> The amount of acid needed to curdle a given quantity of milk for an acid
> set cheese is not a constant. You can't just measure some amount and add it
> to the milk and expect it to work every time. Milk, lemon juice and even
> vinegar are variable products and you need to add enough acid to produce
> full coagulation. How much is enough? It's pretty easy to tell, when you see
> the liquid go from opaque white to a pale, translucent yellow, you have
> added enough. This generally works out to about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of lemon
> juice when I do it but you really have to add it a little at a time and
> watch the reaction.
>
> The temperature for making an acid set cheese should also be about 165F to
> 175F, at this temperature range, the acid performs best to cause all of the
> proteins and milk fat to form curds. Below this range you do not get
> complete conversion, above it, you start to damage the curd.
>
> Don't use junket, it is really weak and not a good choice for trying to
> make any sort of cheese. Get liquid rennet (animal derived is best but
> vegetable types work OK too).
>
> When you use rennet, you still need to allow the milk to acidify prior to
> adding the rennet. If you do not, you will get very rubbery curds. The
> amount of rennet needed is also variable, the same break from white to pale
> yellow liquid is a good indicator of how much you should add. The
> acidification of the milk is most often done with a lactobacillus culture.
> These cultures can be ordered from a cheese making supplier.
>
> Always stir in your coagulant gently. Too much agitation will break up your
> curds into tiny pieces.
>
> Let the curds sit for at least 15 minutes, longer is better. This allows
> them to come together and be easily removed from the whey. Please note that
> if you use goat milk, all you will get is very fine curds, it simply does
> not set the same way as cow or sheep milk.
>
> Get some butter muslin. Especially if you are going to do goat cheese. It
> is much finer weave than cheesecloth. And while we are at it, buy your
> cheesecloth from a cheese making supplier, not a grocery store, the
> difference in quality is worth the extra price. The better stuff is washable
> and reusable for a long time, the cheap stuff will fall apart and leave lint
> in your cheese.
>
> As for the specifics of temperature, cultures to use, maturing times,
> molding, aging, etc. I really suggest getting this book which has some
> excellent information and a lot of recipes:
>
> "Home Cheese Making" by Ricki Carrol (ISBN 9781580174640)
>
> http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Home-Cheese-Making/Ricki-Carroll/e/9781580174640
>
> Dragon
>
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