[Cheese] So whos the new guy ? / Suggestion for experiments

[Jack Schmidling]

Peter Næslund Møller wrote:

> 
> First off.. The pH has nothing to do with this - rennet will
> coagulate fresh milk, it just takes longer the farther you get away
> from rennet optimum pH ( ~5.4 )..

Right but it then is known in this country as Junket or pudding.

> Second: The pH in recombined buttermilk is the same as in recombined
> NF milk.. Contrary to the buttermilk you buy at the stores, the dried
> stuff hasnt been cultured..

That could be the problem here.  I have no idea what that stuff is in 
supermarkets called "dried buttermilk".

> Fourth: Kitchen cheesemakers seem to be experiencing very different
> coagulation times compared to what we get in an industrial
> environment...

There is no problem getting fresh liquid rennet to set in 30 minutes. 
In fact with good fresh milk, 20 min is all it takes. I think the 
problem is that with concocted milks from stores, the "set" is much 
softer and people prolong the process hoping that it will firm up and it 
never does, no matter CaCl or not.

The key is to give up after 40 mins and start heating very slowly and 
cut very carefully and stir even more carefully.  Once the curd starts 
to heat up a bit, it will be indistinguishable from fresh milk curds. 
It's the first few minutes that are precarious and very critical.

>I have heard of people who put culture and rennet in
> the milk, left it overnight and cut it the next morning....

Again, this is not cheese as defined above.  In fact, it is pretty much 
like yogurt.

js


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