# Figured Something Out!



## mamatomany (Aug 7, 2008)

I have been having problems with bits of hardened cheese in my chevre or any type of soft cheese for that matter. I let it sit, I gently put it into a pillowcase or cotton sheet cutting, etc. Using a string I seal it toward the top close, but not too close to the cheese and hang it for 6 hours. I noticed when I unwrap it, there is cheese toward the top that maintain the impression of the wrinkles in the sheets. Hmmm...always, well that is that issue, that part of the cheese is tried out too much! I dump it into my food processor and add salt to it and whip it, but it has these hardened bits of cheese. I have some of those cups, but have never used them, cuz' I really don't know how  I wonder how to fix the drying on top without having to "babysit" my chevre's drying. Any help ...Pav...are you there


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

I had that too at times but just never scrape that part out in with my cheese.


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## linuxboy (Oct 26, 2009)

How much rennet are you using, when are you adding the rennet, and how long does it take to get it to set before you scoop?

Hardening on the outside is due to uneven moisture loss, and that's almost always caused by excess water retention due to acidity imbalance.

Lactic and semi-lactic curd is special. In a normal gel made from only rennet, there are large opening between the caseins when the caseins bond, so the water can escape relatively evenly. A lactic curd has the caseins really really close together. And as the acidity builds up, the curd goes from having normally distributed casein aggregations to these clumps of aggregated curd. Those clumps are what you see; they are overdrained, overacidified chunks.

Somme immediate ways around it are to drain in cups, or to mix the curd back in from the outer edge in. The temperature makes a difference as well. A high room temp will cause uneven drainage.

To use the cups you just ladle in the curd and let them drain


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