# ricotta help



## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Ugh. I can't believe I'm asking this. I have made this many times since I got my goats last fall. However, this spring, I cannot heat milk to a high temp.

For this recipe, I'm using Ricki's pamphlet for ricotta cheese. I have used this every time I've made ricotta. Can't get the heat to 195 AND no curd. Used slightly more citric acid than the recipe calls for due to raw milk and added 1 1/2 tsp salt (as usual). I'VE GOT NOTHING BUT HEATED MILK. Highest temp was 180.

Had a problem trying to make yogurt, too, but I think it was the pan I used in that attempt (too big for 1 qt milk).

WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG?


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## linuxboy (Oct 26, 2009)

Huh, how much citric acid are you adding? Ricotta needs a pH of 5.2 and a temp of about 185F. Sometimes it needs a higher temp. Is your thermometer calibrated?


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Pav. I was hoping you would answer (thank you).

LOL! No, thermometer is not calibrated, but it's always worked. I guess I shouldn't take that for granted. I added citric acid at 1 1/2 tsp for 1 gallon of milk. I can't test pH. Added 1 1/2 tsp salt, also (the right kind, not the iodized table salt).

I can't get the heat up to more than 180.

This has never happened.


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## Bernice (Apr 2, 2009)

Dag.........there is a recipe in one of my old old Countryside Magazines that has a recipe for ricotta. It's from the 90's. I'll have to find it, that recipe always works for me. And I don't remember putting citric acid in, was very simple. OK.....that's my summer project......digging it out.


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## linuxboy (Oct 26, 2009)

That seems about right on both salt and citric. What time in the lactation cycle are the girls? Because if there's higher protein, you need to add more citric (casein buffers acid). Also need to add a little more for higher fat content. Can you try making a half gallon and using a full teaspoon? Or a quart and use 1/2 tsp? Just to try and figure out what's going on. The whey proteins start to come out at 160F and 180F should be good enough. My only guess is that your milk is different. Everything else seems OK to me.

What problem did you have with yogurt? Very long set time?


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Yogurt...couldn't heat it up to temp, but I think my pot was too big for the quantity of milk (I only tried this once, and if I remember right, temp required was not too high - I'll have to look.

2 months into milk. I still don't save anything from my FF. Had some pinkish milk, I don't get a lot out of her, so I still just dump it. I have to send her milk away for testing, just in case.

The other doe, she is what I made cheese out of last fall. Of course, fall vs spring could be the difference. The only other thing is the alfalfa. They are getting crap (at least in my opinion) right now, but I have subsidized with alfalfa pellets. They are both eating more grain on the stand.

I don't know. I don't get it. I don't think citric acid goes bad. And I had it enclosed in a ziplock baggie.

Any other ideas? Like I said, I didn't have a problem last fall. (She was dried off in Jan, kidded doa in March, milking really good about 3 weeks after kidding.)


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## linuxboy (Oct 26, 2009)

You're right, citric acid doesn't go bad. And I don't think temp is the problem, at 180 you should be able to get curds, assuming your thermometer is accurate. Did you try making a smaller batch and adding more acid?


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