# Mozzarella trouble shooting and general ?? ...



## homeacremom (Nov 6, 2007)

What causes the curd to loose cream while stretching? Today's make wasn't the worst I've ever had, but I can tell it is going to be a little dry. It took almost an hour more than usual to get to a nice melting, stretching consistency. :/ I was doing a larger batch...

How many stretches do you give it? 

Are you using a saturated brine or percentage? Pros and cons? I think a saturated brine is too much salt, forms too tough of a rind, etc... but what do I know? :crazy I'm ready for a ph meter and titration kit.


----------



## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

my one and only try went to the dogs and they didn't even jump at it. so am no help at all


----------



## Leo (Mar 10, 2008)

LOL! What's worse is when you give it to the dogs, they don't touch it, so you give to the chickens, they don't touch it, finally, the pig, she loves it. :crazy

I've only done the microwave one. I tried to do it hot water but the water really needs to be hot so that you don't overwork the cheese and make so rubbery. 
I've never counted the stretches, I just do till it's glossy, like taffy. Just what I've found the hotter the whey/water the faster and easier to stretch.
Are you doing the long method? 
My neighbor makes an excellent mozz but Argentine style,I think it's called leather hand or something, she just stores it in a bag. I don't think she brines it, just salt and bag. It forms a thin yellow rind.


----------



## homeacremom (Nov 6, 2007)

Yes, the long process and no microwave... I use 170* water and keep it on low if I'm doing more than one ball. I got Christy's new long process recipe down perfectly on 1 gallon batches several times. I think my problem developed from trying to do a larger batch, then not letting the milk ripen long enough to get the acidity to the proper level before renneting. 

This is where a quick check with the ph meter in mozz or TA in other cheeses would just take out all the guess work and variants with different size batches, milk changes, etc. Or help compensate for a 1-2 degree temp variation somewhere. This goes beyond hobby or pleasure for us, because if I don't get it right we go without cheese. Life isn't the same without cheese!  I enjoy the cheesemaking, but I'm to the point I don't want to be on the edge of an experiment every time. Get it going, make 5 lb batches and have it turn out exactly the same every time unless I decide to play. LOL I do like playing though!


----------



## Leo (Mar 10, 2008)

> This is where a quick check with the ph meter in mozz or TA in other cheeses would just take out all the guess work and variants with different size batches, milk changes, etc. Or help compensate for a 1-2 degree temp variation somewhere.


Yeah, but it sounds like you got a good handle on things. I've only done 1 gal batches so far, but 5 gal batches sound much more efficient. Not much help I know. 


> I enjoy the cheesemaking, but I'm to the point I don't want to be on the edge of an experiment every time. Get it going, make 5 lb batches and have it turn out exactly the same every time unless I decide to play. LOL I do like playing though!


Playing is fun but I do like consistent results as well, when you depend on your own abilities for all your dairy it's so much more important.
Have you tried the hot iron string technique to test for ph? And compare results with your 1gal batch to the 5gal batch? 
Megan


----------



## homeacremom (Nov 6, 2007)

OK, what is the hot iron string test? New to me...please explain. 
Thanks!


----------



## Leo (Mar 10, 2008)

It's when you heat up an iron, and touch some curd to it, the longer the string gets before it breaks, the higher the ph. I'll see if I can find pics of the test in one of my books so I can scan it for you.  
Megan


----------



## homeacremom (Nov 6, 2007)

Sounds simple enough! Wish it would work on the milk before renneting! LOL 

Ok, we need a thread that says what cheese books we all own or have read.


----------



## Leo (Mar 10, 2008)

Uck, I can't find it right now, but I swear I saw pics. :crazy
I think it's either in my cheesemaking history book or the methods book from 1912. But for testing acidity prior to curds, I remember something about dipping your clean finger in the vat, rubbing your fingers together to feel something and tasting it for acidity. Ugh. Off to look more.
Megan
Here's a excerpt from he Encyclopædia Britannica, 1901 or something, not the same but I'll see if I can't find more details:
















In my practical cheese methods it says: 
"[...] it can only be used from the cheddaring stage onwards. Up until the cheddaring all acidities had to be estimated by smell, taste and the sensitivity of the cheesemaker.
A flat metal bar is used about 20cm/8in long, with a wooden handle at one end. It is heated red-hot and allowed to cool to black. A representative sample of curd-about 4cm3/1/4in cubed- is then pressed firmley onto [...] 1.25 cm/1/2in is equivalent to .25 per cent lactic acid
2.5 cm/1in is equivalent to 0.65 per cent LA
3.75cm/1 1/2in is equivalent to 0.75-0.85 per cent LA.
No pics. Or help in the earlier part of the process. :sigh
Megan


----------



## red farmer (Feb 5, 2009)

Don't know much 
Wife makes it for me at least once a week. sometimes 3 batches a week. this spring since i released the goats onto more "greener" pastures she had to increase the rennett by 50 % to get the same product. She does use a micro.to heat up the curd. between stretching. I know we do not have a PH meter. but would like on she tells me.


----------

