Cheese making

[YT2095]

this is more for the bio-chem side.

 

I`m making my own cheeses, I have most all the equipment and a few good recipes

 

1`stly I`de like to know if rennet is 100% necesary? as the method I use (and I cant find anywhere on the net about it) doesn`t use it, although I DO have a 125ml bottle of it.

 

here`s another question, the proccess of turning sugars and proteins into lactic acid shouldn`t give off any gasses, and yet stage one (leaving a big plastic bottle of unpasturised whole milk at room temp) will actualy expand the bottle to breaking point? enough so that the removing the lid will go BANG!!! and graze fingers

so what is this gas? the Curds and whey seperate perfectly and as of yet I`ve had no cause to use the rennet for coagulation.

 

also, when the cheese is curing/maturing it gives of a VERY cheesey almost like old socks smell, is this good?

 

I also noticed then when I put the fresh pressed cheese in the brine, little gas bubbles were escaping for nearly the full 48 hours it was in there, what is this gas?

 

any help from someone that KNOWS would be appreciated, guessers may stay out of it, this is FOOD! and ya don`t F**k about with that!

[jgerlica]

Cheese info

YT, just ask Sid any questions, I'm sure he'd be more than happy to help you out. I'd ask my father in law, but I don't really feel like an all day lecture on cheese making.

[YT2095]

Thanx anyway, it wasn`t really helpfull though, I need more on the bio-chem side of things.

 

pathogens are also interesting, as avoiding them or knowing what signs to look for is Essential for a Long life

[Xavier]

The process of turning sugar to lactate is anaerobic. In order to get the slower acting anaerobic microbes to do this the aerobic microbes have to be finished off first by oxygen starvation. Filling the bottle to the brim will help but, as there will always be some oxygen dissolved in the liquid they will always manage to produce a little carbon dioxide before expiring. The carbon dioxide should dissolve happily in the space but chilling the bottle before opening the lid might reduce any residual overpressure. Otherwise an airlock of some sort will be needed to remove the excess CO2 without introducing more oxygen. (see winemaking paraphernalia)

The bubbles given off by the freshly pressed cheese in brine are most likely CO2 as well as the high pressure in the bottle caused more of the gas to dissolve and it would take some time to coalesce into bubbles and escape the protein matrix. The bubbles are unlikely to be the result of an ongoing microbial process as aerobic bacteria that might be found in the cheese would not survive the acidity and the brine.

HOWEVER in these days of intensive farming and universal pasteurisation a significant percentage of raw cows' milk are infected with listeria (and other pathogens). Unless you are sure of the sanctity of the cow that donated its milk, the product cannot be considered healthy. (The industry uses a variety of technological ways of sterilising the curd, I believe (i.e. pressure shock, irradiation))

 

Rennet is not absolutely necessary to make cheese - the first truly vegetarian cheese was made without it as the only source of rennet at the time was animal (c.1950?). Since then manufactured sources have become available and speedily adopted as the earlier vegetarian cheeses apparently had a texture more like grated nuts than cheese.

(As an aside, the Vegan Society was formed in UK in 1949 after in was pointed out that with the post-war rationing still in place those who partook of a vegetarian diet actually ate more animal product that those with a standard diet. Rennet was one of the prime causes of this anomaly.)

__________________________________________

 

"Blessed be the cheese-makers?"

"It's allegorical. He's probably referring to any member of the dairy produce industry."

[jgerlica]

Umm.... I really didn't intend to use the site as an informational tool, it is the easiest, Ie. not an international phone call, way to contact Sid. He's the "master cheese maker," and a pretty nice fellow to boot.

[YT2095]

Thanks! great answer!

 

I was told that any patogens will be rendered inert after a 60 day curing/maturation period, would that include listeria too?

[YT2095]

an update:

 

yesterday myself and 2 friends ate quite a large amount of the homemade cheese, they totaly loved it! although one complained that it was a little salty (probably in the brine too long for its size).

 

needless to say, I`m still here and with no ill effects at all, I`ll find out about the other 2 later on in the day.

 

I for one am impressed with the simplicity of it for such a great result, I`ll certainly be making more soon!

[ed84c]

what sort of cheese is it?

 

Also if you want to totally protect it, dust it in a campden tablet or dissolve one in.