SOME HELPFUL TIPS ON QUALITY CHEESEMAKING
- Milk standardization – this is the foundation for consistent cheese making quality, legal compliance, and yield determination. You have a separator, so use it correctly and standardize the milk to specific target Butterfat : Protein ratios by using the Pearson Square calculation. This will reduce the variability in your cheeses significantly and will boost your sales of cream or butter!
- Always rennet your milk based on pH per cheese type. A general rule is hard cheeses should be renneted at higher pH’s than softer cheese with only a few exceptions. The reason is simple….a higher milk pH results in a softer curd which assists with moisture loss whilst a lower milk pH results in a firmer curd where more moisture remains intact.
- Always check your final cheese pH after 24 hours or the following morning to see whether your process is under control and if you have achieved the target pH. If you don’t do this, you will never know what parameters to change. Simply put, if you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it!
- Check your frequency of brine dumping based on your yeast and mould counts.
- Also check the ratio of cheeses relative to the amount of brine to ensure adequate salt uptake. You can optimize this by circulating your brine too if you have the facility to do so.
Herewith a reference table for Butterfat : Protein ratios for various cheese types after standardization :
Cheese type | Ratio |
Cheddar | 1.08 to 1.10 |
Gouda | 1.02 to 1.05 |
Feta | 1.15 to 1.20 |
Traditional Cream Cheese | 1.20 to 1.30 |
Mozzarella | 0.9 to 0.95 |
Pecorino | 1.02 to 1.05 |
Herewith a reference table for Rennet Ph for various cheese types :
Cheese type | Rennet pH |
Cheddar | 6.55 to 6.50 |
Gouda | 6.53 to 6.48 |
Feta | 6.45 to 6.40 |
Traditional Cream Cheese | Immediately after the culture has dissolved if you follow the overnight lactic curd method. |
Mozzarella | 6.53 to 6.48 |
Pecorino | 6.55 to 6.50 |
Herewith a reference table for 24 Hour Ph (Final Ph) for various cheese types :
Cheese type | pH |
Cheddar | 5.2 to 5.1 |
Gouda | 5.28 to 5.2 |
Feta | 4.70 to 4.60 |
Traditional Cream Cheese | 4.5 |
Mozzarella | 5.1 to 5.20 |
Pecorino | 5.2 to 5.1 |
MOS 052, 054, or 060 (This is in Sacco code) In CSL code, the same 3 rotations are called DOS VB 502, 504, or 506 – 80% We are moving from CSL stock over to SACCO stock, so be prepared that you may receive 1 or the other depending on the current stock holding in SA.
DHL IDC 13 – 10%
ST 081, 083, or 087 – 10%
CIPLM
Gouda
DOM 1, 2, or 3 – 75%
ST 081, 083, or 087 – 25%
CIPLM
Pecorino
MOT 092 or 094 (This is in Sacco code) In CSL code, the same 2 rotations are called DOT HH 902 or 904 – 70%
ST 081, 083, or 087 – 10%
Dom 1, 2, or 3 – 20%