Mushy Curd Set-up

[twd000]

yes, agreed that "close enough is good enough" and here I am using a digital thermometer and pH meter

I'm just wondering if I'm not pitching enough active kefir if the acidification is slow. I have no idea how many colony-forming-units are in 1/4 cup of my kefir, compared to a packet of flora danica...

 

[bernardsmith]

If you are worried I would add a half cup but not increase the time over "ripening". I certainly have no problem when I use kefir that has been on my counter 24 - 48 hours as the source of the culture... and remember, with folk cheese making they would use raw milk that would have been milked earlier that day or allowed to sit overnight. Raw milk - so the amount of bacteria would not be enormous AND when you heat the milk to say, 90F you are encouraging the the bacteria to reproduce. After you add the rennet at that same temperature the bacteria are going to continue to reproduce and reproduction is never linear. The growth is exponential.