Cheese making using lactose-free milk?

[bernardsmith]

I know that ripening curds changes lactose into lactic acids and my question has nothing to do with lactose intolerance. I am interested in making a whey wine from the leftover whey (there is a Scottish/Norse wine known as Blaand). One method would be to provide yeast with fermentable sugar in addition to any remaining lactose but an alternative method would be to convert the lactose into glucose and galactose using lactase tablets. My question: does lactose-free milk make acceptable cheese? Does such cheese acidify appropriately or is my idea of using lactose-free milk for the whey wrong-headed? Thanks.

 

[bernardsmith]

Beuller. Beuller. Beuller. Anyone. Anyone. Anyone.

 

[shelly_belly]

According to http://www.cheesemaking.com/learn/faq/milk.html you can make mozzarella and ricotta

 

[bernardsmith]

Yeah but those cheeses are typically not made with cultures but with vinegar or citric acid. I am more interested in making Caerphilly, and cheddar, squeaky curd cheese and feta and these are ripened cheeses (as Moz should be too but there is a fad for making Moz in 30 minutes rather than allowing the milk to develop cultures that transform the lactose into lactic acid.

 

[shelly_belly]

I think lactic acid bacteria use primarily the glucose obtained from lactose for metabolism. You might try feeding the cultures some dextrose.

 

[bernardsmith]

I think lactic acid bacteria use primarily the glucose obtained from lactose for metabolism. You might try feeding the cultures some dextrose.

OK... but if I am making cheese from the milk why would I want to add dextrose? Presumably lactase breaks the lactose down into glucose and galactose.. so the bacteria have glucose. Are you then suggesting that you CAN make cheese from lactose free milk?

 

[shelly_belly]

Sorry, I assumed from your question that you were asking about making cheese with lactose free milk.

 

[bernardsmith]

I was asking about using lactose -free milk in making cheese. Can you make cheddar cheese with lactose free milk? or blue cheese? I don't want a sweet whey - I would need an acidic whey - how much dextrose would my kefir culture convert to lactic acid - and would it convert the sugars to lactic acid or some other compound?

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

I was asking about using lactose -free milk in making cheese. Can you make cheddar cheese with lactose free milk? or blue cheese? I don't want a sweet whey - I would need an acidic whey - how much dextrose would my kefir culture convert to lactic acid - and would it convert the sugars to lactic acid or some other compound?

I think the confusion is coming from the source of milk. Since you mention lactose-free milk (ie almond / soy milk) in the OP / threat title, but then go to regular milk with latcase enzymes (ie Lactaid brand milk).

I would say, give it a shot one day and report back, or be more specific about the type /brand of milk you plan on using. It might clear up some of the confusion.

 

[bernardsmith]

In-ter-esting point. I was talking about cow's milk to which the dairy (or I ) had added lactase to remove the lactose. And so without lactose I wondered whether the yeasts and bacteria used to inoculate milk to ripen it with cultures before coagulation would be able to create acidity that cheese typically possesses and which enables you to make conventional cheeses from Mozzarella to Caerphill, from cheddar to Brie.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

I can't see why it wouldn't work, theoretically. Since lactase creates glucose and lactic acid bacteria will convert it to acid. I think the mystery is what other flavors you get, or don't get, because of the lactase interference. It's worth a 1 gallon experiment I'd say.

Also here's the quote form the source above
"With a lactose-free milk, that is not ultra-pasteurized, you will be able to make our 30 Minute Mozzarella and Ricotta. However, you will not be able to make other cheeses. The process of cheese making is based on the bacterial cultures converting the lactose in milk to lactic acid. This process drives the conversion of liquid milk to curds, which eventually becomes cheese. This conversion also causes the moisture (whey) to be released. Without lactose in milk there is no food to support the bacterial cultures."

But there is still food (glucose), which is why I assume it would work to some degree.

 

[bernardsmith]

But here's the rub - as Bill Shakespeare might have said - the 1 gallon experiment can take 4 - 5 hours of work to find that the result's a dud. (15 minutes to get the milk to temperature, 5 minutes to add Ca Cl, 45 minutes to ripen the milk with culture; 60 minutes to allow for coagulation with rennet, another 60 minutes stirring and cooking, and, say 60 -90 minutes cheddaring, salting and mellowing). But perhaps not. Perhaps I could simply check the pH after a couple of hours to see whether it has dropped and if it has continue on - and if it hasn't then c'est la vie, c'est la guerre.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

The batch size for the test is really up to you. If you want to pay for your standard batch size on the experiment that's fine too.

The time issue will always be there. Just now you've given me vivid memories of a cheese I took the time to make, press, age a few days etc. Only to taste the nastiest cheese I've ever eaten. I forgot to salt the damn thing.

 

[bernardsmith]

A gallon of milk is not a problem if that goes south, but spending 4 or 5 hours at night is a big sacrifice if I cannot anticipate that the outcome is likely to be successful. BUT that said, determining whether lactose free milk can make a tasty cheese -despite the folk who say that it cannot - may be worth the possible downside of a wasted evening (the real irony is that most hard cheeses have no lactose in them and so are OK for those with lactose problems: the cultures used to inoculate the milk transform lactose to lactic acid. ... aha! Just had a thought: If I add some similar culture to a honey must of known pH and the pH drops then I could assume that the bacteria are feeding on the sugars in the honey - glucose and fructose (OK not galactose) - but if they can feed on sugars other than lactose then I can provisionally assume that they might (might) acidify lactose free milk