Massive Mozzarella Failure!!

[wyowolf]

title pretty much says it all. Got a kit Mad Millie for Christmas. went step by step... even purchased special "non homogenized" milk, 1/2 gal. Rennet has exp of 2016. Never coagulated added one tab, nothing... added another still nothing!!

Reading on the cheese making forums it seems that a lot of organic milk is what they call "ultra pasteurized", I believe this is what I got.

I added the CaCl, and the Citric Acid per instructions.

I noticed on the CMF that they call for 1/4 tab rennet? can you add TOO much ? what are the effects? basically I ended up with what looked like grits on the bottom when it separated.

Next time I will try reg store milk, no way to get fresh here in Ga, at least thats reasonably close.

 

[Yooper]

You can add too much I believe, but if the milk is 'ultra pasteurized', it will never form a curd and that sounds like what happened here. You can use homogenized milk, but not ultra pasteurized milk, in cheese making.

 

[smcinco]

^ agree. Keep at it until you find the right brand of milk.

 

[passedpawn]

There are non-homogenized milks available that are gently pasteurized. I don't think I've seen non-homogenized organic milk though. Don't you have the container around still? This info should be right on the label. UHT always says UHT.

If you did get organic milk, it was probably UHT. And yea, it won't form a proper curd.

 

[wyowolf]

No I threw it out Sunday night. It was Non homogenized but not sure about ultra...should have done more research. The instructions only mentioned NH milk.
Will try reg milk next.

There are non-homogenized milks available that are gently pasteurized. I don't think I've seen non-homogenized organic milk though. Don't you have the container around still? This info should be right on the label. UHT always says UHT.

If you did get organic milk, it was probably UHT. And yea, it won't form a proper curd.

 

[passedpawn]

P/H milk should work, but in my experience mozz is a seriously difficult cheese to get right. I don't know why, but I've had such bad luck with it I'll probably never try again.

 

[Homercidal]

P/H milk should work, but in my experience mozz is a seriously difficult cheese to get right. I don't know why, but I've had such bad luck with it I'll probably never try again.

Really? My first cheese was mozz and it was... "ok".

I made it again and it was excellent. So easy and fast. The second time I just reheated the curds in the microwave to keep it warmed up while I kneaded and balled it up. It made that part of the process super easy.

 

[passedpawn]

Really? My first cheese was mozz and it was... "ok".

I made it again and it was excellent. So easy and fast. The second time I just reheated the curds in the microwave to keep it warmed up while I kneaded and balled it up. It made that part of the process super easy.

Yea, really

It came out just OK the first time I made it. The second time was perfect. Since then I've had 4 COMPLETE failures in a row. I give up! I tried changing variables like heat and rennet and the milk. Argh.

 

[podz]

Yea, really

It came out just OK the first time I made it. The second time was perfect. Since then I've had 4 COMPLETE failures in a row. I give up! I tried changing variables like heat and rennet and the milk. Argh.

Time to change the buffalo, then.

 

[9mmruger]

I use Spartan Brand whole milk. I get great curd with it. 1 to 2 gallons I use 3/4 tsp calcium chloride and 1/16 tsp of dry calf rennet. Of course the starter that I need depending upon the cheese. Here is a pix of my last weekend cheddar in the press. Second pix is of my Blue Stilton from last weekend under the overnight weight.