New bee!!

[Didi]

Hi everyone! I decided to start making cheese . Started with mozzarella. Ive been so anxious about the whole process. Ive made about 3 batch which flopped. Im having issues with getting the fine finish. The mozzarella stretches but not too well. Im guessing that’s contributing to the finish. I actually underestimated what making cheese iss!!! Sooo challenging. Please is there are advice on how to get that perfect thing . I attached a picture of what ive been getting

 

[bernardsmith]

Hi Didi - and welcome. The problem is that mozzarella is not an easy first (or tenth) cheese to make. The Goldilocks sweet spot for stretching the cheese is in a very small range of pH. Too acidic or too alkaline and it won't stretch. And if you are using cultures then the amount of time the cheese needs to acidify is grounded in the amount of time the culture needs to both grow and transform lactose into lactic acid. If you are using lemon juice then it is a little simpler but you still need to add enough (and not too much ) juice to acidify the milk you have, and the acidity of the milk that you have, even before you add any acidity will depend on how fresh it is so there are a number of variables that "recipes" ignore but that you cannot.
That said, I would always suggest that a beginner starts with cheeses that are far more tolerant - halloumi, for example, or squeaky curd cheese, a chevre (even if that's made with cow's milk rather than goat's).

 

[Didi]

Hi Didi - and welcome. The problem is that mozzarella is not an easy first (or tenth) cheese to make. The Goldilocks sweet spot for stretching the cheese is in a very small range of pH. Too acidic or too alkaline and it won't stretch. And if you are using cultures then the amount of time the cheese needs to acidify is grounded in the amount of time the culture needs to both grow and transform lactose into lactic acid. If you are using lemon juice then it is a little simpler but you still need to add enough (and not too much ) juice to acidify the milk you have, and the acidity of the milk that you have, even before you add any acidity will depend on how fresh it is so there are a number of variables that "recipes" ignore but that you cannot.
That said, I would always suggest that a beginner starts with cheeses that are far more tolerant - halloumi, for example, or squeaky curd cheese, a chevre (even if that's made with cow's milk rather than goat's).

Hi Bernard!
Thank for the tips!! Ill take note. I also think it has something to do with the acidity. I did not test the acidity.

 

[passedpawn]

Yea, mozz is not easy, not matter what anyone says.

However, there is one easy method that I've had great success with. It's not as tasty as the natural acidification methods, but it works much more frequently. You use citric acid for the acidification.

https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a10708/making-fresh-mozzarella/

 

[bernardsmith]

What passedpawn says is correct, but then you are absolutely controlling the level of acidity. But here's the thing: when you use an acid - whether vinegar, lemon juice or citric acid to acidify the milk the flavor is then a symphony played with one note by one instrument. When you use cultures to ripen the milk and acidify it that way then you have a wonderful melody of flavors that make your mozzarella so incredible. So... a relatively tasteless mozz that is easier to make vs a very delightful cheese that is a real challenge to make...

 

[passedpawn]

What passedpawn says is correct, but then you are absolutely controlling the level of acidity. But here's the thing: when you use an acid - whether vinegar, lemon juice or citric acid to acidify the milk the flavor is then a symphony played with one note by one instrument. When you use cultures to ripen the milk and acidify it that way then you have a wonderful melody of flavors that make your mozzarella so incredible. So... a relatively tasteless mozz that is easier to make vs a very delightful cheese that is a real challenge to make...

Truth! I did try to combine both the quick acidification with citric acid with flora danica to perhaps gain some flavor during storage. Sadly, I think that batch failed.