Trying to make cream cheese, and failing

[LittleLotte]

Hello everyone! I am trying to make cream cheese and having a little trouble.

I use mesophilic cultures and the first time, I made the mistake of using heavy cream. That resulted in something that tasted like butter and cream cheese mashed together. Not bad, but nothing like regular cream cheese. I cultured it for 12 hours and let it drain for 9.

What happened was I got confused by the recipe because it mentioned cream. When I hear cream, I think heavy cream so that's what I bought. Turned out that cream meant raw milk, which is illegal to sell where I live.

The second time, I used homogenized, pasteurized whole milk. Used the same kind of culture. It tasted like cream cheese but after draining, it looked like whipped butter. It was very crumbly and dry. I cultured and drained it for the same amount of time.

I think the next step is to just use half and half. Is the problem that I didn't use milk without enough fat?

 

[user6244]

Looks like your trying to make a french style cream cheese which uses a heavy cream 40%fat.

12 hours is a bit short by another 12 hours or 24 hours..

drained for 6 hours


2 cups heavy cream
2 cups full fat homogenized milk
1/64th or 1 drop tsp of the mesophilic starter
1/2 tablet of rennet in 1/8 cup of non chlorinated water
cheese salt non iodinized type kosher salt pickling salt etc..to taste
herbs optional

you need to get the temp up slowly to 72f (22c)
add the calcium chloride,, add the starter culture, then add rennet (mix only 30 seconds max when adding the rennet and try to use the slotted spoon up and down motion to get it mixed well.

then hard part is use a water bath in the sink and let it rest for 24hrs while trying to maintain as best as possible 68F (20c)

next day scoop the curds into a cheesecloth lined collander and then bring the corners together and allow to drain for 6 hours or they stop dripping....

after that place in a bowl salt to taste and or and herbs

the above will make about 14 oz ....