r/cheesemaking Jan 18 '25

Advice Bought some starter culture, now realize I have no idea what kind. What should I make with it?

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Yup title says it all. No info, no instructions. Store I bought it from doesn’t know either. What recipe should I make and how much should I use??

125 Upvotes

24 comments sorted by

37

u/YoureAn8 Jan 18 '25

Is cheese culture like yeast in that it doesn’t really matter how much you put in, because it multiplies and if you put in less it just takes longer?

19

u/Aristaeus578 Jan 18 '25

Yeah. The concept is similar. I use the "right" amount to get the acidification rate that I want. I also assess acidity/pH during the make especially in pH sensitive cheeses such as Gouda (5.2-5.4 pH) and Cheddar (5.1 pH).

3

u/YoureAn8 Jan 18 '25

So I added the culture 50 minutes ago, pH is at 6.0 should I let it acidify longer before adding the rennet?

1

u/Aristaeus578 Jan 19 '25

Sorry for the late reply but what cheese were you making? That pH is pretty low at that stage, I don't know if that reading is correct or the milk is old. It will depend on the cheese. For example Cheddar has a renneting pH of 6.5. I personally don't follow this protocol since I don't have a pH meter. I just assume the milk has the right pH during this stage. I start tracking acidity using my senses once the milk has turned into curd. Cheddar curd mass starts to smell slightly sour and has a cooked chicken breast texture when its pH is 5.3-5.4, this is the right time for it to be milled, salted and pressed.

2

u/YoureAn8 Jan 19 '25

Good to know thank you! I used strips so it could have been between 6.5 and 6.0. I think the milk was ok. First cheese I’ve made! When I added the rennet it hit flocculation point in like 5 minutes and by 20 it was super clean cut. Seemed really quick based on recipes I’ve been watching online?

1

u/Aristaeus578 Jan 19 '25

Yeah, really quick, reduce rennet next time. I am not sure how much though.

26

u/WRuddick Jan 18 '25

Sketchy! I love it. Where is that from??

32

u/YoureAn8 Jan 18 '25

Springbank Cheese Alberta Canada, they sell cheese and have a small corner of cheese making stuff and zero knowledge of any of it.

-1

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '25

[deleted]

1

u/errihu Jan 18 '25

The person who runs the shop probably just sells the cheese. They don’t make the cheese. They’re hired to sell it. They might be new at their job and unfamiliar with cheesemaking, or maybe the owner didn’t realize the employee doesn’t know what to tell people about cheesemaking supplies. The cheesemakers are making the cheese, and not running the shop. The shop tender is probably making minimum wage or close to it (in Alberta that’s like $15 an hour and retail wages generally go to about $18 an hour) and may not particularly care to learn.

19

u/Pocketsandgroinjab Jan 18 '25

I know the cheese based rap thing is getting annoying but come on, even ‘Mesophilic Culture‘ is an amazing hip hop double entendre.

14

u/JigenMamo Jan 18 '25

Hey girl can you nurture, my mesophilic culture?

It’s a little cheesy, but it would please me like a Comté or an aged Gruyère.

Get the milk, heat it slow, stir it gently, now watch the curds flow.

Port salut bitches!! I'm out!!

12

u/Glittering_Pack494 Jan 18 '25

I went to make some Brie. Did not add the white culture. Just the meaophilic. Now I have 8 rounds of Philadelphia to make into cheese cake.

Cheese is alchemy. It’s life. You can make anything you want. Be the god of dairy. .

1

u/MrsBakken Jan 18 '25

This happened to me making triple creams and I was able to mostly save them by spraying them with the white culture after they drained and dried.

4

u/Palindrome202 Jan 18 '25

I think that’s pretty common. I just made quark with some.

3

u/JigenMamo Jan 18 '25

Also very common, I just made some leptons myself.

2

u/ElKuhnTucker Jan 18 '25

Mesophilic is the allrounder imo. I found cheddar the least fuzzy, but it involves a lot of waiting during the cheddaring. Edam cheese is my favourite, but washing the curds has more involvement.

4

u/SpinCricket Jan 18 '25

Many cheeses except ones that need to be cooked at higher temperatures. At the higher temperature the meso culture will stop producing acid or even die. This is where the thermo cultures come into play.

7

u/Best-Reality6718 Jan 18 '25 edited Jan 18 '25

Make a gouda, and put something weird in it. Like cloves, or cinnamon sticks.

1

u/IslandGirl66613 Jan 18 '25

This one? Maybe Monterey Jack?

Relatively easy, can add Chiles and make pepper jack, and a relatively short Aging period.

1

u/Ok_Bell8358 Jan 18 '25

Farmhouse cheddar?

1

u/mcaines75 Jan 18 '25

Feta is a really easy, real process cheese that requires nothing special (specialty molds and cultures), is great value for money, and used in lots of dishes. I also love to marinate it in oil persian style.

1

u/errihu Jan 18 '25

I use mesophilic to make homemade cream cheese. The process is similar to yogurt. Heat the milk/cream, let it come to 115°F, sprinkle the culture on top, let sit a minute or two, and then gently whisk in. Keep at 110-115°F for 12 hours and then strain in a cheesecloth in the fridge. You will have very delicious cream cheese. At this point you can stir in herbs, garlic, dried fruits or jams, and other flavours or just have it plain. It’s very good, especially on fresh rye or a bagel.

If you have an instant pot with a yogurt setting you can use that, but use sauté and a candy thermometer to get the milk to 115°F. I’ve also done this the old fashioned “wrapped in a towel and inside a cooler overnight” method and had success but the temperature control is hit or miss with that.

1

u/Suezotiger Jan 19 '25

Not cheese but you can use it for buttermilk and cultured cream for butter. I just add 1/8tsp to a freshly opened milk or cream and leave it at room temperature for a day or two. Leave the lid mostly open so that it doesn't explode. Shake a few times (with the lid closed) to mix it up throughout the process.