SO my 4th attempt turned out like the rest, it just dissolves when it goes into hot water. :( so I added some blue culture and gonna have it as a quick blue. Full details/Pics on web site.

Neil….
Can I ask why you are putting your Mozzarella into hot water? If this is to prepare it for stretching, I’ve always read to put it back into the whey (at 145 degrees F).
Honestly, I always use the microwave since I’ve had much better luck doing it this way. I’ve worked out a system that really works well for me and always turns out a cheese that’s the same time after time.
Just curious…

Dave

Dave,

One thing that I learned ws to put the curds into a collendar and dip the collendar into the hot water (putting a base in the water below the collendar helps as well.  We then use wooden spoons to knead the curd pieces together until they are then kind of like dough. Once in this stage we grap the dough ball out of the hot water (rubber gloves on hands) and then can stretch the cheese and form into balls.  When we fist made this, we tried to do the kneading in the water with our hands (actually took it out and tried to get it together) but this always ended with dissolving bits of cheese and no stretching. I had read about the wooden spoons thing and had dismisswed it at first as I thought they were stretching the mozz with wooden spoons and this seemed stupid to me.  My daughter saw a video on U-tube that should this other way of working the curds in the hot water, we tried it and have had great results since.

Gerrit

YUP, but it didnt work for me, very frustrating, simple process and 0 luck. I dont have a microwave and wont use them

Neil, let me help u to make good mozzarella

add a very little culture (powder) don’t use ur way of preparing it in day before…  temp 32c wait 15 minute , add rennet

then cut and stir, cook @ 39 in 30 mins

then drain, and let it set and mate, then cut slices and leave the pot in 39C water bath, turn them every 15 min to make them all same temp, drain whey every turn

then u will see in hour to three hour that the cheese slices start to become flat, but the right way to test is by pH meter 5.1 or by taking a small piece every 15 mins and put it in 75C hot water, and try to stretch,
in first stage the cheese will not stretch and break pH over 5.4 then it will start to stretch a little bit pH5.3 and 5.2 then it will stretch very beautifully for long string when pH5.1 then it will break again when the pH bellow 5.0

bring a gallon and try it, and do not rush, and avoid your historical acid problem, and u will thanking me, when u end up with very shiny smooth mozz balls

Will try again, have to wait to get some milk or water down the 18% I have.
Thanks!

Update, Bluing has shown its pritty face

Sing…
Thanks for the ideas on making traditional mozzarella!
Even though the microwave has worked well for me I’ve always wanted to do one the “right” way. Now that I have the information I will give this a go in the coming weeks.
I really appreciate the info.

Likesspace - 13 January 2009 02:26 AM

Sing…
Thanks for the ideas on making traditional mozzarella!
Even though the microwave has worked well for me I’ve always wanted to do one the “right” way. Now that I have the information I will give this a go in the coming weeks.
I really appreciate the info.

wish u the luck, and u r welcome

Update

Looks like it might walk away soon, no bad smell though. Does look like a got some white culture mixed in by mistake.