I am working my way through a new book from the local library “Making Your Own Cheese and Yogurt” by Max Alth published 1977 Funk and Wagnalls.

  When reading more modern books they state “use whey immediately for Ricotta” or discard. This book has a different approach, storing the whey in the fridge until you accumulate enough to make it worth the time and effort, is suggested as a better more cost effective way.

  Another point of interest. For those who suffer with ‘soft curds’ add powdered milk which will help stiffen up the final cooked curds. The amount does vary from a 1/4 to 2/3rds of a cup per gallon depending on the cheese being made.

I would appreciate comments on both these points as they are different than the currently accepted methods.

I also use whey as soups

newbie..
I would be very interested in hearing more about the addition of powdered milk.
If you could possibly post the milk/powdered milk ratios for different varieties I would really like to give this a try.
My main goal over the past couple of months has been in getting the best curd possible.
Right now I’ve been focusing on a mixture of 2%, whole and whipping cream which has given me the best curd yet.
Anything that might improve my curd is certainly something that I’m interested in.

Thanks,
Dave

Likesspace - 11 February 2009 01:10 AM

newbie..
I would be very interested in hearing more about the addition of powdered milk.
If you could possibly post the milk/powdered milk ratios for different varieties I would really like to give this a try.
Dave

Well you did ask!

1.Cottage Cheese.
1 Gallon skim milk
1/2 Cup of powder
1/2 cup of Commercial starter

2.Cottage Cheese
1 Gallon Skim milk
1/2 cup of powder
1/2 cup Commercial starter
1/16 Salada Rennet tablet.

Farmer Cheese
1 gallon Whole milk
1/2 cup milk powder
1/2 cup Commercial starter or 1 cup Buttermilk.

2. Farmer Cheese- Firmer
1 gallon whole milk
1/2 cup milk powder
1/2 cup commercial starter
1/8 Salada Rennet tablet.

1 Muenster
1 gallon whole milk
1/4 cup milk powder
1/2 cup commercial starter
2 1/2 Salada rennet tablets

2.Muenster   (slightly sourer)
1 gallon whole milk.
1/4 cup of milk powder
1/2 cup commercial starter
1 1/2 Salada rennet tablets

1 Mild American
1 gallon whole milk
1/2 cup milk powder
1/2 commercial starter
2 1/2 Salada rennet tablets.

2 Sharp American
1 Gallon whole milk
1/2 cup milk powder.
1/2 cup commercial starter
1 1/2 Salada rennet tablets.

Cheddar.
1 gallon milk
1/2 cup milk powder.
1/2 cup commercial starter
2 1/2 Salada rennet tablets.

I have included a number of different cheeses, hopefully you can transpose the milk powder amounts to your recipes, if you note the style of cheese. The interesting point to note, to get a slightly sourer cheese reduction of the amount of rennet seems to be the way. If you examine the above you’ll see the change.

Newbie, thanks for the information. I’ll be giving this a try as soon as I can find a suitable dry milk product. I’m not sure if my local grocery carries this but they are very good at getting an item if requested.
Thanks again for the information!

Dave

I would go with the organic stuff, bobs red mill, I got the buttermilk powder because I like it on popcorn. here in Canada its 20$/kg 3tbsp /cup water reconstitutes it.

Neil - 11 February 2009 03:16 AM

I would go with the organic stuff, bobs red mill, I got the buttermilk powder because I like it on popcorn. here in Canada its 20$/kg 3tbsp /cup water reconstitutes it.

Question.Is buttermilk powder the same a skim milk powder? As that is what the reference was to.

they have reg milk powder, just giving an example.

powder milk always produce a weak curds if used alone, so always use CaCl

plus not all kind of powder will give the same results , but u have to use always skimmed milk powder

I will use it only when i will make Cast Feta cheese , as when u higher the solids , less whey will drained and the result is closed feta cheese texture

do u know Cast Feta ?