Acidifying feta brine

Posted on November 1st, 2006 by Leon the Milkman.
Categories: Cheese, Milk, Dairy Science.

Hi, Cheese fans

Most of the Feta brine recipes I have seen use citric acid to acidify the brine, but you can use any other household acid :-)   , well like vinegar.

The first time I used the vinegar I thought that it would give a taste to the feta, but it did not - maybe you are more sensitive to the taste.

Also remember to test the acidity of the brine - if it is too alkaline your feta will dissolve in time.  I use methyl red indicator to test the acidity.  If it turns pink it is acid enough and if it turns yellow, you need more acid.

Drink your milk and eat your cheese ;-)

Leon the Milkman

0 comments.

Enzymes in milk

Posted on October 18th, 2006 by Leon the Milkman.
Categories: Milk, Raw Milk, Dairy Science.

Hi, Milk Fans

Milk contains a number of enzymes, that include lipase, protease, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, esterase, xanthine oxidase, lactoperoxidase, catalase, aldolase and lysozyme.

Remember to drink your milk,

Leon the Milkman

0 comments.

Link to Meetse-Tech Labs

Posted on October 12th, 2006 by Leon the Milkman.
Categories: Dairy News, Milk, Dairy Science.

Hi, Milk Fans

I have just linked to www.meetse.co.za, the home of Meetse-Tech Labs in South Africa.  They are a lab specialising in dairy, water and soil analysis near Benoni, South Africa.  They also import fine Funke Gerber dairy science equipment.

Check them out while you are drinking your milk,

Leon the Milkman

0 comments.

Curd Cooking?

Posted on October 11th, 2006 by Leon the Milkman.
Categories: Cheese, Milk, Dairy Science.

Hi, Cheese Fans

The expulsion of whey during the cheese making process is hastened by heating and stirring.  This heating is called “Cooking the Curd” by cheese makers.  This is usually a gradual process that ranges from 33°C(91.4°F) to 80°C(176°F).  If the heating takes place too fast the curd particles become overfirm on the outside - known as “case hardening” - preventing moisture and lactose to be released.  This could give an over-acid cheese.

Remember: Drink milk!

Kind regards,

Leon the Milkman

0 comments.

Whipping Cream

Posted on October 9th, 2006 by Leon the Milkman.
Categories: Milk, Dairy Science.

Hi, Dairy Fans

Cream will whip if the fat content exceeds 30% and if the cream is cold, because the fat has to be in a solid state.  The cream must have been cold for some time to allow complete crystallization of the fat.

Remember: Drink Milk!

Kind regards,

Leon the Milkman

0 comments.

Modern buttermilk?

Posted on September 27th, 2006 by Leon the Milkman.
Categories: Dairy Science.

Hi, Milk Fans

Traditionally buttermilk is the milk that is released once butter has been churned from cream.  It has the composition of skim milk basically and about the same nutritional value.  These days buttermilk is mostly made from adding some lactic acid bacteria to skim milk.  This is done, because buttermilk does not have the stability that is required to repasteurise it, so that it can stand in the shops for some time.

Traditional buttermilk can thus be sweet or acidified by lactic acid bacteria and is much thinner in consistency than the “buttermilk” we buy in the shops today.  

With the modern way the consumer gets a product of better physical quality and that has the same nutritional value as traditional buttermilk.

Thought you would like to know ;-)

Leon the Milkman

0 comments.

Freezing milk bulk tank

Posted on September 14th, 2006 by Leon the Milkman.
Categories: Milk, Dairy Farming, Raw Milk, Dairy Science.

Hi, Milk Fans

If your bulk tank is freezing it’s set too cold and you stand a chance of developing rancidity in the milk.  This is because the formed ice crystals puncture the fat globules, releasing lipase.  Be sure to not switch the tank on too early - some people like to do this to give the tank a “running start”, before the milk is pumped in.

When the milk freezes, it also concentrates the milk solids, making the milk sweet and increasing the viscosity.

Kind regards,

Leon the Milkman

4 comments.

Solving QC problems with outsourcing

Posted on September 6th, 2006 by Leon the Milkman.
Categories: Dairy Science.

Hi, Guys

When solving a dairy QC problem be sure that you can trace everything from its origin and be sure what info you can give away to an outside source.

On the other hand be sure that you can give enough info for the person to help you - I get loads of requests for help, where I am not allowed to enter the premises or may not see the recipe or changes or whatever!   How can you help someone like that!

Hope this helps somebody, somewhere ;-)

Kind regards,

Leon the Milkman

0 comments.

Where did that yoghurt taste come from?

Posted on August 31st, 2006 by Leon the Milkman.
Categories: Yoghurt, Dairy Science.

Hi, Yoghurt Fans

When you have a funny taste in your yoghurt it is not always funny ;-)

If the factory manufactures an unflavoured yoghurt and then add flavours, the first question should be if the taste is present in the unflavoured yoghurt as well.  If it is, then it cannot have come from the flavour or fruit that was added, right?

So now it must come from anything that is added before that point, like the milk itself, the stabilisers, the sugar/sweeteners or base.   Get to every ingredient, and make sure it is from the same batch.   For example, get milk from the same farmer on the same day, etc.

Some of the yoghurt can be used to innoculate autoclaved/UHT/longlife milk and if the same taste is perceived after the milk is set, then the taste is microbial, right?   I say this because if the 3% or so yoghurt with the funny taste was mixed into milk and no taste was evident and after incubation the taste is there, then it must be microbial, I think.

Hope you found this of value.

Kind regards,

Leon the Milkman

0 comments.

Factors affecting Somatic Cell Counts (SCC)

Posted on August 27th, 2006 by Leon the Milkman.
Categories: Dairy Farming, Cows, Dairy Science.

Hi, Dairy Farmers

Read this great new article on my www.dairy-info.org site.

Have you had your milk today?

Kind regards,

Leon the Milkman

0 comments.

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