Theuse of the modern freeze dried Direct Set Cultures is very convenient for homeand artisan cheese makers. There is no longer a need to make a 'mother culture'or 'starter culture', unless you are a large producer and intend to inoculate alarge amount of milk (1000-10,000 lbs.)
Caringfor them once you open the sealed foil packet is important to shelf-life and consistentbatch making. If you will be using a small amount of cultures for your batch, thefollowing is very important; your culture can be effected by humidity andairborne elements. If the sealed foil packet is kept in the freezer, it willlast 1.5-2 years, maybe even longer.
Onceopened, it is important to keep moisture from shortening the shelf-life of yourculture. Some cultures are blends of up to four different lactic bacteriain specific proportions. Some cultures contain a single strain of lacticbacteria. With the latter, using a small amount of the product for a smallbatch is fine. The cultures that contain a blend of different lacticbacteria strains need extra attention. Before opening or if the packet isalready opened, shake the packet well to mix evenly the different strainsbefore taking a small amount from the packet. Do not empty the packet intoanother container to mix it up. After taking the small amount of culture fromthe packet, fold the foil packet up a few times and place inside a small sealedZip Lock style plastic bag, placing it inside another small Zip Lock styleplastic bag. This will help to insure that outside humidity and airborne elementswill not shorten the shelf-life or contaminate your culture.
What does DOSE mean? The dose is noted onsome cultures to meet industry standards. A dose is not per gallon of milk,rather per weight of milk. Some culture packs are listed in grams which can bethen divided to know how much to use for the amount of milk you areinoculating. Home and small artisan cheese makers can follow the usage rate on thepacket once you receive it. Which starter culture do I use? Cheese making is part science, part craft. Therefore, if you are new to the craft, usethe culture which is recommended on this web site or email me dan@thecheesemaker.com.
Sometimesthere may be more than one culture recommended. You may want to experiment byadjusting your recipe (make a sheet) and use a different starter culture. Thisway you can compare the flavor, acidity, texture of your cheese. Try not tochange more than one variable at a time so you can determine exactly why yourcheeses are different. Cultures, molds and yeasts are packaged in amoisture barrier sealed foil packets, keeping them free from air and humidity.After opening, fold over packet a few times and place in one, if not two smallplastic bags or Zip-Lock type bags. Store dry cultures, molds, yeasts and dryrennet powder/tablets in the freezer. Store liquid rennet in there refrigerator.
Put this advice to use by purchasing one ofour culturestoday!
