What Does Adding Acidity To Milk Do? Adding Acidity to milk basically curdles the milk. For example, when adding vinegar to milk, the negatively charged protein in milk called casein mixes with the positively charged hydrogen in vinegar and the milk starts to clump up and curdle. Adding acids to milk causes the proteins in milk 'unwind' and 'unfold'. This is known as when the proteins denaturate. This causes the proteins to clump together in a way that would not happen when the proteins are properly folded.
Different Kinds of Acidity
Different Kinds Of Acidity There are different kinds of acidity you can add to your milk. The first kind is just straight-up acid - dump citric acid or vinegar into the milk to get the right amount of acid. This process is called direct acidification and is used to achieve cheeses like ricotta or mascarpone. The second kind or acidification is adding cultures, or living bacteria. These cultures will eat up the lactose in the milk when given time, warmth, and a lack of competitor bacteria. The cultures turn the lactose into lactic acid.
Cheese Cultures and Starter Cultures
What are Cheese Cultures? A cheese culture is a combined, single strain of bacteria. Cheese Cultures, more specifically, are specific groups of strains of bacteria put together for a specific type of cheese. Cultures are commonly maintained as pure strains, meaning there is no animal tissue derivation and the strains are non-GMO and gluten-free.
What Do Cheese Cultures Do? Cheese cultures raise the acidity of the milk by consuming the lactose (milk sugar) in the milk and converting it to lactic acid. This disables the bacteria that is already present and helps the coagulant in the milk set. Starter cheese cultures also aid in the development and the presentation of the cheese (both the flavor of the cheese and the shape, or body, of the cheese) in both the cheese making process and the aging process.
How are Cheese Cultures Differentiated? Cheese cultures are differentiated in a few different ways. One of these ways is the specific strains of bacteria a cheese culture contains. Another way is the ratio of strains in cheese culture. A final way is the type of strains of bacteria.
Kinds Of Cheese Cultures (Classified By Temperature) There are two kinds of cheese cultures that are classified by temperature. They are: Mesophilic: medium-loving (temperature-wise), meaning mesophilic cultures will cultivate best are temperatures up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Thermophilic: heat-loving (temperature-wise), meaning this type of culture is added to milk that is heated up to higher temperatures than Mesophilic.
What Is A Starter Culture? A starter culture is a cheese culture specifically used for the transformation of milk into cheese. A starter culture is traditionally used at the beginning of the cheese-making process, hence 'starter' culture. A starter culture will acidify the milk and force the milk sugar, or lactose, to convert into lactic acid.