Randy Chandler
Cheese culture is a fundamental element of cheesemaking, used to form the substance of the cheese. It is a group of specific bacteria strains that are combined to make a particular type of cheese. Cheese cultures are used to help good bacteria in the milk flourish and lead to a more rich and developed flavor. While it is possible to make cheese without a cheese culture, using one helps good bacteria in the milk flourish and leads to a more fully developed flavor in the final cheese.
What is Cheese Culture Made Of?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Basic Function | Raise the acidity of milk by absorbing lactose and transforming it into lactic acid |
| Bacteria Strains | Specific strains are combined to make a particular type of cheese |
| Bacteria Differentiation | Temperature, type of bacteria strains, and ratio of each strain present |
| Bacteria Source | Wild cultures, dairy buildings, equipment, animals, labs |
| Bacteria Growth | Bacteria grow in different ways, similar to yogurt |
| Rennet | An enzyme that curdles milk into curds |
| Mother Culture | Made from skim milk, 2% milk, or nonfat dry powdered milk |
| Temperature | Mesophilic cultures work at moderate or medium temperatures up to 90°F |
| Cheese Types | Cheddar, Jack, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Blue Cheese, Feta, and more |
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What You'll Learn
Bacteria Strains
Cheese cultures are a group of specific bacteria strains that are combined to make a particular type of cheese. They aid in the development of flavour, texture, and smell in the cheese. While most cheese cultures have a similar makeup, they can be differentiated by the temperature at which they work, the type of bacteria strains they contain, and the ratio of each strain present.
The most common type of cheese culture is the mesophilic culture, which works at moderate or medium temperatures of up to 90°F. This culture is used to produce a variety of hard cheeses such as Cheddar, Gouda, and Monterey Jack. Another common mesophilic culture is the MA 4001-4002, which is perfect for making semi-hard or hard cheeses like Cheddar, Gouda, and Colby.
The Fresh Cheese Culture is an aromatic mesophilic culture used to produce soft cheeses such as Cottage Cheese, Neufchatel, and Chevre. It can also be used to make aged cheese varieties like Blue Cheese and Baby Swiss. The Mesophilic Direct-Set Cheese Culture (MA11) is a versatile culture that can be used to make semi-soft and fresh cheeses like Cheddar, Colby, and Feta.
Some specific bacteria strains used in cheese cultures include Lactobacillus helveticus, commonly found in Emmental cheese, and Parma and Grana from Italy. Helveticus and bulgaricus are usually sold in separate packs to be combined with thermophilus to make custom blend ratios.
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Milk Types
Milk is the main ingredient in cheese, and most milk used for cheesemaking comes from cows. However, cheese can also be made from the milk of other animals, including buffalo, goats, sheep, camels, horses, and yaks. The type of milk used will influence the style, texture, and flavour of the cheese.
In the early days of cheesemaking, bacteria in cheese came from the environment or from recycling an earlier batch's whey. Today, most cheesemakers purchase selected-strain, laboratory-isolated starter cultures to begin the cheesemaking process. However, it is possible to make starters using fermented whey or clabbered milk, a yogurt-like substance that must be frozen or maintained and used regularly. Some cheesemakers in other countries still craft cheeses using their own starter cultures.
The milk used for cheesemaking should be of high quality and as fresh or properly stored as possible. While pasteurized milk is fine, ultra-pasteurized or ultra-filtered milk will more frequently result in a cheesemaking failure.
In the United States, most cheese is made from whole cow's milk. In China, several ethnic minority groups in Yunnan produce Rushan and Rubing from cow's milk, and cheese consumption in the country may be increasing.
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Temperature
Choosing a Culture
Cheese cultures are broadly classified into two types based on temperature: Mesophilic and Thermophilic.
Mesophilic cultures are used for low-temperature and fresh cheeses. They are well-suited for temperatures up to 90°F (32°C) and are the most commonly used type due to their versatility. They are used to make a wide range of cheeses, including soft cheeses like Chevre, and harder varieties such as Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Gouda.
Thermophilic cultures, on the other hand, are used for longer-aged cheeses and are employed when the cheese is heated to higher temperatures. These cultures are ideal for temperatures above 90°F, with an optimum growth range of 39°C to 50°C. They are necessary for making cheeses like Parmesan and other hard cheeses.
Flavour and Texture Development
Additionally, the amount of heating and stirring affects the texture of the cheese. Higher temperatures and more stirring result in firmer cheeses, as the curds release moisture and knock against each other, removing whey.
Bacteria Activity
The ripening process, which occurs at temperatures between 85°F and 90°F, is when the starter culture actively converts lactose to lactic acid, lowering the pH and creating an environment conducive to cheese formation.
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Rennet
The primary function of rennet is to act as a protease, with its key component, chymosin, playing a critical role in this process. Chymosin is responsible for cleaving the kappa casein chain, which is the main protein in milk. This cleavage results in the removal of the glycomacropeptide (GMP) from the surface of the casein micelle. The negative charge of GMP prevents casein micelles from adhering to each other. However, once the GMP is removed, the casein micelles can cluster together, losing their polar charge. This change causes them to rise out of the polar water molecules and combine with non-polar milk fat, forming a portion of the cheese curd.
Calf rennet is obtained from the inner mucosa of the fourth stomach chamber, known as the abomasum, of young, nursing calves. This process is typically carried out during livestock butchering, as these stomachs are a byproduct of veal production. It is important to note that the quality and composition of rennet can vary depending on the age of the calf. Rennet extracted from older calves may contain less or no chymosin, but it will have higher levels of pepsin. This type of rennet is more limited in its use, being suitable only for specific types of milk and cheeses.
Due to the limited availability of mammalian stomachs for rennet production, cheese makers have explored alternative sources of enzymes to replace animal rennet. These substitutes can come from plants, fungi, or microbial sources, and they are suitable for vegetarians and those adhering to Kosher or Halal dietary restrictions. For example, Mediterranean cheese-making traditions use enzymes from thistle or Cynara (artichokes and cardoons). Additionally, phytic acid from unfermented soybeans or fermentation-produced chymosin (FPC) can be used as alternatives. Commercial "vegetable rennets" often contain extracts from the mold Rhizomucor miehei, which is known for its proteolytic enzyme-producing capabilities.
The use of microbial rennet has improved significantly over the years, thanks to advancements in characterizing and purifying secondary enzymes. This improvement has made it possible to create high-quality cheeses with more suitable aging properties than those made with traditional animal or microbial rennets. The introduction of genetic engineering has further expanded the options by allowing the isolation of rennet genes from animals and their insertion into bacteria, fungi, or yeasts to produce recombinant chymosin during fermentation.
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Flavour Development
Cheese culture is a group of specific bacteria strains that are combined to make a particular type of cheese. The bacteria in the cheese culture work to raise the acidity of milk by absorbing the lactose (a natural sugar found in milk) and transforming it into lactic acid. This process helps the milk split into particles called curds, which are an essential ingredient in the production of cheese.
The development of flavour in cheese is influenced by several factors, including the type of bacteria strains and the ratio of each strain in the cheese culture. Different types of bacteria will produce different flavours in the cheese. The temperature at which the cheese culture works also plays a role in flavour development, as some bacteria work better at different temperatures, resulting in unique flavours and textures.
In addition to the bacteria strains and temperature, the ageing or affinage process also impacts the flavour of the cheese. Affinage is the final phase in the life cycle of cheese, where the fresh pressed curd undergoes further development to create the final product. The ageing process can be tailored to influence the flavour and texture of the cheese, resulting in a more fully developed and rich flavour.
Cheese cultures can also be classified as mesophilic or thermophilic. Mesophilic cultures work at moderate or medium temperatures up to 90°F and are used to make a variety of hard cheeses such as Cheddar, Gouda, and Monterey Jack. Thermophilic cultures, on the other hand, work at higher temperatures and are used for cheeses like Mozzarella, Parmesan, and Swiss. The choice of culture will determine the flavour profile of the final product.
Furthermore, the development of cheese cultures over time has been influenced by the separation of good bacteria from bad. Traditional methods of cheesemaking involved the use of farm-specific mother cultures, where shepherds would select the milk that worked best for them. With advancements in technology, such as the invention of the microscope, cheesemakers were able to identify and isolate specific bacteria, leading to the development of unique flavours and textures in cheese.
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Frequently asked questions
Cheese culture is made of a group of specific bacteria strains that are combined to make a particular type of cheese.
The bacteria in cheese culture work to raise the acidity of milk by absorbing the lactose (a natural sugar found in milk) and transforming it into lactic acid. This process helps milk split into particles called curds, an essential ingredient in cheese production.
Some common cheese cultures include Mesophilic Culture MM100-101, which is used to make Mozzarella, Camembert, and Brie, and Lactobacillus. Helveticus, which is used in the production of Emmental cheese, as well as some cheeses from northern Italy.
Most cheese recipes will list the specific cheese culture required. However, when experimenting or creating your own recipe, factors to consider include the temperature the culture works at, the type of bacteria strains it contains, and the ratio of each strain present.
Yes, it is possible to make cheese without a cheese culture, such as with certain types of fresh, unaged cheeses like cream cheese, cottage cheese, or rennet. However, using a cheese culture helps good bacteria in the milk flourish and leads to a more developed flavor in the final cheese.
