Starter CultureNext

"Adding the starter is a much more controlled thing. We use a very old and traditional starter that comes in frozen pints. We have to thaw these pints out when we get them, divide them up into small vat-sized doses and then refreeze them. The day before making cheese, we have to take the dose of starter out and put it in a warm place overnight, where it will thaw out, heat up, and eventually start to activate and produce more and more starter bacteria. In the morning of cheesemaking we add a very tiny amount of starter, less than 50ml to 2600 litres of milk, which is another departure from most recipe types that usually incorporate starter at the rate of 1% to 2% . We are adding at an incredibly low rate of 0.0008%! The milk has to be warm before the starter goes in and we stir it thoroughly so its evenly mixed. We give it an hour to acclimatise and start growing, though at such a low dose there won’t be any noticeable acidification for hours..."