Thermophilic culture recipe (2024)

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Artisan Cheesemaker

Cheesemaking at home

Thermophilic starter cultures are used mostly by the pasta-filata and cooked curd cheeses. Here is a simple recipe to produce an easy thermophilic culture at home.

  1. Start with 2 cups of FRESH milk. Heat it to 85°C on the cook top or in a microwave. Be careful not to heat too high otherwise the cream will separate.
  2. Let the 2 Cups of milk cool to at least 52°C.
  3. Add one table spoon of FRESH yogurt either homemade or store bought “live and active culture” type. Probiotic yogurt can also be used.
  4. Mix the yogurt into the milk thoroughly with a fork or a whisk.
  5. Keep the mixture at 44°C for 8-10 hours until a firm yogurt has set. This can be done by using a double boiler on a low setting or by placing the inoculated milk into a small CLEAN mason jar placed in a warm water bath. The bath can be kept warm by placing it on an electric range top at the lowest possible setting (so that ‘ON’ light is just on). Monitor the temperature closely the first few times you do this and you will become a better judge of the temperature settings of your range top. This way with future cultures you can set the process up and not worry about it for 8-10 hours. Alternatively, you can use an electric yogurt maker.
  6. Pour this culture into a full sized CLEAN ice cube tray and put into your FREEZER. As with all steps of cheese making, cleanliness is next to godliness.
  7. Once frozen, remove the cubes and put into a CLEAN sealed container or plastic freezer bags. It is a good idea to label the container to distinguish it from your mesophilic culture.

The resulting ice cubes are each 30 ml of thermophilic starter.Add these cubes (thawed) to your recipes as required. The cubes will keep for about one month.To make more starter culture again simply thaw one cube and use it as the fresh yogurt used in step 3.

One another way is to use kefir as thermophilic culture (here is the discussion I’ve started on Cheese Forum) .Kefir has got a lot of bacteria and yeasts that can be used as starter culture. If you follow the thermophilic starter procedures and use Kefir instead of fresh milk, you would be getting a good and strong culture ecosystem.Strain about 1 liter of Kefir (separate the gems) and use your yogurt maker or keep the temperature about 43°C to 50°C for a day. This will eliminate most of the mesophilic cultures and some yeast.When it is curdled like yogurt (about a day or 2) separate 500 ml and mix it with 500 ml skimmed pasteurized milk. Put in your temperature controlled yogurt maker and keep it 43°C to 50°C constant till it curdles again.If you do this for 7 to 10 times, you will get a strong thermophilic ecosystem with lots of different thermo bacteria. I am using this starter for some hard cheeses and feta mainly. It does have gas producing bacteria in ti and cheese ends up with holes. Aroma and texture is also very good.

Thermophilic culture recipe (1)

Author: Gürkan Yeniçeri

IT, gardening, cooking, smoking, cheesemaking, brewing, sausage making, electronics, sci-fiView all posts by Gürkan Yeniçeri

  1. Very well explained and I hope I will make my own thermophilic culture for cheese making. Thanks.

    Reply

  2. Hello, I have a question about the first technique using milk. This looks pretty much like making yogurt. Could I use homemade yogurt as a thermophilic starter? Thank you very much

    Reply

  3. What quantity of this would equate to 1/4 teaspoon of dried culture from a sachet?

    Reply

    1. Mother cultures are used by way of percentage. Usually 1% or 2% compared to the colume of the milk.

      Reply

      1. I read your recipes for making a thermo starter. I tried this method but the yoghurt I purchased from the market contaminated my cheese. So I turned to make my own yogurt. I made my own yogurt with a thermo culture which had streptococcus and Bulgaricus enzymes. The yogurt set beautifully and now I want to use this as a starter for making cheese and also to replicate the yogurt itself.what do you think? Thanks.

      2. Yes, homemade yogurt is the best thermophilic starter.

  4. Hey i am perfecting a recipe for mozarella cheese. But i don’t want to use citric acid. Can i just use yogurt(curd) as a starter culture or an alternative to thermophilic starter culture. Do let me know thanks.

    Reply

    1. Yogurt would be the best thermophilic starter you can find.

      Reply

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Thermophilic culture recipe (2024)

FAQs

What cheeses use thermophilic culture? ›

This Thermophilic culture is used in making a variety of cheese, including Mozzarella, Parmesan, Provolone, Romano, Swiss, Gruyere, and other Italian style cheeses, which require higher temperature ranges.

How to make yogurt with thermophilic culture? ›

Activate your starter culture:

Once heated to 160° F., allow to cool to 110° F. Pour the cooled milk into yogurt maker insert. Add starter culture packet and mix thoroughly. Cover and incubate in yogurt maker for 5-12 hours.

What is the difference between mesophilic and thermophilic cultures? ›

Thus, thermophiles are used when the cook temperatures are above 39°C, and mesophiles are used with lower cook temperatures.

Is kefir thermophilic? ›

Yogurt starters are both mesophilic and thermophilic, while milk kefir are mesophilic. Mesophlic means an organism thrives best in room temperature, neither too cold or too hot, around 20 and 45°C (68 and 113 °F). Thermophilics are heat-loving.

Is Greek yogurt thermophilic? ›

Greek yogurt is a type of thermophilic ferment. This culture contains certain bacteria that grow best at a consistent temperature, which can be achieved using a yogurt maker or similar device. May contain the following beneficial bacteria and yeast: S. thermophilus, L.

What can I use instead of mesophilic culture? ›

To make a thermophilic culture, simply follow the same directions as above. However, in place of the mesophilic culture, add a thermophilic culture to the milk instead. Allow the milk to cool and afterward incubate it at 110 degrees Fahrenheit, for 6 to 8 hours as opposed to the longer period for a Mesophilic culture.

Can you incubate yogurt too long? ›

Incubated at 115°F/46°C, yogurt will coagulate within about three hours, but if left too long it can easily curdle. I prefer to ferment it a bit more slowly at a slightly lower temperature, four to eight hours at a more forgiving 110°F/43°C.

What temperature kills live yogurt cultures? ›

(Note: The yogurt bacteria can be killed if exposed to temperatures above 130 degrees F, so be careful not to add milk that is too hot!) Place the jars in a cooler and seal it.

Can you use too much yogurt starter? ›

If too much starter culture is used, the bacteria will be crowded and run out of food (lactose) before the yogurt is set. Too much starter can produce a sour taste, rather than the desired tart taste.

How do you culture thermophilic bacteria? ›

To isolate bacteria above 80°C, polypropylene plates are indicated to work best. On solidifying, the plates were placed upside down in a 37°C constant-temperature incubator for 72 h. The plates were then streaked with the thermophilic bacteria isolates or spread-plated and incubated at 70°– 84°C.

Can I make my own cheese culture? ›

HOW TO MAKE A CHEESE MOTHER CULTURE
  1. Step 1: Sterilize the milk. Boil a one-quart canning jar with band and lid in a covered pot for 5 minutes. ...
  2. Step 2: Cool the sterilized milk. Remove the jar from the pot of water. ...
  3. Step 3: Inoculate the milk. ...
  4. Step 4: Ripen the milk with cultures. ...
  5. Step 5: Chill the mother culture.
Jun 23, 2022

What are the three types of thermophiles? ›

Thermophilic microorganisms inhabit hot areas and can be classified into three categories: moderate thermophiles, extreme thermophiles, and hyperthermophiles having optimum growth temperatures of 50–60°C, 60–80°C, and 80–110°C, respectively (Gupta et al., 2014).

Does heat destroy kefir? ›

Many people like to use kefir with everyday food, which is great. But do not heat your kefir because the temperature will kill all the good bacteria. Room temperature is ideal for kefir, especially in India. Avoid mixing Honey, Turmeric and other strong antibacterials with kefir.

How do you know if you killed your kefir? ›

To know if your water kefir grains are dead, use them to ferment a new batch and repeat this cycle at least 4 times. If the grains are dead, the water will remain sweet, and there wouldn't be a sign of fermentation. Another way to know is the appearance of mold on the surface.

Can E coli survive in kefir? ›

Salmonella Typhimurium and Enteritidis survived for a 24-hour period in fermenting kefir. Escherichia coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes were recovered in less than 72 hours after the fermentation process was initiated.

Are thermophilic bacteria used to make mellow cheeses such as cheddar or Gouda? ›

Mesophilic bacteria grow best in moderate temperatures, typically between 20 and 45°C (68 and 113 °F). They are used to make mellow cheeses such as cheddar, gouda, and Colby. Thermophilic bacteria thrive between 45 and 122 °C (113 and 252 °F) and are used to make sharper cheeses such as Gruyère, Parmesan, and romano.

What cheese can I make with mesophilic culture? ›

mesophilic cultures is essential for many types of fresh, young and medium aged cheese including Cheddar, Gouda and Chèvre as well as washed and bloomy rind cheese including Muenster and Camembert. The bacteria in mesophilic culture works at a range of 62-102F and is happiest between 84-86F.

What is the best cheese for hot weather? ›

Choose softer cheeses: Hard-aged cheeses like Manchego and Gouda have fat fatty and/or dense textures that don't hold up when it's too warm (they get “sweaty” with oil and taste waxy). Instead, choose soft cheeses like fresh goat, soft-ripened cheeses like Brie, or semi-firm cheeses like young Cheddar.

What are the examples of cultured cheese? ›

Mesophilic Culture MM100-101- Mesophilic culture is one of the most common types of cultures that is used in several different cheese recipes. You can make some of your favorite types of cheese using this culture like: Mozzarella, Camembert, Brie, Chevre, Blue, Feta and Fromage Blanc.

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