Cheeselinks

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about Starters

What is the difference between type A and type A Farmhouse starter?

There is very little difference between the two, other than the fact that the Type A Farmhouse comes in a smaller pack. We call it a 'farmhouse pack' because it is the typical size pack used by farmers when making a 5kg truckle of farmhouse style cheddar cheese.

 

I noticed that a number of cheeses use either type A or type B starter culture. What is the difference between type A and B?

Type A Starter is a standard lactic acid producing starter. It produces acid, and not much else, and this means that it is suitable for a range of cheeses.

The type B Starter is the same culture as type A but has additional cultures as well. It has bacteria which are flavour and gas producers. In many cases type A and B are interchangeable. When making the following cheeses you can use either type A or type B:

Normandy style camembert

Quarg

Fetta

Blue Vein, etc.

However, there are some cases where only type B should be used. For any cheese that has bubbles in it, for example, Edam, Gouda, Swiss, etc, you will need to use type B, as the bubbles are caused by the gas the starter will produce in the cheese. 

 

What is the difference between type B and type B flora?

The type B Flora is the same basic starter as type B with 20 or 30 other strains of bacteria also added. There is a whole 'flora' of bacteria in there which help broaden the flavour profile of the product. However, most people wouldn't notice the difference between type B and type B Flora. For recipes that use type B, type B Flora can be used interchangeably.

 

What is the difference between type c abt and aby yoghurt culture?

Both are culture variants that contain acidophilus and bifidus - probiotic cultures with a variety of health benefits.

Type C aB&t contains acidophilus, bifidus and thermophilus cultures - a special blend of cultures with three bacteria grown together. 

Type C aB&Y contains acidophilus, bifidus, thermophilus and bulgaricus cultures. The additional of the bulgaricus cultures is the only difference between the two, and this will make a slightly stronger flavoured  yoghurt. The bulgaricus culture is not considered a probiotic. 

 

What is the difference between type c1 and c3 yoghurt?

These are both commonly used yoghurt cultures - the number refers to the flavour of the yoghurt. Type C1 is more mild whereas type C3 is a stronger flavoured yoghurt. They are both the same viscosity, texture, and thickness. Type C1 grows a little bit slower, taking 8 hours to make yoghurt, whereas the type C3 matures in approximately 4-6 hours.

 

Why should I use yoghurt starter rather than just subculturing from actual yoghurt?

Subculturing is the process by which you make yoghurt by adding a small amount of already made yoghurt to milk and incubating at the required temperature. This is a popular way of making yoghurt at home, but there are a variety of problems associated with this method.

One problem is that over time the bacteria in yoghurt die out, and the older the yoghurt is, the fewer live bacteria that are left to subculture from. Connected to this is the various strains of bacteria die out at different rates, which means that after subculturing a few times the bacteria remaining in the yoghurt often get out of balance. This can cause your yoghurt to be overly runny, or have an abnormally strong flavour. It is much more reliable to add yoghurt culture directly to your milk.
 
You should never subculture ABT or ABY culture if you want to grow probiotics.  

 

Can I use the starter past the expiry date?

If you are using a prepared starter, not direct vat set, then there will be no difference in the cheese whatever the best before date is on the pack.  The difference that will be noticed will be in the setting time to set the prepared starter.  If you are using the starter as direct vat set and measuring pH you will be able to continue using it, just be aware that the times taken in the initial stages may be longer, or you may want to add a little more.   If you are adding directly into the vat and not measuring pH you will have no idea if the starter is working at all. 

 

Can I add the culture directly into the milk?

In a commercial situation, the starter powder is added directly into the milk.  The problem that exists for home cheesemakers is that it is very difficult to measure the exact quantities.  If you have an analytical balance, then you will be able to do it, but otherwise, the amount that you will add may not be the right amount, or may not be the same from batch to batch.  The consistency of your cheese will be affected by this.  That is why it is recommended to make up a liquid starter before cheesemaking, which will ensure you use the correct quantity of starter bacteria.

 

What happens if I use too much starter?

The characteristics of the cheese will change.  The amount of acid that is produced will affect the amount of moisture that is expelled from the cheese, therefore with too much starter the cheese may be dreir.  More acid production also can lead to bitterness developing in the cheese.